Mike Brant

Mike Brant, real name Moshe Brand, was born on February 1, 1947 in Nicosia, on the then British-controlled island of Cyprus. He was born in a refugee camp in Cyprus. His father, Fishel Brand, had fought alongside the Russian army against the Nazis, while his mother, Braunice Rosemberg, had survived the horror of Auschwitz. Mike grew up in Haifa, Israel. From an early age, Mike showed an interest in singing and music, despite a childhood marked by speech difficulties and a modest family environment. At the age of 11, he was the only boy in his school choir and began to develop a passion for music, which became his escape. At the age of 17, Mike began his musical career in Israel, joining his brother's band, The Chocolates, where he was quickly noticed for his powerful, moving voice. He performed in prestigious hotels and clubs, captivating audiences with covers of his favorite artists, including Tom Jones and Elvis Presley. The young man, now known as Mike, gained notoriety and went on to headline The Skymasters. The death of his father in 1967, when he was just 20, deeply affected Mike, who found himself on tour at the time of the tragedy. This loss reinforced his need to succeed in music, as a tribute to his father. He continued to sing in prestigious hotels, and in 1968 was recruited by the Israeli music-hall troupe Lakat Karmon, with whom he performed in the United States and South Africa. In 1969, Mike Brant was discovered by French singer Sylvie Vartan during one of her performances in Teheran. She invited him to try his luck in France. A few months later, at the age of 22, he landed in Paris, without speaking a word of French, but with unfailing determination. After a difficult start - he almost left for Israel for lack of funds - he was finally taken under the wing of producer Jean Renard, who saw great potential in him. Renard wrote and produced "Laisse-moi t'aimer", which became an instant hit in 1970, propelling Mike Brant to the top of the French charts. He went on to score a string of hits, including "Qui saura" (1972), "C'est ma prière" (1972), and "Rien qu'une larme" (1973), selling almost 15 million records in just five years. He also released two studio albums, Mike Brant (1970) and Toutes les Couleurs (1974). Despite his dazzling success, Mike Brant was a tormented man. Exhausted by the frantic pace of his career and the pressure of the media. In November 1974, he attempted suicide for the first time, jumping from the fifth floor of a hotel in Geneva, but miraculously survived. On April 25, 1975, at the age of 28, Mike Brant ended his life by jumping from the sixth floor of a building in Paris, on the very day his new single "Dis-lui" was released .