Jacques Brel

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was a Belgian singer and actor known for his powerful and emotional songs. He sang mostly in French and sometimes in Dutch, but his music touched people all over the world. Many famous singers, such as Scott Walker, David Bowie, and Ray Charles, were inspired by his work and recorded their own versions of his songs.

Besides his music, Brel was also an actor. He appeared in ten films and even directed two of them. One of his directed films, Le Far West, was nominated for a big award called the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Brel sold more than 25 million records, making him one of Belgium’s most popular musicians.

Brel married Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen in 1950, and they had three children together. He also had a romantic relationship with actress and dancer Maddly Bamy from 1972 until he passed away in 1978. Today, Brel is remembered as a master of modern music and a talented performer.

Early life

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was born on 8 April 1929 in Schaerbeek, Brussels. His parents were Élisabeth Lambertine "Lisette" Van Adorp and Romain Brel. Jacques grew up in a strict household and went to a Catholic school. He loved reading and writing but found arithmetic and Dutch difficult.

At 15, Jacques started playing the guitar. He wrote stories, poems, and essays, and even helped start a drama club at his school. Though he wasn’t a top student, he loved to write and perform. Later, he worked at his father’s cardboard factory but felt bored. He joined a youth group that helped others, which he loved. In 1950, he married Thérèse Michielsen, and they had their first daughter in 1951. Soon after, Jacques began writing songs and performing them for small audiences.

Music career

1953–1959

In January 1953, Brel performed at a cabaret in Brussels. In February he signed with a record company and recorded his first song, "Il Y A", which was released in March. A talent scout invited him to move to Paris. Despite family concerns, he left for Paris in the autumn of 1953. In Paris, Brel worked hard to build his career, staying at a hotel and giving guitar lessons to help pay rent. He found work at various cabaret venues.

In 1954, Brel took part in a music contest and later performed one of his songs at a concert by a French star. In July 1954, he made his first appearance at a famous music hall in Paris. Later that summer, he began his first tour in France with other singers. By the end of the year, his debut album was released.

In February 1955, Brel met a close friend who became his manager. He began singing with Christian groups, earning a nickname. In March, his wife and children joined him in France. In June, he toured France again.

In March 1956, Brel performed in several places including North Africa and Belgium. In July, he met a pianist who would help with his music. In September, he recorded a song that became very popular and reached number three on the charts.

In February 1957, Brel performed with famous artists at a theatre. In April, he released his second album. In June, he won an important music award. In September, he appeared on a television program. In November, he met another pianist who would join him on tours.

In February 1958, Brel's family returned to Belgium while he stayed in Paris. In March and April, he recorded his third album. In May, he toured Canada for the first time. In August, his third daughter was born. In November, he gave a concert in Belgium. In December, he performed at a famous venue in Paris.

In January 1959, Brel signed a new contract. He continued touring. In February, he performed in Belgium. In March, he starred at a venue in Paris. In September, he recorded his fourth album. In October, he performed in Belgium. In November, he sang with another famous singer in Brussels. By the end of the year, he had become very popular in France and was invited to perform at a famous concert venue in Paris. His performance was a big success.

1960–1967

In January 1960, Brel's new manager organized international tours for him. From March to April, he appeared in Brussels. In October, he performed in Cairo. These tours brought him international fame. His first United States release came out that year.

In January 1961, Brel returned to a famous venue in Paris. By now, an accordionist had joined his group. From February to April, he recorded his fifth album, which included future classics. In March, he toured Canada again and met a friend in Montreal. In May, he performed in The Hague. From October to October, he returned to a music hall in Paris with star billing. Critics called him the new star of French music.

In March 1962, Brel left his record company and signed with a new one. His first album for the new label was a live recording from the previous year. In March, he recorded his first song for the new label. During the second week of March, he recorded tracks for his sixth studio album. In October, he started his own music publishing company. In November, he recorded several songs as singles.

In April 1963, Brel performed again at a venue in Paris. In July, he headlined at a music event in Knokke. He also returned to another famous venue in Paris, performing with a support act. His performance was very successful, with the audience giving him a standing ovation after a song.

