Author, composer and performer of the Parisian "Left Bank", Maurice Fanon was born on December 31, 1929 in Auneau, Eure et Loire. His passion for words, but also his political commitment, came from his grandfather. Starting out as an English teacher in the Paris suburbs, he began writing songs in the mid-1950s, looking for performers. He met Moustaki and Pia Colombo, who became his wife, his muse and also his best interpreter. After his break-up with her, he wrote " L'Écharpe " (1963), which he performed and which has been reinterpreted more than twenty times, by French artists such as Cora Vaucaire and Hervé Vilard, as well as Japanese artists. The album Avec Fanon, from which it is taken, won a Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros. His hits include " La petite Juive " and "Jean-Marie de Pantin" from his 1965 album of the same name. Although he was recognized as a performer for the way he embodied his songs, it was above all as a committed songwriter who made his mark. His performers include Joe Dassin, Isabelle Aubret and Francesca Solleville. He also wrote an entire album for Juliette Gréco, released in 1972. The artist stopped recording after 1984 and the LP L'écharpe, worn down by lack of recognition in the French media, but he continued to perform regularly in cabarets and enjoyed a triumphant tour of Japan. He also wrote books. Maurice Fanon died of cancer on April 30, 1991.
