Laurent Voulzy

Inspired by English pop and rock, Laurent Voulzy has been building a successful career since 1977. Born Lucien Voulzy in Paris on December 18, 1948, he grew up in Nogent-sur-Marne, where he later set up his recording studio. He learned the guitar and took his first steps in amateur groups such as Les Hellences, before joining the Mark Robson Group and the Musical College, with whom he recorded his first albums in 1968. Signed as a solo artist to RCA, he went on to make further 45s, and met the man who was to become his musical partner for life, Alain Souchon, who wrote his first hit "Rockollection " (1977), based on a medley of 1960s hits. Meanwhile, Laurent Voulzy wrote songs for Souchon such as "J'ai dix ans", "Allô maman, bobo " and "Jamais content", which launched his friend's career. In 1979, a ballad, "Le Cœur grenadine", provided the title for his first album, and went on to become a chart hit, followed by "Bubble Star". Rather than rushing into things, the artist took the time needed to refine his work in the studio, and taught his audience the art of patience, which he returned to in 1983 with the album Bopper en Larmes and the single of the same name. The following year saw him duet with actress Véronique Jannot on Désir, désir, which reached No. 29. In 1985, a double hit single awaited him with "Mes nuits sans Kim Wilde", on the back of which appeared "Belle-Île en mer, Marie Galante", a reference to his dual origins in Brittany and Guadeloupe. A hit with the public, the B-side reached No. 20 before being voted best song of the decade and fourteenth of the 20th century at the 1990 Victoires de la musique awards. His talent recognized by the general public, the perfectionist musician nevertheless continued to work at his own pace and, after a first extract from the forthcoming album, "Le Soleil donne" (No. 21 in 1989), returned in 1992 with the complete collection Caché Derrière, also unveiling "Paradoxal système" (No. 10) and "Le Rêve du pêcheur " (No. 37). Busy with a tour from the Casino de Paris to the Zenith, which resulted in the live recording Voulzy Tour (1995), the singer, who collaborated with Les Enfoirés, reappeared in 2001 with the album Avril (No. 3 in sales), before embarking on a Gothique Flamboyant Pop Dancing Tour two years later. 2006 saw the release of the cover album La Septième Vague (No. 1), featuring the Chats Sauvages hit "Derniers baisers" (No. 8), followed in 2011 by Lys and Love (No. 2), represented by the track "Jeanne " (No. 14). In 2014, Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon released their first album together, an event that rightly placed them at the top of the sales charts. Holder of six Victoires de la musique awards, the artist, who began a church tour in 2012, as evidenced by the album Lys and Love Tour (2013), released a record inspired by Brazilian music in 2017, Belem (No. 6), whose medley "Spirit of Samba" revisits the classics of the genre. 2019 will see the release of an album recorded at Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey.