Jacques Brel

**Jacques Brel** (8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer-songwriter. He was widely said to be a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French, he became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers.  Some of these were David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the United States.  These include Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, and Andy Williams. In French-speaking countries, Brel was also a successful actor, appearing in ten movies. He also directed two movies. _Le Far West_ was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Brel died of lung cancer. He has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.

### Studio albums

- _Grand Jacques_ (1954)
- _Quand On n'a Que l'Amour_ (1957)
- _Au Printemps_ (1958)
- _La Valse à Mille Temps_ (1959)
- _Marieke_ (1961)
- _Les Bourgeois_ (1962)
- _Les Bonbons_ (1966)
- _Ces Gens-Là_ (1966)
- _Jacques Brel 67_ (1967)
- _J'arrive_ (1968)
- _L'Homme de la Mancha_ (1968)
- _Ne Me Quitte Pas_ (1972)
- _Les Marquises_ (1977)

### Live albums

- _Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1961_ (1962)
- _Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964_ (1964)

### Boxed sets, compilations, and rarities

- _Boîte à Bonbons_ (2003)
- _Infiniment_ (2003)
- _Chansons ou Versions Inédites de Jeunesse_ (2003)

### As actor

- _La grande peur de Monsieur Clément_ (short) (dir Paul Deliens) (1956)
- _Les risques du métier_ (dir André Cayatte) (1967)
- _La Bande à Bonnot_ (dir Philippe Fourastié) (1968)
- _Mon oncle Benjamin_ (dir Édouard Molinaro) (1969)
- _Mont-Dragon_ (dir Jean Valère) (1970)
- _Franz_ (dir Jacques Brel) (1971)
- _Les assassins de l'ordre_ (dir Marcel Carné) (1971)
- _L'aventure, c'est l'aventure_ (dir Claude Lelouch) (1972)
- _Le bar de la fourche_ (dir Alain Levent) (1972)
- _Le Far West_ (dir Jacques Brel) (1973)
- _L'emmerdeur_ (dir Édouard Molinaro) (1973)

### As director

- _Franz_ (1971)
- _Le Far West_ (1973)

### As writer

- _La grande peur de Monsieur Clément_ (short) (1956)
- _Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris_ (play) (1968)
- _Franz_ (1971)
- _Le Far West_ (1973)

### As self

- _Petit jour_ (short) (1960)
- _Zeg hé, spaar je mee?_ (TV series) (1961)
- _Tienerklanken_ (TV series) (1963)
- _La grande farandole_ (TV series) (1964)
- _Age tendre et tête de bois_ (TV series) (1964)
- _Entrez dans la ronde_ (TV movie) (1965)
- _Discorama_ (TV series) (1962-1966)
- _Tid til at leve_ (TV series documentary) (1974)
- _Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris_ (dir Denis Heroux) (1974)
- _Stellet Licht/Silent Light_ (dir Carlos Reygadas) (2007)

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **embed**: yes
- **background**: solo_singer


## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Jacques Brel
- **image**: Jacques_Brel_1963.jpg
- **alt**: Jacques Brel on 1963.
- **caption**: Jacques Brel, 1963
- **other names**: _Le Grand Jacques_ <small>(French language, French for "The Great Jacques")</small>
- **birth name**: Jacques Romain Georges Brel
- **birth place**: Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium
- **death place**: Bobigny, France
- **years active**: –
- **spouse**: Thérèse "Miche" Michielsen
- **children**: 3
- **signature**: Jacques Brel's signature.gif
- **signature size**: 100x100px
- **signature alt**: Jacques Brel's signature circa 1961