Jacques Higelin

Jacques Higelin was one of the leading pop stars in France for several decades with a colourful stage presence and popular songs such as 'Tombé du Ciel' and 'Poil dans la Main'.

Born just east of Paris, he started to perform in movie theatres and on radio when he was just a teenager and work as a stuntman led to appearances as an actor in several French films. After performing in cafe theatre, he recorded his first singles and in the 1960s began to release albums such as 'Chansons d'Avant le Deluge' and 'Higelin & Areski'. He made recordings in the 1970s and '80s and his 1997 release, 'Paradis Païen', made the French top ten. Other hits included 'Amor Doloroso' (2006), 'Coup de Foudre' (2013), 'Beau Repaire' (2013) and his final release 'Higelin 75' (2016). He appeared in many French films, starred in and wrote the music for the 1967 Christian Gion movie 'The Surrounded' and wrote the music for Jean-Henri Meunier's 1980 feature film 'La Bande du Rex'. He died at the age of 77 on April 6, 2018.