Michel Delpech
Jean-Michel Delpech (French pronunciation: ]; 26 January 19462 January 2016), known as Michel Delpech, was a French singer-songwriter and actor. Career. He was born in Courbevoie, France. In 1963, Delpech released his debut hit "Anatole" on Disques Vogue. In 1964, Delpech met Roland Vincent, and a long singing songwriting partnership ensued, with Delpech being signed to Festival French record label. In 1965, he took part in the music comedy "Copains Clopant" that had a six-month run and made him popular, particularly through his interpretation of "Chez Laurette". He was the opening act for Jacques Brel's  goodbye concert at the Paris Olympia. In 1967, he collaborated with Johnny Stark. In 1968, he won the "Grand Prix du Disque" award for "Il y a des jours où on ferait mieux de rester au lit". Then he left Vogue to sign with Barclay Records. At the peak of his success, he recorded "Wight Is Wight" in tribute to the Isle of Wight Festival, a famous rock festival on the Isle of Wight that became his best known song. It sold over one million copies in Europe, and was awarded gold disc status. 'Pour Un Flirt' was a second  smash hit. It charted in the French-speaking countries around the globe as well in the Netherlands, and a version in German brought him charts success in West Germany, Austria and Switzerland. An English translation, Flirt, made the Top 20 in the UK. The early 1970s brought separation from Johnny Stark for two years, and the end of the long collaboration with Roland Vincent, his first-ever writer. He had some new releases but with limited success. In the 1980s, he enjoyed a comeback and released the album "Loin d'ici". A compilation album followed in 1989. He continued releasing albums  and making concerts. In December 2006, he released an album of duets "Michel Delpech "and that topped the French Albums Chart for one week (week of 21–27 January 2007). He also engaged on a French tour. Personal life. Death. Delpech had long been a heavy smoker, going through a pack of cigarettes daily starting at the age of 18 and quitting only after his diagnosis to throat cancer in 2013. He died at a hospital in Puteaux, France on 2 January 2016 at the age of 69.