Jacques Dutronc

Born Paris, France on April 28, 1943, Jacques Dutronc is a pop and rock singer, songwriter, musician and actor. Now known as one of the most popular artists in the French-speaking world, his career started in 1961 when his band El Toro et les Cyclones released their first single. After one more single, the band disbanded when Jacques Dutronc fulfilled his military service. In 1963, after he was discharged, he began playing in live band while also co=writing songs for artists such as Françoise Hardy and Benjamin. Unhappy with Benjamin’s version of “Et moi, et moi, et moi”, the record company asked Jacque Dutronc to record a version of his own composition. The 1966 single climbed to Number 2 on the charts in September. His self-titled debut album was released later that year and shifted over a million copies. Further hits included “Les Cactus” (1966), “Les Play Boys” (1966), “J’aime les filles” (1967), “Gentleman Cambrioleur” (1973), and “Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille” (1968), which was later voted the best French-language single of all time. Between 1966 and 1975, he released a total of seven self-titled albums, but by the 1980s, his albums were given proper titles such as Guerre et pets (1980), C.Q.F.D…utronc (1987) and others. Since 1973, he’s also been an actor and has appeared in many films since then. His successful music and film careers have continued over the decades, although he has been more prolific as an actor than a musician. His music has been covered by many of France’s finest artists and he has been honored with many awards over the years. Since 1967, Jacques Dutronc has been romantically involved with French chanteuse François Hardy. The two were married in 1981 but have since separated but remain close. They have a son, Thomas Dutronc, who is also a singer, songwriter, and musician.