Henri Salvador

From swing-era jazz to children's songs, parody rock and bossa nova, crooner Henri Salvador has tried his hand at every genre. Born in Cayenne, French Guiana, on July 18, 1917 to parents originally from Guadeloupe, he arrived in mainland France in 1929, abandoning his studies to perform in Paris cabarets. A gifted musician, he learned to play the violin, trumpet, drums and guitar, and was a skilled entertainer, putting on an act with his brother André at Jimmy's Bar. A member of Django Reinhardt's orchestra before the Second World War, he went on to play and sing in a number of jazz bands, and came to the attention of Ray Ventura, who included him in his Collégiens from December 1941 to December 1945, during his stay in South America. He won over Brazilian audiences with his imitations and, on his return to France, began a solo career with the ballad "Maladie d'amour " (1948). After starring in the operetta Le Chevalier Bayard at the Alhambra with Yves Montand, Henri Salvador enjoyed further success with "Clopin-clopant" and "Le Loup, la biche et le chevalier" (aka "Une chanson douce"). In 1949, he played in Jean Boyer's film Nous irons à Paris with Ray Ventura's orchestra, and appeared at the A.B.C. in Mistinguett's revue Paris s'amuse. Accompanying several musicians, including Michel Legrand, he discovered rock'n'roll, which they parodied with lyricist Boris Vian. Under the pseudonym Henry Cording, they released "Rock and Roll Mops", "Le Blouse du dentiste", "Rock-Hoquet " and others, the first examples of nascent French rock. Following the recording of the jazz guitar album Salvador Plays the Blues and the hits "Syracuse" and "Le Lion est mort ce soir" (an adaptation of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), the singer turned his attention throughout the 1960s to humorous songs aimed at young people, with the hits "Faut rigoler" (1960), "Le Travail c'est la santé", "Zorro est arrivé" (a cover of The Coasters' "Along Came Jones" ) and "Juanita Banana", published on his Rigolo label. A regular guest on TV variety shows, he hosted his own Salves d'or program, recorded the soundtrack to the cartoon Les Aristochats (1971) and returned to the small screen with Dimanche Salvador (1973). Depressed after the death of his wife Jacqueline in 1976, Henri Salvador was slow to bounce back. Back on the Paris stage in 1982, he presented a 60-performance show under a big top at Porte de Pantin, and three years later performed at the Palais des Congrès. Awarded the Légion d'honneur at the rank of chevalier in 1988, the octogenarian was brought out of retirement by the new generation with the album Chambre avec Vue (2000), written in collaboration with Benjamin Biolay, Keren Ann and Thomas Dutronc, certified diamond disc, which won him three Victoires de la musique awards in the album of the year and male artist of the year categories, followed by show of the year in 2002. His hit song, "Jardin d'hiver", is a classic in terms of the number of covers it receives. 2003 saw the release of Ma Chère et Tendre, followed in 2006 by his final Révérence, recorded in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and followed by final performances at Salle Pleyel on October 26, 2007 and at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on December 21, before he succumbed to a ruptured aneurysm on Place Vendôme on February 13, 2008, aged 90.