In 1964, Brel faced personal losses with the deaths of his father and mother. Despite this, he received awards and continued touring. By the end of the year, he released a new live album. He also discovered a new interest in aviation and bought a small plane. In the United States, his audience grew, with American artists recording versions of his songs.

In 1965, he performed in the Netherlands and completed a successful tour of the Soviet Union. In November, he recorded songs in France. On December, he appeared at a famous venue in New York City, receiving high praise.

By 1966, Brel felt tired from constant touring. In April, he announced his decision to retire from touring. In October, he gave a series of farewell concerts in Paris. Thousands of fans attended these final performances over three weeks. On November, he gave his final concert in Brussels. Later that month, he gave his final UK performance in London. During these last months, friends urged him to reconsider retiring, but he was determined. On December, he returned to New York City for inspired performances before enthusiastic fans. Several English versions of his songs were on the charts, including versions by different artists.

In January 1967, Brel finished recording songs for a new studio album, which was released later that year. The album included several classic songs. In late January, he returned to New York City for one final performance. While there, he saw a musical that inspired him to plan a French production for Europe. He returned to France in the spring and, in May, gave his final concert performance. Toward the end of the year, he bought a yacht with plans to sail around the world.

1968–1972

After retiring from touring, Brel focused on film. He recorded only a few more studio albums in the last years of his life. In September 1968, he recorded songs for an album that was released later that year. In October, a musical he adapted and starred in premiered in Brussels. The musical later moved to Paris. He gave his final performance in the role on May.

In March 1970, Brel gave a special performance in Paris where he recited stories instead of singing.

In 1972, Brel signed a special contract with his record company. Although he had no new songs, they persuaded him to re-record some of his earlier songs. The album included several of his well-known tracks.

Film career

In 1967, Jacques Brel began making movies with his first film, Risky Business, where he played a schoolteacher facing serious accusations from students. Critics liked his acting. The next year, he acted in The Bonnot Gang, a story set in 1911 about rebels fighting against society. In 1969, Brel starred in My Uncle Benjamin, a funny story set in the 1700s about a doctor and his love.

Brel kept making movies through the early 1970s, including Mont-Dragon in 1970, where he played a soldier with complicated relationships. In 1971, he directed his first film, Franz, and also acted in The Assassins of the Order, where he played a judge investigating a death in custody. Later films included The Adventure Is the Adventure in 1972, where crooks plan a big heist, and The Bar at the Crossing, where a man searches for love in Canada. His final film, The Troublemaker, came out in 1973, where he played a funny character next door to a hired killer.

Final years and death

In early 1973, Jacques Brel learned he was unwell and prepared for the future. He recorded a song called "L'Enfance" (Childhood) and gave the money from it to help children with special needs. He enjoyed sailing and spent much of his later life on the ocean. In 1974, he bought a yacht named Askoy II and planned a long trip around the world.

Brel continued to sing and made his last album in 1977, called Les Marquises. Despite being very ill, he worked hard to finish it. The album became very popular in France. Brel passed away on 9 October 1978 at the age of 49. He was buried on an island in the Pacific, near the grave of artist Paul Gauguin.

Legacy

Jacques Brel left a lasting mark on music and culture, especially in French-speaking countries. Though his songs are in French, many artists around the world have performed his music. Some of these artists include David Bowie, Céline Dion, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, and Sting, among many others.

Translations

The songs of Jacques Brel have been translated into at least 95 languages.

Dutch

Brel sometimes used parts of his songs in Dutch, which is one of Belgium’s official languages. He recorded eight Dutch versions of his songs, such as "Mijn vlakke land" ("Le plat pays") and "Laat me niet alleen" ("Ne me quitte pas"). Two rare Dutch singles were “De apen” ("Les Singes") and “Men vergeet niets” ("On n'oublie rien"). Popular Dutch singers who performed Brel’s songs include Liesbeth List, Jan Mesdag, and Jeroen Willems.

