Mireille Mathieu is a French singer born on July 22nd, 1946 with Avignon (Vaucluse).
Revealed in 1965 during a TV-hook, it is the prototype of the popular singer of the Années 1960 and 70, period when it is its greater successes discographics of “My creed” composed by Paul Mauriat and written by André Pascal in 1966 with “a woman in love” in 1980. Starting from the medium of the Years 1980, it privileges its international career in many countries where it is regarded as a symbol of the French song.
It sold more than 125 million albums and not 50 million 45 turns and simple in the world and recorded and sang more than one thousand of songs in 11 languages (French, German, English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Finnish, Japanese, Chinese, Catalan and Of Provence). It appears in the 11th rank all categories confused, (8th in French the artists category, 4th in the artist category female all categories, and 3rd in French female the artists category) in France with 16 million sold discs November 24th, 2005 it receives hands of the director of the OLYMPIA and in the name of the SACEM and of the Profession; the first (and single at this date) discs of RUBY a single distinction, for the sale of 122 million albums in the world at the date of November 2005! OLYMPIA or she celebrated, in November 2005, its forty years of career on the scene of the Olympia where she occurred for the eighth time.
Biography
Beginnings in the song
There is habit to say that the life of Mireille Mathieu is a true fairy tale. Indeed, nothing predisposed this girl of Mason stone (his Roger father has even carried out fall it from Albert Camus) forced to go to work in a factory of envelopes at the fourteen years age to help its family, to become one of the most popular singers of the second part of the 20th century in the world.It wakes up however with the song as of its childhood with her father, a baritone, fan of opera and great voices. It is the discovery of Edith Piaf which shows him the way: it will be singer. With obstinacy, it is presented three consecutive years to the contest “one sings in my district” organized by the town hall of Avignon and in 1964 with “the Bed of roses gains it” which is still today, the song fetish which it sings in all its concerts. The assistant of the mayor of Avignon, Raoul Dove, decides to support his vocation. He makes it take part in many local official receptions and the registered voter in famous “the Jeu of the Chance”, the TV-hook of the mythical emission “Télé Sunday” of Raymond Marcillac. And it is on November 21st, 1965, which million French televiewers discovers, jellyfishes, this small woman vêtu of black which interprets the song of its idol Edith Piaf “Jezebel”. It is voted by plebiscite seven weeks of continuation by the public and the large business manager Johnny Stark takes in hand its career.
Consequently, the songs, successes, the concerts in the whole world are connected with a frantic rate. After a first Olympia in December 1965 in curtain raiser of Dionne Warwick and Sacha Distel, it produced there in the high-speed motorboat since 1966, accompanied by Paul Mauriat, haloed its first successes: “My Creed” (more than one million past specimens), “That it is beautiful”, “Come in my street” (André Pascal/Paul Mauriat). Its record sales are phenomenal for the time. Another originality, the repercussion of the success of Mireille in France quickly exceeds the borders and since 1966, it takes part in famous “the ED Sullivan Show” with the the United States.
She is sponsored by Maurice Chevalier to which she will devote a song homage in 1980 the rower of Maurice Chevalier and the scenario writer/documentarist François Reichenbach turns the Fairy tale of Mireille Mathieu which is diffused at the end of 1966 on television French. This film shows in particular its meeting with Maurice Chevalier and its first voyage to the United States.
Its image of “official” singer, “voice of France” is built as of this time with the interpretation of “ Paris in Anger ”. Written by Maurice Vidalin on the music composed by Maurice Jarre for film of Rene Clément “ does Paris burn? ”, the song is, as of its exit, an immense success and is still today the song symbol of the Libération of Paris, so much so that, in 2004, the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, asks him to sing it in front of the town hall in the presence of President Jacques Chirac for the celebrations of the sixtieth birthday of the release of Paris.
International career
In 1967, it is the French adaptation of the success of Engelbert Humperdinck “The Last Waltz” under the title “the Last Waltz” which opens to him the doors of the charts of the United Kingdom and the honor to take part for the first time in the “Royal Performance” in front of the queen Elizabeth II. (It will occur there two other times during its career.)It takes part, at the end of the the Sixties, with very many shows with the the United Kingdom, the Canada and the the United States which enable him to be confronted with Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach, Cliff Richard, Danny Kaye, Of O' Connor, John Davidson, etc the type-setter of “the Last Waltz”, Reed, him concocte of many songs, which it interprets in French and/or English of which famous “Bicycles of Belsize” allowing him to widen its musical repertory.
After many French successes (“I kept the accent”, on a text of Gaston Bonheur in 1968; “The first star” written by Andre Pascal on a music of Paul Mauriat in 1969, which will be taken again in Swedish by Agnetha Fältskog before it joins the group ABBA), Mireille is made known of the German public , in 1969, with “Hinter den Kulissen von Paris”. During all the Years 1970, its successes in the language of Goethe composed and arranged for the majority by Christian Bruhn will follow one another and make of her the symbol of the Franco-German friendship initiated by Konrad Adenauer and the Général de Gaulle.
Some of its German successes are also successes in France and in many countries: “Acropolis Good-bye” (1971), “Santa Maria of the Sea” (1978), “Thousand Doves” (1977) two last with the assistance of famous [[Small Singers with the Wood Cross] in the choruses] and “Paloma Good-bye” which, in 1973, is a success in all Europe, as well in the German version as French. This year, its passage to the Olympia during nearly one month is a triumph so much public which criticizes.
Artistic collaborations
It is in Mireille Mathieu that Francis Lemarque and Georges Coulonges appeals to interpret the song titrates of their musical fresco on Paris, “Paris Populi”. Two French realizers request it to appear in their films. Jacques Demy films it with Bobino singing “Paris Perdu” on a music of Michel Legrand in front of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni in “the most important Event since the man walked on the Moon”. Michel Legrand which also signs the song of opening of “For better or for worse”. Claude Lelouch offers to him an appearance in its famous film “the happy new year” as well as the song titrates film written by Francis Lai.Collaboration between Francis Lai and Mireille Mathieu goes back to 1966 whereas he was his accordionist before the world success of “a man and a woman”, song that Mireille also contributed to popularize in the whole world. Francis Lai wrote more than one about thirty songs for Mireille of which “It is your name” (1966), a complete album “Mireille Mathieu sings Francis Lai” in 1972, “I love you with my skin” (1978), “to love You” (1986), “the life is not more the life without us” (2002), “a Little hope” (2005). But it is “a history of love” (1971), its creation in French of the song of Film “Love Story” which is their greater joint success. This song was indeed classified among 100 greater fifty last years French successes.
The collaboration of Mireille with film musicians continues in 1974 with the Italian album “Mireille Mathieu sings Ennio Morricone”. Mireille is only, with the large Italian singer Milva, to have had the honors of such an album with Ennio Morricone which even concocté two original songs to him.
Repertory
Whereas she is many federator popular successes as “All the children sing with me” writes by Eddy Marnay on a music of Bobby Goldsboro, Mireille widens its repertory with various styles of songs. Collaboration with Alice Dona for the music and with Serge LAMA or Claude Lemesle for the texts allows him to defend of the strong songs like “Silence” or “the Folding seat” in 1977. It takes again same LAMA, the song “the slave” (1976) or, just after the law Veil, tackles the question of the abortion in 1976 in “the birthday”. Mireille also adapts some Anglo-Saxon successes as “has Blue Bayou” (1978) of Roy Orbison and “a Woman In love” (1980).At the beginning of the Years 1980, Mireille Mathieu became a vocalist with American. It recorded in 1979 two complete albums with Paul Anka (in French and English) and another with the American chief of orchester Don Costa. It became on scene or in the shows of Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier, driving of review taking again successes of the American musical comedy like “Over the Rainbow”, “the song of the Trolley”, “People” or “Sweet Charity”. A draft amendment of “The Wiz”, the modernized version of the Magician of OZ created with Broadway and turned to the cinema by Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, in Paris is not born but Mireille will sing two adapted songs of the musical comedy.
