Biography
Daniel Bevilacqua (13 October 1945 – 16 April 2020), widely known by his stage name Christophe, was a French singer and songwriter. He was born in Juvisy-sur-Orge, a suburb of Paris, to an Italian father.
During his youth in the Paris suburbs, Bevilacqua was rebellious at school and began leading a pop group in his mid-teens. His debut single, "Reviens Sophie" (1963), did not achieve success, but after adopting the name Christophe, his follow-up single, "Aline" (1965), topped the French pop charts.
He maintained popularity in France throughout the 1960s and early 1970s with hits such as "Marionettes," "J'ai entendu la mer," "Excusez-moi Monsieur le Professeur," and "Oh!... Mon Amour," which he performed in both French and Italian. After a brief hiatus, he returned in 1971 when Francis Dreyfus launched the Motors record label (Disques Motors) and produced Christophe's records, resulting in the 1973 album Les Paradis perdus. In 1974, he recorded "Les mots bleus," with lyrics by Jean-Michel Jarre.
Christophe returned in 1978 with the album Le Beau Bizarre. In 1983, he released the single "Succès fou," followed by the 1984 album Clichés d'amour, featuring 1940s and 1950s classics such as "Arrivederci Roma" and "Dernier baiser," a French adaptation of the Mexican song "Besame mucho." In 1985, he wrote "Ne raccroche pas," believed to be about Princess Stephanie of Monaco. The following year, he penned "Boule de flipper" for Corynne Charby.
After another break, Christophe came back in 1996 with the album Bevilacqua and followed with Comm' si la terre penchait in 2001. In February 2002, he performed his first live concert in over twenty years in Clermont-Ferrand, followed by two shows at the Olympia in March 2002.
His 1970s hit "Les mots bleus" was covered by Thierry Amiel in 2003. In 2011, Christophe contributed to a tribute album honoring Alain Bashung, who had passed away two years earlier, performing "Alcaline," a song Bashung wrote in 1989 for his album Novice.
In 2016, Christophe collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre on the album Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise, performing the track "Walking The Mile."
Christophe married his girlfriend Véronique in 1971, and they had a daughter named Lucie.
He passed away on 16 April 2020 after being critically ill with COVID-19, compounded by pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
