Bengal's Corner

Hello, everyone!

This is a little bit of information on Jean-Jacques Goldman - a contribution from my dear friend Jean-Michel Fontaine, from Jean-Jacques Goldman : Parler d'sa vie. The web is in French but you will realize that many of the information, videos and songs can be very accessible for non-French speakers.

For the last twenty years, Jean-Jacques Goldman has been the most successful French language songwriter and singer, performing his own songs or offering them to performers as diverse as Céline Dion, Johnny Hallyday or Florent Pagny. He is little known outside French-speaking boundaries. Still, "D'eux" (aka "The French album"), the album that he wrote for Céline Dion in 1995, is the French best seller album of all times: more than six million copies in the world, including close to four million copies in France!Jean-Jacques Goldman was born October 11th, 1951, in Paris, France, the third of four children. Between the age of 5 and 17, Jean-Jacques learnt to play the violin and the piano, which allow him to write his own musical arrangements later on, which is quite unique. At the age of 16, Jean-Jacques discovered "Think", by Aretha Franklin, a real electric shock for him. He decided to stop the violin to play the guitar. His first high-school band was called "Phalanster".

After graduating from the lycée in 1969, he prepared for the highly competitive entrance exams to gain entry into the French Business Schools. He succeeded into attending the EDHEC, a prestigious French Business School located in Lille, in the North of France. He graduated in 1973 with his Business School Diploma, along with a Master of Sociology which he earned as a dual degree. During his military service, he sneaked out at nights to rehearse with a band in which he was the singer and a guitarist. This band was called "Tai Phong" ("Great wind" in Vietnamese), and was created by two Vietnamese brothers. Tai Phong's first album was released in 1975, and the first single, "Sister Jane", became a summer hit in France. Tai Phong's style is progressive rock, akin to Yes or Genesis.

In 1975, Jean-Jacques Goldman married Catherine, who was on her way to become a psychologist. They had three children: Caroline (born in 1977), Michaël (born in 1979), and Nina (born in 1985). Tai Phong releases two new albums: "Windows" in 1976 and "Last Flight" in 1979. Neither becomes a success. When Tai Phong wants to go on tour in 1978, Jean-Jacques Goldman refuses to go, because he does not want to leave his family. A new guitarist-singer is recruited: Welsh-born Michael Jones, who later on becomes Jean-Jacques Goldman's best friend.

In 1980, Tai Phong break up. Jean-Jacques Goldman goes his own way and tries to become a songwriter. . Unfortunately he is unable to find anyone who is interested in performing his songs. However, EPIC, CBS's new talents label, is interested by Jean-Jacques Goldman's voice. Jean-Jacques Goldman signs a five album deal. In 1981, Jean-Jacques Goldman's first solo album is released. It should have been called "Démodé" ("Out Of Fashion"), but CBS did not agree to the album's name. It shall bear no name. This album contains 11 tracks, including "Il Suffira D'Un Signe" ("One Sign Will Be Enough"), Jean-Jacques Goldman's first hit.

Jean-Michel Fontaine

And that's how it all began...
Thanks, Jean-Michel!

Bengal.