Whereas it continues to sing in the whole world (turned to Germany, with the Japan, the Canada, the Mexico, passage to the Carnegie Hall of New York), Mireille is requested more and more. After “Cheer you gained”, his adaptation of “The Winner Takes It All” with the group Abba in the choruses (1981) and a duet with success in all Europe with Patrick Duffy, “Together we' Re strong” (1983), his meeting with Plácido Domingo during a Large Chess-board of Jacques Chancel on the aria “All my dreams” composed by Michel Legrand, on words of Jean Dréjac, allows him to develop a repertory with the border of the variety and the traditional one. It begins a long collaboration with Janine Reiss, large répétitrice of singers of Opera, who allows him to reinforce his vocal control. That feels in its duet with the tenor Wagnérien Peter Hoffmann in “Scarborough Fair”, “Singing” in 1984, begun again since by many choral societies or “the young lady of Orleans” in 1985.
Dedication
This song accompanies its great return to the stage in Paris on the scene by the Palais by the congresses in 1986, for its twenty years of career, during one month in front of 110 000 people. Little front time, had been indicated preferred singer French by a survey}} near the readers the Télé magazine 7 Days at the time of the first [[victories of the music] (Michel Sardou being the preferred singer).End of the year 80 is marked by a great round in China in 1986 where it is one of the first Western artists to occur and another great round in the USSR in 1987 during which it is accompanied by the choruses by the Red Army. In 1986 also, she sings the official song of France for the centenary of the Statue of Freedom in duet with Andy Williams in New York in front of the presidents Reagan and Mitterrand. In 1987 it receives the National order of the merit, Jacques Chancel devotes a Large special Chess-board to him where it interprets several traditional melodies. His first autobiography “Yes, I believe” written with Jacqueline Cartier appears and is classified sales at the head.
In 1988, the exit of individual “the child whom I never had” (also included in a compilation of its great successes which will be certified double disc of gold) mark his entry in a new recording company, Carrère (after Barclay of 1966 to 1972, Philips of 1973 to 1982 and Ariola of 1983 to 1987) and the beginning of a collaboration with Didier Barbelivien and Pascal Auriat.
Mireille will be named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (1st order), on December 9th, 1999, by Jacques Chirac, president of the French Republic.
Life without Johnny Stark
The brutal disappearance of its mentor Johnny Stark in 1989 leads Mireille to take in hand alone its career (with his/her Monique sister) and to reduce the intensity as well its scenic services as its discographic production.It dedicates to its album of 1989 to Johnny Stark “the American” and creates a song of François Feldman “This evening, I lost you” during his Palate of the Congresses of 1990 it meets its first failure the spectators are not there… a bad advertizing promotion, a new haircut which displeases, a new incomplete album, the war of the Gulf which arrives are elements responsible for the failure…
Mireille is devoted consequently more to the foreign countries where its voice symbolizes France. Its first Spanish album completely “Embrujo” who takes again mainly broad traditional topics is double gold disc in Spain in 1989 . It records several albums in Germany and sings in Italy (with the festival of San Remo for example), in Finland (Turku 1991,1994,1997), in Ukraine, as Slovakia, in Russia, in the United States, etc a compilation left in 2000 in Canada is also gold disc.
Its appearances in France, rarer, however always make the event. Its disc homage to Piaf in 1993 (and republished in 2003) is sold with nearly 100.000 specimens. Its album of 1995 “You will say to him” comprises songs written mainly by Michel Jourdan and Noam Kaniel as well as a song of Maxime the Forester “To half of the distance”.
Whereas his/her friend " JOJO" Johny Halliday takes on board French fans in the USA to see it singing, Mireille at the same period, makes a triumphal round in the USA in many cities. Echoes of this round will be made in tele magazines…
In 1998, after a passage in trio with Alain Souchon and Julien Clerc with the emission of the Resto du coeur on the song “Released Woman”, it sings with the Olympia in December and leaves two news within a compilation entitled “Her great number” whose adaptation of “A-station-wagon My Heart” of Toni Braxton, “Remains with me”.
