On March 11, 1978, Claude François died at the age of 39 after a tragic domestic accident. For the funeral of the singer, his family had expressed a desire to preserve his image for eternity.
45 years already. This Saturday, March 11, it makes 45 years since Claude François died at the age of 39. It was March 11, 1978, at 2:45 p.m. exactly. Known to be an extremely maniacal artist, Cloclo was taking a bath at his home at 46, boulevard Exelmans in Paris when he noticed that the electric wall light above his bathtub was askew. Impossible for him to bask in the water in the face of such an annoying detail. The interpreter of Monday in the sun got up, dripping with water, and his fingers stuck to the copper as the electrical wires were partially stripped.
Claude Francois was victim of electrocution, which caused him pulmonary edema. It is Kathleen Jones, his last companion, who found him and immediately tore him from the sconce. The firefighters intervened and a doctor gave a cardiac massage to the singer. Claude François’ heart started beating again for two minutes before stopping for good. Nevertheless, the whole story could have been different.
Where is Claude François buried?
The Tuesday before the tragic accident of Claude François, an electrician had come to his apartment to solve electrical problems. Except thathe had not been able to access the bathroom, because he had to cross the room in which slept the ex of France Gall. To avoid waking him up, Françoise, Claude François’ secretary, had refused to allow the electrician to go there. Instead, another appointment had been scheduled for March 13.
The funeral of Claude François took place March 15, 1978. It was in the cemetery of Dannemois, a small town south-east of Paris where he had his famous mill, that the singer was buried. About 1,500 people were present that day to pay their last respects to Josette’s brother. As requested by his relatives, Claude François was embalmed as Elvis Presley. “Il is placed in a first lead coffin, then in a mahogany coffin padded with Venetian blue velvet“, reported The Parisian in 2017. He wears for eternity a midnight blue velvet suit and a white shirt. An unhappy singer, who we still listen to 45 years later.
