Biography
Patrick Pierre Hernandez (born April 6, 1949) is a French singer best known for his global 1979 hit "Born to Be Alive."
Born in Le Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis to a Spanish father and Italian mother, Hernandez developed an interest in music during the 1960s. Over the following decade, he toured southern France’s dancehalls and ballrooms with various groups. During this time, he met Hervé Tholance, an arranger, guitarist, and vocalist. Together, they formed a duo and gained local recognition supporting French artists like Francis Cabrel, Laurent Voulzy, and the band Gold.
In 1978, at the height of disco's popularity, Hernandez connected with producer Jean Vanloo and signed a recording deal. He traveled to Waterloo, Belgium to work on new material.
After about a year of production, the songs were released in November 1978 on Aariana’s sub-label Aquarius Records in France. The first single, the disco track "Born to Be Alive," quickly became a hit. By January 1979, Hernandez had earned his first gold record in Italy. The song topped the French charts in April, remaining at number one until July. It then gained traction in the United States, where after remixing, it was released on the A-Tom-Mik label and subsequently Columbia Records. The 12" remix reached number one on the US Billboard disco chart and peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling over one million copies in the US. It also climbed to number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. By the end of the year, Hernandez had amassed 52 gold and platinum records from more than 50 countries.
During his US tour, Hernandez was accompanied by Vanloo and Jean-Claude Pellerin. That spring in New York, Vanloo and Pellerin held auditions for dancers to join Hernandez's global tour, selecting among them a young Madonna.
Hernandez’s later singles, including "Disco Queen" backed with "Show Me the Way You Kiss," achieved little success in the US, although the album Born to Be Alive performed well and earned him a Billboard Award in February 1980. Due to the lack of further hits, he is often labeled a "One Hit Wonder."
In 1981, Hernandez released the 12" single "Goodbye," initially on Aariana Records, followed by a remix on Aquarius Records in France. The single and subsequent album were not released in the US and failed to find a market there.