The return in France in 2002
In 2002, Mireille carries out its return in France with the album “Of your Hands” produces by Mick Lanaro and arranged by Jean Musy. Of a tonality melancholic person and introspective, this album comprises several outstanding songs like “the loneliness” written by Gerard Presgurvic, “the life is any more the life without us” (Patrice Guirao/Francis Lai) or “Nobody” (Caroline Cabat/Jean Musy). Several songs moderately make echo with the life of Mireille: “Today I return” or “With your hands”. This album accompanies one week by spectacle in November in Olympia who gains a great success followed its first round since twenty years to France, Switzerland and Belgium. This return is accompanied by several appearances radiophonic and televised in particular special “Highly Sunday” of Michel Drucker where Mireille receives Tom Jones and knows one of the strongest audiences of the emission.
Topicality
Overall picture
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After the celebration of its forty years of career in Olympia in November 2005, followed by a round to France and a passage to Geneva, Mireille continuous to occur abroad (Russia, Germany, etc) and to take part in great events.
Year 2004
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June 5th: Mireille sings “the song of the partisans” and “Paris in anger” with Holy-Mother-Church, to celebrate the D-day ( diffusion in 87 countries ).
- August 25th: With the invitation of Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris, Mireille interprets “Paris in Anger” in a spectacle on the release of Paris put in scene by Jerome Savary. The song is darkened in front of 50 000 people with the Bastille at the time of the ceremonies and festivities marking the 60e birthday of the Release of Paris.
Year 2005
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January 30th: Mireille is the guest of honor of one evening caritative for the benefit of the disaster victims of the South Asia East to the Opera theater of Avignon, evening which brings together the largest artists and sportsmen originating in Avignon like Daniel Auteuil and Jean Alesi.
- April 4th: Left “Platinum”, a box of the 3 CD which contain greatest successes of Mireille and 4 news, classified 16th of best the sales of compilations in France (week from April 11th to 18th, source SNEP).
- April 23rd: Mireille takes part, with Berlin, a great concert given with other artists to the door of Brandebourg.
- May 9th: Mireille occurs, with the invitation of the president Vladimir Poutine, on the Red Place with Moscow, within the framework of the ceremonies of sixty years celebration of the victory of combined on the Nazi Germany.
- August 4th: Mireille gives an exceptional concert to Istanbul (Turkey), with the Dolmabahçe palate, within the framework of the festivities organized for the centenary of the famous football club, the Galatasaray.
- September 25th: Mireille will present its new album in “One cannot like everyone” on France 3 presented by Marc-Olivier Fogiel and Guy Carlier.
- September 26th: Mireille leaves its 38e album in French, who is very quickly in top of the French hit-parade.
- November: Mireille celebrates its forty years of career to the Olympia from November 18th to 27th. On Thursday, November 24, Mireille receives there hands of the director of the OLYMPIA and in the name of the SACEM and of the whole of the profession; a “disc of ruby”, honorary category only created for it, rewarding 122 million ALBUMS sold in the world since its beginnings.}}
- After Olympia: Round in France, with a passage in Switzerland.
Year 2006
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June 1st: Mireille Mathieu becomes godmother of Space Saint-Bénezet (Avignon), devoted to the famous counting rhyme “On the bridge of Avignon”.
- August 5th: Mireille Mathieu is accommodated in Sisteron by all the city in festival, like by Mr. deputy and mayor Daniel Spagnou, who will decree to him the MEDAL Of GOLD HONOR of his city.
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November 7th: Exit of the 1st official DVD of Mireille Mathieu in forty years of career. He takes again his concert in Olympia of November 2005, as well as documentary exclusive and new, produced by ABILENE DISC and MediaDreams.
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November 13rd: Exit of double CD “Films & Shows” with the largest standards of film musics interpreted by Mireille Mathieu as well as many new songs created by Mireille for its televised shows produced Maritie & Gilbert Carpentier and diffused in the whole world (normal edition and de luxe edition).
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December 9th: Mireille Mathieu takes part in the celebration of the centenary of his/her friends the Petits Singers with the Wood Cross, with the church of the Madeleine.
