Gérard Lenorman

Known for his ballads, singer-songwriter Gérard Lenorman made a name for himself in the 1970s. Born in Bénouville (Calvados) on February 9, 1945 to an unknown father, Gérard Lenormand (his mother's surname) grew up between Paris and Issoire, in the Puy-de-Dôme region. He learned to play music on the church harmonium and wrote his first songs before adolescence, when he joined orchestras and sang at Club Méditerranée. After recording his first EP for the Disc'AZ label, he was introduced in 1968 to Brigitte Bardot, for whom he wrote two songs, including "La Fille de paille", and then toured as Sylvie Vartan's opening act. He signed with the Festival label and replaced Julien Clerc in the lead role in the musical Hair at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin. His triumph led him to CBS for his first album, where, in 1972, his lead vocals and the eco-friendly track "Il" were noticed. From then on, success followed success, with "De toi" (No. 2), "Le Petit Prince" (1973), "Quelque chose et moi" (1974) and his best-sellers, "La Ballade des gens heureux" (1975), "Michèle", "Gentil dauphin triste " and "Voici les clés " (1976), a mix of joie de vivre, nostalgia and melancholy. Other highly acclaimed songs followed between his regular Olympia appearances, such as "L'Enfant des cathédrales " (1977) and "Si j'étais président" (1980). Beneath the simple melodies and naïve lyrics lurks a songwriter's sensibility that has been acclaimed by audiences, and a lucidity sometimes tinged with irony. Gérard Lenorman, who in 1981 wrote the highly personal "Warum mein Water " about his father, an unknown German soldier, continued to sell out venues in the 1980s. In 1983, he performed for five weeks at the Palais des Congrès, following a film appearance in his own role in Claude Zidi's Les Sous-doués en vacances. He recorded several albums, including D'Amour (1981), Le Soleil des Tropiques (1983), Fière & Nippone (1985) and Heureux Qui Communique (1988), from which "Chanteur de charme" was chosen to represent France at the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where he finished in 10th place. Between compilations, a new collection appeared, Il Y A... in 1993 and La Raison de l'Autre in 2000, featuring Nicolas Peyrac. In 1998, Le Monde de Gérard Lenorman brought together foreign versions of the hits he had recorded. Back at the Olympia in 2001, the singer returned ten years later with the album Duos de Mes Chansons, featuring guest appearances by Tina Arena, Florent Pagny, Zaz, Patrick Fiori, Maurane, Grégoire, Stanislas and Joyce Jonathan. A second version was recorded with Quebec artists. 2016 sees him take part in the Âge tendre tour, and in 2021, perform a duet with Gilles Dreu. A new album, Le Goût du Bonheur, is released the same year.