Mike Brant
Encyclopedia
Mike Brant (February 1, 1947 – April 25, 1975) was an Israel
i pop star who achieved fame after moving to France
. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let me love you"). Brant committed suicide at the height of his career by jumping from the window of a Paris
apartment.
in Poland
, who was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. After the war, she married Fishel Brand, a resistance fighter from Bilgoraj
20 years her senior, and they applied to emigrate to the British Mandate of Palestine, but were initially denied permission, and sent instead to a refugee camp at Famagusta
on the island of Cyprus
, and it was here that Mike was born on February 1, 1947. In September 1947, the family finally received permission to travel to Palestine, and they arrived in Haifa
, and settled in a kibbutz
in Galilee
. Mike Brant did not start speaking until 6 years of age, and very soon told his family and friends that when he grew up he'd be "a star... or a tramp!" At the age of 11 he joined his school choir.
and Tel Aviv
and moved on to nightclubs in hotels. Brant sang in English and in French, although he spoke only Hebrew. In 1965, he changed his name from Moshe to Mike because it sounded more international. He was discovered by the Israeli impresario Jonathan Karmon, who signed him for a tour around the US and South Africa
that lasted almost a year.
In May 1969, Brant performed at the Hilton Hotel in Teheran, Baccara. A young French singer, Sylvie Vartan
, also on the bill, was impressed and urged him to come to Paris. Brant arrived on July 9, 1969. It took ten days to find Vartan but eventually she introduced him to the producer Jean Renard, who had turned Johnny Halliday into a star. Under Renard's guidance, he changed his family name from Brand to Brant, and recorded his biggest hit, "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let Me Love You"). The song was a success at the Midem music festival in January 1970. "Laisse-moi t'aimer" sold 50,000 copies in two weeks.
in a radio contest broadcast all over Europe and in Israel. His song, sponsored by Radio Luxembourg
, was "Mais dans la lumière" ("But Inside the Light"). He won. He continued to release hits: "Qui saura" ("Who Knows"), “L’Amour C’est Ca, L’Amour C’est Toi” (written by Paul Korda/Robert Talar), “C’est Ma Priere” ,"Un grand bonheur" ("Great Happiness") and "Parce que je t'aime plus que moi" ("Because I Love You More Than Myself). His first album, "Disque d'Or" ("Gold Record") sold millions. Brant took a song written and composed by his friend Mike Tchaban/Tashban "Why do I love you? Why do I need you?" but French radio would not air it because it was in English. Brant returned home.
In February 1971, Brant was injured in a road accident, which was mediatised. In reality he only encountered minor injuries. That year, he gave concerts in Israel. During the Yom Kippur War
in 1973, he performed in Israel before front-line soldiers.
. He suffered fractures but survived. He cut the number of performances and concentrated on another album, Dis-lui ("Tell Her", French version of "Feeling").
On April 25, 1975, the day his new album was released, Brant leapt to his death from an apartment located at 6 Rue Erlanger in Paris
. He was 28.
Mike Brant was buried in Haifa.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i pop star who achieved fame after moving to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let me love you"). Brant committed suicide at the height of his career by jumping from the window of a Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
apartment.
Childhood
Mike Brant's mother was Bronia Rosenberg, originally from LodzLódz
Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, who was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. After the war, she married Fishel Brand, a resistance fighter from Bilgoraj
Bilgoraj
Biłgoraj is a town in south-eastern Poland with 27,000 inhabitants . Since 1999 it has been situated in Lublin Voivodeship; it was previously in Zamość Voivodeship . It is located 90 km south of Lublin and it is also the capital of Biłgoraj County...
20 years her senior, and they applied to emigrate to the British Mandate of Palestine, but were initially denied permission, and sent instead to a refugee camp at Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
on the island of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and it was here that Mike was born on February 1, 1947. In September 1947, the family finally received permission to travel to Palestine, and they arrived in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, and settled in a kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
. Mike Brant did not start speaking until 6 years of age, and very soon told his family and friends that when he grew up he'd be "a star... or a tramp!" At the age of 11 he joined his school choir.
Musical career
When he was 17, Moshe Brand joined his brother's band, "The Chocolates," as lead singer. The band started at parties and cafés in HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and moved on to nightclubs in hotels. Brant sang in English and in French, although he spoke only Hebrew. In 1965, he changed his name from Moshe to Mike because it sounded more international. He was discovered by the Israeli impresario Jonathan Karmon, who signed him for a tour around the US and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
that lasted almost a year.
In May 1969, Brant performed at the Hilton Hotel in Teheran, Baccara. A young French singer, Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan
Sylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
, also on the bill, was impressed and urged him to come to Paris. Brant arrived on July 9, 1969. It took ten days to find Vartan but eventually she introduced him to the producer Jean Renard, who had turned Johnny Halliday into a star. Under Renard's guidance, he changed his family name from Brand to Brant, and recorded his biggest hit, "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let Me Love You"). The song was a success at the Midem music festival in January 1970. "Laisse-moi t'aimer" sold 50,000 copies in two weeks.
Success
Brant represented FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in a radio contest broadcast all over Europe and in Israel. His song, sponsored by Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (French)
Radio Luxembourg - 1933-1939 and 1951- is the name of a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933 as a daytime and evening service in the French language from Monday to Saturday and until 12 Noon on Sundays.The station closed down at the...
, was "Mais dans la lumière" ("But Inside the Light"). He won. He continued to release hits: "Qui saura" ("Who Knows"), “L’Amour C’est Ca, L’Amour C’est Toi” (written by Paul Korda/Robert Talar), “C’est Ma Priere” ,"Un grand bonheur" ("Great Happiness") and "Parce que je t'aime plus que moi" ("Because I Love You More Than Myself). His first album, "Disque d'Or" ("Gold Record") sold millions. Brant took a song written and composed by his friend Mike Tchaban/Tashban "Why do I love you? Why do I need you?" but French radio would not air it because it was in English. Brant returned home.
In February 1971, Brant was injured in a road accident, which was mediatised. In reality he only encountered minor injuries. That year, he gave concerts in Israel. During the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
in 1973, he performed in Israel before front-line soldiers.
Suicide and death
By 1973, he was giving 250 concerts a year, some attended by 6,000–10,000 people. This went on for two years. He suffered from depression and loneliness, and from the second generation syndrome (family history during the holocaust). On November 22, 1974, he attempted suicide, jumping out the window of his manager's hotel room in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He suffered fractures but survived. He cut the number of performances and concentrated on another album, Dis-lui ("Tell Her", French version of "Feeling").
On April 25, 1975, the day his new album was released, Brant leapt to his death from an apartment located at 6 Rue Erlanger in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was 28.
Mike Brant was buried in Haifa.