- the promotion of this DVD as well as double album “Films & Shows” gives the opportunity to Mireille Mathieu to appear in very many emissions of TV or Radio: Star Academy, the Cauet method, prevent You everyone from sleeping, the insane one of the King… the year will end in the participation of Mireille Mathieu in the homage paid, on December 30th, with the Small Singers with the Wood Cross on France 2 (emission presented by Stephan Bern).
Year 2007
- January 13rd: Mireille Mathieu is the guest of honor in a German televised show, “Die Krone der Volksmusik”, which is held on line. She sings there a duet with Florian Silbereisen (Good bye my coils). Grand Prix KRONE DER VOLKSMUSIK is given to him like better international singer to Germany for the year 2006.
- January 14th: Michel Drucker devotes special a " to him; Highly Dimanche". She sings there, inter alia, a duet with Josh Groban (Over the rainbow). During the emission, Mireille receives a gold disc for the DVD “Mireille Mathieu in Olympia” (Olympia 2005) At the time of the handing-over, Michel Drucker precise that this DVD is, meanwhile, become platinum disc.
- May 6th: Mireille Mathieu interprets the Marseillaise and Thousand doves on the place of the Harmony. It is invited there, like many other singers, by Nicolas Sarkozy which has just been elected president of the Republic.
- a new German album has left on October 12th, 2007 and takes again 2 titles in German version of its last French album of 2005, as well as a round in Germany for the beginning of 2008, first round in Germany de Mireille for 20 years, the return of Mireille in Germany is a true event in the country and made there very many appearances with televisions!
- According to, the www.smago.de site, " in meinem herzen" , title of new album of Mireille Mathieu, is classified 5th with SIGNAL 50 of the best the sales of albums in Germany at the end of less November 2007. Source: (http://www.smago.de/kristina-bach-nicole-kopf-an-kopf-rennen-der-schlagerkoeniginnen-in-den-airplaycharts,,,,37449.html).
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Ainsi it will be also, the guest of honor in the emission " WILLKOMMEN EIB CARMEN NEBEL" whose recording will take place on Thursday, December 6, 2007 and in the emission " Verstehen Sie Spass" on Saturday, December 15, 2007.
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a new compilation also left in November to Germany!
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And Russia is not in remainder: one finds it with Saint Petersbourg for the Russian national festival on Sunday, November 4. She sang with the Palate of the Ices of Petersbourg Saint in front of 12.000 People with the concert to celebrate the Day of L `National unit. Mireille was nvitée of honor of this splendid show; she interpreted 8 songs! This concert was retransmis on the Russian chain of Saint PETERSBOURG and will be retransmis in all the Russian states like on televisions of the UKRAINE, GEORGIA and the BALTIC STATES! Mireille visits from November 3rd to 10th 2007 of them had a reception worthy of a Head of foreign State in visit official!
Repertory
See also: Discography of Mireille Mathieu
Selection of a hundred songs of Mireille Mathieu.
Duets
Some of the principal duets of Mireille Mathieu
Discography
In 2005, for its forty years of career, Mireille Mathieu left his 80e album (studio and live). Although it is about sound 38e album studio in France, it is indeed advisable about it to add: the albums original studios left in the whole world (Germany, Spain, Mexico, the United States), the albums left to Japan which include/understand primarily new songs in French in France, as well as the albums “Live” left to France, in Canada, in Japan, in Lebanon and to Russia.In France, the discs of Mireille Mathieu are distributed, inter alia, by EMI, under label CAPITOL.
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Films & Shows
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Mireille Mathieu
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Platinum
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Sings Christmas
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Sings Edith Piaf
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essence
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Box 3 CD reader' S digest
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Of your hands
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Lovingly Yours
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Its great Number
Notice. - This list is not exhaustive. It is possible to find on Internet, the many discography distributed by BMG Germany. They are especially compilations of its German successes like its last albums studios left to Germany. One can however get out of CD “Mireille Mathieu sings Ennio Morricone” or “Turn of Europe” (1987) which includes/understands songs in four languages (French, German, Italian and English), in particular a song written for Mireille by Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of the group Eurythmics, “I coils you like has fool”.
Notes and references of the article
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