In a man's life, there are two important dates : his birth and his death. Everything we do in between is not very important . . .
One of THE greatest components in the French 'Chanson' scene. . .
I had the ability to hold up a mirror to Human nature and say " I know you ".
Still massive in France, and a beloved cult figure in the U.K. and U.S.A.
I died in 1978. You will know my songs, if not by name, by the instantly hummable tunes and the endless influence.
~The legacy of Brel~ : some 100 songs, the appearances in his films, the International Brel foundation, films of his live-performances at the Olympia in Paris and the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels that send shivers down your spine.
Brel surely is one of the most covered artists around.
Among the interprets of his music are the likes of Scott Walker, Alex Harvey, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Mark Almond, Arno, Leonard Cohen ...
His talent also widely surpasses the areas of the world where French is spoken :
In America for example, Terry Jacks scores a n°1 hit with an adaptation of Le Moribond (Seasons in the sun) and even to this day a "libretto-less" musical tours the country :
"Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris"