The singer of ‘Tout les garçons et les filles’ (in Italian ‘Those of my age’) was 80 years old. In the ’60s her sweet existentialism had enchanted fans all over the world, including Dylan. About her Confirmation of her from her son Thomas Dutronc: «Maman est partie»
by Rolling Stone
Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Françoise Hardy has died. The French singer, icon of a certain romantic existentialism, was 80 years old. This was confirmed by her son (also a musician) Thomas Dutronc on Facebook, where he published a photo of when he was a newborn in his mother’s arms: «Maman est partie». According to the site Barron’sthe singer had been battling cancer since 2004.
Hardy became famous in the 1960s, making her name thanks to her mix of particularly evocative music and lyrics. The debut album All boys and girls was released in 1962 and immediately gave her great commercial success, bringing her to the forefront of the so-called European yé-yé pop (he then recorded an Italian-language version of the titled title track Those my ageed).
In 1964 he began recording music in London, broadening his musical horizons, publishing pieces such as Mon amie la rose, The friendship, The maison where the greats are, But jeunesse fout le camp. In the early 70s he collaborated with numerous musicians including Serge Gainsbourg, Patrick Modiano, Michel Berger and Catherine Lara. He re-recorded his pieces, as well as in Italian, also in English and German.
When Rolling Stone US he included her in the list of the 200 best singers of all time, he recalled that her charm also struck Bob Dylan, who mentioned her in the liner notes-poem on the back of the album cover Another Side of Bob Dylan. When he met her he dedicated a sort of serenade to her, without much success, by singing I Want You.
In an interview given in 2018 to GuardianHardy explained the themes of Personne d’autre, the album released that year. He talked about death. «I sing it in a symbolic and even positive way, there is acceptance, for example in the piece entitled Train special. At my age, the train I sing about can only be the very special one that will take me away from this world. I hope it will make me travel towards the stars and make me discover the mysteries of the cosmos.”
From Rolling Stone US.
