Juliette Gréco
| Juliette Gréco | |
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| Born | 7 February 1927 Montpellier, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France |
| Years active | 1948–2002 |
| Spouse | Philippe Lemaire (1953–1956) Michel Piccoli (1966–1977) Gérard Jouannest (1988–present) |
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Juliette Gréco (pronounced: [ʒyljɛt ɡʁeko]), or also Michelle (born 7 February 1927), is a French actress and popular chanson singer.
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[edit] Early life and family
Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the Résistance, in the Hérault département of southern France. She was raised by her maternal grandparents. Gréco also became involved in the Résistance, and was caught but not deported because of her young age. She moved to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1946 after her mother left the country for Indochina.[citation needed]
[edit] Bohemian lifestyle
Gréco became a devotee of the bohemian fashion of some intellectuals of post-war France. Jean-Paul Sartre said of Gréco that she had "millions of poems in her voice".[1] She was known to many of the writers and artists working in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Vian.[cite this quote]
Gréco spent the post liberation years frequenting the Saint Germain cafes, immersing herself in political and philosophical Bohemian culture. As a regular figure at music and poetry venues like Le Tabou on Rue Dauphine, Greco became acquainted with Miles Davis and Jean Cocteau, even being given a role in Cocteau’s film Orphée in 1949.[2] That same year, she began a new singing career with a number of well-known French writers writing lyrics; Raymond Queneau's "Si tu t’imagines" was one of her earliest songs to become popular.
[edit] Je Me Souviens De Tout
In 2009 her newest album, Je Me Souviens De Tout, was released. To mark the occasion, Gréco, accompanied by her husband Gérard Jouannest on the piano, and Jean-Louis Matinier on the accordion gave four concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in early June.[3].
[edit] Fiction TV
In the late '60s she featured in the well-known TV serial Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre. This gloomy character was so strongly connected with Juliette Greco, that she brought it with herself for the rest of her life and in 2001 she was included in the cast of the famous movie remake with the same title Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre.
[edit] Personal life
She has been married three times: to actor Philippe Lemaire (1953–1956; one daughter, Laurence-Marie Lemaire, b. 1954), actor Michel Piccoli (1966–1977), and pianist Gérard Jouannest (since 1988).
[edit] In popular culture
Gréco was portrayed by actress Anna Mouglalis in the film Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) (2010).
Gréco is featured in "Lovers of Saint-Germain-des-Prés", a chapter written in screenplay format in PARISIANS: An Adventure History of Paris, by Graham Robb (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010).
The Canadian band Library Voices describes Gréco's relationship with Miles Davis in their song "Be my Juliette Gréco, Paris 1949" from the album Summer of Lust
[edit] Autobiography
- 1982: Jujube (published in French), Stock.
[edit] Albums
- 1950: Si tu t'imagines, poème de Raymond Queneau mis en musique de Joseph Kosma.
- 1950: La Fourmi, poème de Robert Desnos mis en musique par Joseph Kosma.
- 1951: Je suis comme je suis, paroles de Jacques Prévert et musique de Joseph Kosma.
- 1951: Les Feuilles mortes, paroles de Jacques Prévert et musique de Joseph Kosma du film Les Portes de la nuit de Marcel Carné.
- 1951: Sous le ciel de Paris, paroles de Jean Dréjac et musique d’Hubert Giraud du film Sous le ciel de Paris de Julien Duvivier.
- 1951: Je hais les dimanches, paroles de Charles Aznavour et musique de Florence Véran.
- 1953: La Fiancée du pirate, extrait de L'Opéra de quat'sous, adaptation française d’André De Mauprey d’après des paroles de Bertolt Brecht, musique de Kurt Weill.
- 1954: Coin de rue, paroles et musique de Charles Trenet
- 1955: Chanson pour l'Auvergnat, paroles et musique de Georges Brassens
- 1960: Il n'y a plus d'après, paroles et musique de Guy Béart
- 1961: Jolie Môme, paroles et musique de Léo Ferré
- 1961: C'était bien (Le P’tit bal perdu), paroles de Robert Nyel et musique de Gaby Verlor
- 1962: Accordéon, paroles et musique de Serge Gainsbourg
- 1962: Paris canaille, paroles et musique de Léo Ferré
- 1963: La Javanaise, paroles et musique de Serge Gainsbourg
- 1966: Un petit poisson, un petit oiseau, paroles de Jean-Max Rivière et musique de Gérard Bourgeois
- 1967: Déshabillez-moi, paroles de Robert Nyel et musique de Gaby Verlor
- 1970: Les Pingouins, paroles et musique de Frédéric Botton
- 1971: La Chanson des vieux amants, paroles de Jacques Brel et musique de Gérard Jouannest
- 1971: J'arrive, paroles de Jacques Brel et musique de Gérard Jouannest
- 1972: Mon fils chante, paroles de Maurice Fanon et musique de Gérard Jouannest
- 1977: Non monsieur je n'ai pas vingt ans, paroles d’Henri Gougaud et musique de Gérard Jouannest
- 1983: Le temps des cerises, poème de Jean-Baptiste Clément et musique d’Antoine Renard
- 1988: Ne me quitte pas, paroles et musique de Jacques Brel
- 2003: L'Éternel féminin – Intégrale en 21 CD Mercury
- 2009: Je me Souviens De Tout
[edit] Notable songs
- 1950: "Si tu t'imagines"
- 1951: "Je suis comme je suis"
- 1952: "Les Dames de la poste"
- 1952: "Je hais les dimanches"
- 1952: "Les feuilles mortes"
- 1958: "Bonjour tristesse"
- 1961: "On n'oublie rien"
- 1962: "Paris canaille"
- 1963: "La javanaise"
- 1965: "Marions-les"
- 1966: "Un petit poisson, un petit oiseau"
- 1967: "Déshabillez-moi"
- 1970: "J'arrive"
- 1970: "Les pingouins"
- 1972: "Mon fils chante"
- 1972: "L'embellie"
- 1972: "La lelluia"
- 1972: "Mes theatres"
[edit] Partial filmography
- 1950: Orpheus
- 1951: ...Sans laisser d'adresse
- 1957: The Sun Also Rises
- 1958: The Roots of Heaven
- 1958: Bonjour Tristesse
- 1960: Crack in the Mirror
- 1961: The Big Gamble
- 1975: Lily, aime-moi
- 2001: Belphegor, Phantom of the Louvre
- 2002: Everyman's Feast
- 2009: An Education
[edit] References
- ^ Le Monde blog regarding Sartre and Gréco, 6 February 2012
- ^ Interview with Juliette Gréco about her friendship-relationship with Miles Davis
- ^ Le grand art de Juliette Gréco met K-O le public du Théâtre des Champs-Elysées – LE MONDE | 10.06.09
[edit] Sources
- Boggio, Philippe. Boris Vian (pp. 152–154)
- Davis, Miles, Miles (pp. 126–127)
