what happens to the very discreet Jean-Jacques Goldman?

The singer, who retired from public life around twenty years ago, celebrates his 73rd birthday this Friday, October 11. Despite his absence, he has lost none of his aura with the public.

Out of sight, close to the fans. By leaving the spotlight of show business for a more discreet life in the early 2000s, Jean-Jacques Goldman only further established his legend. This retirement taken in full glory imbues the character with an aura of mystery and only maintains, paradoxically, the public’s attachment to the man who is celebrating his 73rd birthday this Friday, October 11.

This is evidenced by the annual ranking of the French people’s favorite personalities published by the JDD, of which he occupied first place last year. for the seventh consecutive year. The tour The Goldman Legacywhich sees artists cover his hits under the leadership of his friend Michael Jones, is a hit, as is that of the Goldmen, a group which devotes itself exclusively to the singer’s discography.

Same loyalty among subscribers to streaming platforms. “There is no shortness of breath, the listening is very stable,” a Deezer manager told BFMTV. “This demonstrates a real attachment (of our) users to Goldman.” As for Spotify, the singer’s page has 1.5 million monthly listeners, as many as Johnny Hallyday.

“He doesn’t need the gaze of others”

So much proof of France’s intact attachment to this artist who now lives between London and Marseille, whose latest album, Songs for the feetdates from 2001, and the last concert in 2004.

“The stage was never the place where he was most comfortable,” confides Erick Benzi, his faithful friend and arranger, to BFMTV.

“He learned to love it while working, over time, so he took a lot of pleasure in doing it. But it’s not a lack,” he continues. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for Jean-Jacques Goldman’s return to anonymity: “It’s not like people who want to die on stage, because they need the gaze of others . He doesn’t need the gaze of others.”

In 2011, Jean-Jacques Goldman himself raised the issue in a letter addressed to a Jura fan: “A farewell tour? I am sad about the sadness that (my) absence can cause, but I also know what the scene requires involvement, energy, desire, and I am no longer capable of it (And it seems to me that it would be too difficult, emotionally too)”, he wrote to her.

His letters, like gifts to fans

Because the singer, through letters, continues to speak with his audience. Thibault Christophe is an example. This father of a family from Toulouse wrote a first novel about him under the pseudonym LT (Journal d’un fanéditions du Caillou) and sent it to him through his fanclub. At the end of September, he was surprised to receive a response in his mailbox.

“When I take the letter, when I open it… there is the heading JJG, and its handwriting is recognizable!”, he tells BFMTV. “I recognized his writing, it was so unexpected that I put it back and read it later to appreciate each of the words.”

“Going through the media (for Jean-Jacques Goldman) would be a quantitative relationship,” he analyzes. “He takes a quality, more individualized approach. And when you know the character, it reflects his personality.”

“He no longer has the energy,” continues Erick Benzi. “He’s sorry about his fans, but he says: ‘There you go, I’m a grandfather six times, I’m 73 years old, my life is good and it’s going well’. (But) he always responds to mail from readers!! He spends all his time responding to fan letters.”

Very occasional songs

Likewise, a reunion with Céline Dion – whose successful albums Jean-Jacques Goldman wrote Two (1995), If it was enough to love (1998) then the song one more evening (2016) – seem unlikely to him: “I don’t see him going to write songs for Céline (….) To my knowledge, this is not current.”

The singer continues, however, very occasionally, to write for others. We owe him Dwords to offer by Emmanuel Moire (2019), We didn’t know it de Patrick Fiori (2020), When? by Trois Cafés Gourmand (2022) or even Think of Usby Gautier Capuçon (2023).

His last known creation is a song written for the performance of a primary class at the Louis-Pergaud school, in Vénissieux near Lyon, in 2024. Here again, the letters he exchanges with his fans have were crucial to the realization of the project: the teacher, Nadia Bachmar, had been corresponding with him for years when she asked him to write a piece for them.