English

Many artists have recorded English versions of Jacques Brel’s songs. Rod McKuen was one of the first to translate Brel’s music. Terry Jacks turned Brel’s "Le Moribond" into the worldwide hit "Seasons in the Sun" in 1974. Other famous performers like the Beach Boys and Nirvana also recorded this song.

During the 1960s, translations like “The Dove” (“La colombe”), an anti-war song, were recorded by artists such as Joan Baez and Judy Collins. In 1968, a musical called Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris debuted, featuring 25 of Brel’s songs with English words by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman.

Scott Walker covered several Brel songs on his early albums, and David Bowie performed “Amsterdam” and “My Death” in concerts. In the 1980s and 1990s, artists like Marc Almond and Barb Jungr released new English versions of Brel’s work.

German

German singers such as Dieter Kaiser and Klaus Hoffmann have translated and performed Brel’s songs. Austrian actor Michael Heltau also recorded Brel’s music using translations by Werner Schneyder.

Other languages

Brel’s songs have been translated into many other languages. The most popular, “Ne me quitte pas” (Don’t leave me), has over 1,400 versions in 52 languages. Famous recordings include the German version by Marlene Dietrich, Hebrew versions by Yossi Banai, Spanish versions by Yuri Buenaventura and Matt Monro, and many more around the world.

Discography

Jacques Brel’s music appeared in many forms and places, sometimes with different names. This list focuses on his original albums, gathered together in a special sixteen-CD collection called Boîte à bonbons on September 23, 2003. It also includes an extra album, Chansons ou versions inédites de jeunesse, released for the first time in that collection. To celebrate 25 years since Jacques Brel passed away, Barclay Records released Comme quand on était beau in 2003. This was a three-DVD set with interviews and live performances, along with a music collection called Infiniment in 2004. These releases had five new songs Brel wrote in 1977.

Filmography

Awards and honours

In music

Many artists have created songs to honor Jacques Brel. For example, in 1975, Patricia Lavila sang a song called "Je n'ai jamais vu Jacques Brel chanter" that talked about Brel’s songs. In 1976, Pierre Perret recorded "Ma nouvelle adresse," a song about Brel moving to Polynesia. Over the years, many singers like Dalida, Barbara, and Arno have made songs or albums paying tribute to Brel’s music.

Places and statues

Several places and statues around the world are named after Jacques Brel. In 1968, a school in Vesoul, France, was named after him. Many cities, like Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and Bruges, have squares or parks named in his honor. There are also statues of Brel in places such as Forest in Brussels and Saint-Amand-Montrond in France. Even airports and train stations have been named after him.

Other

Jacques Brel received many awards during his career and after his death. He won the Dutch Edison award in 1962 and the Premio Tenco in 1977 for his work. In 2020, Google celebrated him with a special drawing on its homepage.

Books

In English

Here are some books about Jacques Brel written in English:

• Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris: Based on Brel's Lyrics and Commentry by Jacques Brel in 1968, Chappell Music, 40p. ISBN 978-0881882162
• Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris by Eric Blau and Jacques Brel in 1971, E. P. Dutton, 191p. ISBN 978-0525135869
• Jacques Brel: The Biography by Alan Clayson in 1996, Castle Communications, 207 p. ISBN 978-1860741364
• Brel and Chanson: A Critical Appreciation by Sara Poole in 2004, University Press of America, 136p. ISBN 978-0761829195
• _Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel: Personal and Social Narratives in Post-War Chanson, 224p. ISBN 978-0853237587
• Jacques Brel: La Vie Bohème by Alan Clayson in 2010, Chrome Dreams, 224 p. ISBN 978-1842405352

In other languages

Many books about Jacques Brel have been written in other languages as well, including French, Dutch, Spanish, and German. These books explore his life, music, and influence in different ways.

Documentaries

Several documentaries have been made about Jacques Brel. One called "The World of Jacques Brel" by Annett Wolf came out in 1971. Another, "Jacques Brel" by Frédéric Rossif, was released in 1982. More recent films include "The unknown Jacques Brel" by Robbe De Hert in 2003 and "Jacques Brel, fou de vivre" by Philippe Kohly in 2017.