Biography
Alain Bashung (born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter, and actor. Recognized for revitalizing the French chanson during a period of musical upheaval, he is often considered France's most significant rock musician after Serge Gainsbourg. Bashung gained fame in the early 1980s with hits like "Gaby oh Gaby" and "Vertige de l'amour," followed by successful albums from the 1990s onward, including "Osez Joséphine," "Ma petite entreprise," and "La nuit je mens." His work has influenced many contemporary French artists, and he holds the record for the most awards at the Victoires de la Musique with 12 wins throughout his career.
Albums such as Play blessures (1982), Osez Joséphine (1991), and Fantaisie militaire (1998) are frequently listed among the greatest French albums. His final two studio albums released during his lifetime, L'Imprudence (2002) and Bleu pétrole (2008), also received critical acclaim. Bashung passed away at age 61 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.
Born Alain Baschung (later dropping the "c"), he was the son of a Breton mother who worked in a rubber factory and an Algerian father he never met. After his mother remarried, he was sent at age one to live with his stepfather's parents in Wingersheim, near Strasbourg. Raised in a conservative rural setting, he grew up with a grandmother who spoke no French. During his childhood, he discovered music, including Kurt Weill's Mahagonny, and began playing a Rosebud harmonica gifted to him at age five. He also engaged in basketball, cycling, and sang in the Wingersheim church choir.
In 1959, Bashung returned to Paris, where he was exposed to renowned chanson artists and later rock musicians like Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly—whom he greatly admired—and Elvis Presley. While studying accountancy (earning a BTS from the École nationale de commerce in 1965 before dropping out), he formed a band named Les Dunces that played folk and rockabilly music.
He later created a band with musicians he met in Royan and toured restaurants, hotels, and U.S. military bases. His career began with the 1966 EP "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis?", which he wrote and composed. Concurrently, he joined RCA as a music arranger and penned songs for French performers. In June 1967, he opened at the Palais des Sports in Paris alongside Noël Deschamps and Ronnie Bird for acts like the Pretty Things, the Troggs, and Cream.
In 1968, Bashung released his debut single, "Les Romantiques," which failed to attract public attention. Around this time, he removed the "c" from his surname and spent time at the home of fellow singer Christophe.
Between 1972 and 1974, he composed music and co-wrote three albums and three singles—including "Marilou"—for French rock artist Dick Rivers. In 1973, he portrayed Robespierre in Claude-Michel Schönberg's musical La Révolution française.
