Daniel Balavoine

Daniel Xavier-Marie Balavoine (5 February 1952 – 14 January 1986) was a French singer and songwriter.

Balavoine was born on 5 February 1952 in Alençon, France.

He was the youngest in a family of six children.

He had two sisters and three brothers.

His father, Emile, was an urban engineer and worked for the Reconstruction Ministry.

His mother was an antiques wholesaler.

In 1959, his father relocated to Algeria, while Daniel moved to southern city of Pau and attended a boarding school, an experience he clearly didn't appreciate.

When he was eleven, he heard "She Loves You" by The Beatles which sparked his taste in music.

In 1968, while attending high school, he was one of the many youth who supported the nationwide strikes.

Having fully decided to make a living in music, he began to perform as a ballroom singer in Pau, covering Bob Dylan songs.

In 1971, he moved to Paris but was disappointed and returned to Pau.

Soon afterwards, he answered an audition in Paris to join a hard rock band, Présence, whose singer had just left.

Another future singer, Laurent Voulzy, was his main competition for that position.

Ultimately, Balavoine was chosen and went into the studio.

The band soon released an album which wasn't a big success.

Despite that, they toured all over France.

In 1972, the band signed a contract with Warner Music Group but Balavoine quit the group.

In 1973, while he was working as a record dealer, The Vogue studios, which produced Présence, contacted him and offered to support him in a solo career.

His first Vogue record "Viens vite" was released, but suffered poor sales.

Balavoine then became a background vocalist alongside his brother, Guy.

Soon afterwards, they starred in a pop musical La Révolution Française.

In 1974, Patrick Juvet, one of the biggest performers in France at the time, offered him the opportunity to be the opening act on his next tour.

Balavoine wrote a song for him, "Couleurs d'Automne", which appeared on Juvet's following album.

While attending a show, Léo Missir, vice president of Barclay Records, was impressed by Balavoine's aura and signed him immediately to a 3-year deal which ended up lasting far longer.

His first record, "De vous à elle en passant par moi", was released in 1975, but again resulted in disappointing sales.

While recording the album, he met Catherine Ferry, who was chosen as the French candidate for the next Eurovision Song Contest, to take place in the Netherlands.

Ferry came in second place with Balavoine and his brother on back-up vocals.

This success led to Balavoine and Ferry developing a strong friendship.

Balavoine would go on to write most of her songs following her Eurovision success.

In 1977, Balavoine released a second record, "Les aventures de Simon et Gunther" but again it sold poorly and Eddie Barclay began getting impatient.

Balavoine was a part of the original cast of the rock opera Starmania in 1978, which was written by Berger.

In 1978, Michel Berger, who had just finished writing Starmania, was still looking for the singer to portray the "Johnny Rockfort" character.

While watching TV, he was impressed by Balavoine, who was singing the title song from his latest successful album.

He immediately hired Balavoine and a strong brotherly relationship began between the two singers.

Released a few months later, Starmania was a phenomenal success and most of its songs hit the charts.

Balavoine performed three of them: "Quand on arrive en ville", "Banlieue Nord" and, most notably, "S.O.S. d'un terrien en détresse", which was written specifically for Balavoine's voice.

He was hugely popular in the French-speaking world in the early 1980s; he inspired many singers of his generation such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Michel Berger, who was his closest friend, as well as the Japanese pop-rock group Crystal King.

Balavoine also took part in motorsports and French political life; he is known for a 1980 televised verbal confrontation with then-Socialist presidential candidate François Mitterrand.

In the French music business, he earned his place with his powerful voice, wide range and recognisable lyrics, which were full of sadness and revolt.

His songs dealt in themes of despair, pain and death, although hope was present as well.