Lucienne Boyer
Encyclopedia
Lucienne Boyer was a French diseuse and singer, best known for her song "Parlez-moi d'amour
". Her impresario was Bruno Coquatrix
.
of (Paris. Her melodious voice gave her the chance, while working as a part-time model, to sing in the cabarets of Montparnasse. An office position at a prominent Parisian theater opened the door for her and within a few years she was cast as Lucienne Boyer, singing in the major Parisian music halls.
where she was seen by the American impresario Lee Shubert
who immediately offered her a contract to come to Broadway. Boyer spent nine months in New York City, returning to perform there and to South America numerous times throughout the 1930s. By 1933 she had made a large number of recordings for Columbia Records
of France including her signature song, " Parlez-moi d'amour
". Written by Jean Lenoir, the song won the first-ever Grand Prix du Disque
of the Charles Cros Academy.
In 1939, she married the cabaret singer Jacques Pills
of the very popular duo Pills et Tabet. Their daughter Jacqueline
, born on 23 April 1941, followed in their footsteps, becoming a very successful singer who won the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest
.
Throughout World War II, Boyer continued to perform in France, but for her Jewish husband, it was a very difficult time. Following the Allied Forces liberation of France, her cabaret career flourished and for another thirty years, she maintained a loyal following. At the age of 73, she sang with her daughter at the famous Paris Olympia
and appeared on several French television shows.
in Montrouge
, near Paris.
Parlez-moi d'amour (song)
"Parlez-moi d'amour" is a song written by Jean Lenoir in 1930. An English translation was written by Bruce Sievier and is known as "Speak to Me of Love" or "Tell Me About Love"...
". Her impresario was Bruno Coquatrix
Bruno Coquatrix
Bruno Coquatrix, was born in Ronchin, Nord on 5 August 1910 and died in Paris on 1 April 1979, buried in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery . He is mainly known as the owner and manager of the music hall Paris Olympia...
.
Early career
She was born as Émilienne-Henriette Boyer in the Montparnasse QuarterMontparnasse
Montparnasse is an area of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail...
of (Paris. Her melodious voice gave her the chance, while working as a part-time model, to sing in the cabarets of Montparnasse. An office position at a prominent Parisian theater opened the door for her and within a few years she was cast as Lucienne Boyer, singing in the major Parisian music halls.
Popular success
In 1927, Boyer sang at a concert by the great star Félix MayolFélix Mayol
Félix Mayol was a French singer and entertainer.-Career:Mayol was born in Toulon, France. His parents were both amateur singers and actors, who arranged for Felix to make his debut stage at six years of age....
where she was seen by the American impresario Lee Shubert
Lee Shubert
Levi "Lee" Shubert was a Polish-born American theatre owner/operator and producer and the oldest of seven siblings of the theatrical Shubert family....
who immediately offered her a contract to come to Broadway. Boyer spent nine months in New York City, returning to perform there and to South America numerous times throughout the 1930s. By 1933 she had made a large number of recordings for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
of France including her signature song, " Parlez-moi d'amour
Parlez-moi d'amour (song)
"Parlez-moi d'amour" is a song written by Jean Lenoir in 1930. An English translation was written by Bruce Sievier and is known as "Speak to Me of Love" or "Tell Me About Love"...
". Written by Jean Lenoir, the song won the first-ever Grand Prix du Disque
L'Académie Charles Cros
The Académie Charles-Cros, is an organization in France that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry....
of the Charles Cros Academy.
Personal life
Boyer lost her soldier father in World War I and had to go to work in a munitions factory to help her family get by.In 1939, she married the cabaret singer Jacques Pills
Jacques Pills
Jacques Pills was a French singer and actor, born René Jacques Ducos. His impresario was Bruno Coquatrix. In 1959, Pills was the Monegasque entrant at the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 with the song "Mon ami Pierrot"...
of the very popular duo Pills et Tabet. Their daughter Jacqueline
Jacqueline Boyer
Jacqueline Boyer is a French singer and actress, the daughter of performers Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer....
, born on 23 April 1941, followed in their footsteps, becoming a very successful singer who won the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Throughout World War II, Boyer continued to perform in France, but for her Jewish husband, it was a very difficult time. Following the Allied Forces liberation of France, her cabaret career flourished and for another thirty years, she maintained a loyal following. At the age of 73, she sang with her daughter at the famous Paris Olympia
Paris Olympia
The Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
and appeared on several French television shows.
Death
She died in Paris, and was interred in the Cimetière de BagneuxCimetière de Bagneux
Located to the southwest of the city of Paris, France, the Cimetière de Bagneux is located at 44, avenue Marx-Dormoy, in Montrouge, Hauts-de-Seine....
in Montrouge
Montrouge
Montrouge is a commune in the southern Parisian suburbs, located from the center of Paris, France. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
, near Paris.