On Sunday January 5, 2025, Michel Fugain, icon of French song, was one of the guests on the show A Sunday in the countryside on France 2. Faced with Frédéric Lopez, the 82-year-old singer spoke about significant moments in his life and career, notably a period of low point in the 1980s. The exchange was punctuated by a confidence about Johnny Hallyday.
For three seasons, A Sunday in the countryside has become an unmissable event. Every week, Frédéric Lopez invites three personalities to share a weekend in the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. This Sunday, January 5, 2025, the host welcomed the Olympic fencing champion Manon Apithy-Brunet, the YouTuber Major Mouvement and the singer Michel Fugain.
In a welcoming atmosphere, Michel Fugain spoke about his sixty-year career, between dazzling successes and moments of doubt. The life of an artist, as Michel Fugain explains, is a succession of moments of glory and more difficult periods. “I have nothing! No plan”he recalls, recalling a difficult period in the mid-1980s. While living in an expensive mill, the artist thought he might be forced to abandon everything: “I tell myself that I will find myself with two suitcases and my children in front of the gate. We will have to leave the house.” Today, at 82, he continues to share his story with disarming authenticity. “I can do what I want, when I want, if I need to and I don’t depend on anyone”he concludes with the wisdom of one who has learned to appreciate each stage of his journey.
“And there begins an extraordinary period”: a glimmer of hope in the storm
It was then that a certain Nicolas – “a Nicolas I don’t know how” – intervenes in his life to ask him to sing at private events. “He said to me: 'I can arrange parties for you'. And there begins an extraordinary period. I do all the weddings feuj [juifs, NDLR] from Paris. You make one and the people in the wedding were ordering me for theirs.”he says. This unexpected reconversion allows the performer to regain a certain financial stability and to reconnect with his love for the stage.
However, his enthusiasm is not shared by everyone. “You tell that to singers who think they're something they're not and they say: 'He did that?! Shit, that's not prestigious'. No! I'm an acrobat. I have never been so rich in my life”he defends himself fervently.
“Fugain, he is dead”: a sharp remark from Johnny Hallyday
Michel Fugain also shared a memorable memory linked to Johnny Hallydaywhich he did not appreciate. “He said: 'Fugain, he's dead'. Stupid! I'll be dead when I have no more ears or hands”he replied with a touch of anger. A remark which illustrates the judgments he faced during his career.
Despite these criticisms, Michel Fugain found success in 1985 by signing with the Tréma label and publishing the album Dreams and the wind. This opus, carried by the title Live lifemarks a turning point in his career. A few months later, Jean-Claude Camus, Johnny Hallyday's producer, attended one of his shows. “He comes into the dressing room and he says to me: ‘You don’t have the place you should have. We’re going to get it through shows’. And from there, it took off.”he remembers with gratitude.
France
