“The Claude François mystery”, a Paris Match special issue

Discover our special issue “The Claude François Mystery”, 92 pages of photos and exclusive reports dedicated to the singer, available at your newsagent and on our online store.

Some artists mark their era. Others, rarer, transcend it. Claude François undeniably belongs to this second category. Forty-six years after his tragic death on March 11, 1978, Cloclo continues to fascinate, intrigue and even make people dance. Including those who never knew him.

How can we explain the longevity of this artist whose career only lasted sixteen years? What is first striking is the ability of his repertoire to remain current. His hits, from “Belles! Beautiful! Belles!”, “I’m going to Rio”, “Belinda”, “The telephone is crying” to “Magnolias for Ever”, via “Comme d’habita” (which has become the international standard “My Way”), seem impervious to passage of time. They continue to be broadcast, covered, remixed, used in films or advertisements.

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But beyond his music, there is a whole imagery that endures: the glittery costumes, the precise choreography with the Clodettes, the dazzling smile and the boundless energy. All this is frequently imitated. Notably by the string of look-alikes which seem to be tirelessly renewed. In addition, his sudden death at the age of 39 helped to freeze his image in eternal youth.

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The Claude François myth was also built on interesting contradictions. On the one hand, the image of the popular singer. On the other, that of a perfectionist artist, demanding, even oppressive with those around him. This duality between the public, sympathetic man, and the private, sometimes undrinkable man, continues to intrigue.

His claimed attraction to very young women, his sometimes tumultuous relationships with his companions and collaboratorshis behavior sometimes described as tyrannical are all gray areas which, far from extinguishing interest in the singer, seem on the contrary to fuel fascination. Long before the concept of artist-entrepreneur became fashionable, he understood the importance of mastering all aspects of his career.

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The persistence of his popularity is also due to the fact that he embodies, for many, a certain idea of the France of the Trente Glorieuses. His songs, often light and optimistic, evoke a carefreeness that contrasts with current concerns. For the youngest, he represents a fantasized ideal of the 1960s and 1970s, an era that they have not known but which they imagine to be wonderful, through his songs and his image.

However, the persistence of the Claude François myth is not exempt from questions, even controversies. In the age of the #MeToo movement, certain aspects of his life and career are now viewed with a critical eye.

The phenomenon of supernovae is well known to astronomers. When a star dies, it can outshine an entire galaxy, emitting as much energy as the Sun would produce over its entire lifetime. Claude François embodies the supernova of French song: a dazzling career which exploded into dazzling brilliance and whose light continues to reach us decade after decade.