Joe Dassin: biography, career and personal life

Family

The singer's parents were creative personalities: his father, Jules Dassin, was a member of the Communist Party, at one time he became a popular film director, his mother, Beatrice Launer-Dassin, played the violin in a women's orchestra.

Joe Dassin's grandfather (on his father's side), Samuel Dassin, at one time left Odessa (at that time the Russian Empire) for the United States of America. Grandfather Louis Loner (on my mother’s side) is from Bugach. The family was proud of their Russian roots.

Joe Dassin's parents met in a summer colony among young Jews in the Catskill Mountains. My father staged his theater plays there, and Beatrice played the violin there. The parents registered their relationship in 1933. After her marriage, Beatrice was forced to say goodbye to her musical career.

Jules Dassin was actively interested in cinema, which is why he achieved good results in the field of cinematography and became popular.

Joe Dassin had two sisters, Ricky (born in 1940) and Julie (born in 1945). Ricky had a direct role in composing the lyrics to her older brother's songs, and she was the author for many other singers. The younger sister, Julie, was also a creative person and devoted herself to acting.

The Dassin family was forced to change their place of residence several times. So, in 1940, the family lived in New York, then for the sake of their father’s career, the family left for Los Angeles. It was in this city that the future famous singer and musician Joe Dassin lived for about ten years.

My father's career had its ups and downs. There was a time when his films were not approved by local authorities, which left an indelible mark on his work; as a result, his father had to actively search for work and rent small theaters. His productions at that time did not bring the desired success. It was then that the musical career of Joe Dassin’s mother, Beatrice, came to the rescue, who tried to actively tour in order to fully provide for her family. However, the Dassin family could not be called poor. Fortunately, the family did not experience any acute financial difficulties.

Joe Dassin did not feel afraid of any job, he found additional income, and could make important decisions.

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In 1949, the Dassin family moved to France. Joe, at the age of 12, experienced ancient Europe. And in 1950, the parents expressed a desire to finally stay in France. The parents sent their son to study at one of the most elite colleges in Switzerland. There he studied among European children of noble and wealthy parents. At that time, Joe had no idea that he would become a popular artist in the future.

Joe Dassin's father first staged musical comedies and then social dramas. His films did not have a happy ending or positive heroes.

In 1951, Joe moved to Italy to study, two years later he successfully entered the international school in Geneva, and in 1954 he went to Grenoble to obtain a bachelor's degree.

In 1955, the parents decided to dissolve their marriage. At that time, my father increasingly appeared in the world with his new passion - a Greek actress named Melina Mercouri, who eventually played in nine of his films. Mom ended her musical career after the divorce. In connection with these changes, Joe was very worried about the separation of his parents; at this time he was not attracted to either cinema or music.

He went to study in America, where he first enrolled as a physician at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After seeing the cruel experiments performed on animals, Joe decides to switch to ethnology and the Russian language.

Soon he successfully defended his doctorate. After graduating from university, Joe was offered a teaching job. But he soon got bored and left for Europe, completely without money in the hold of a cargo ship.

Star Trek

Returning to France, Joe Dassin was drawn to cinema. At first he dubbed films, and then became an assistant director. At the same time, he continued to sing for friends and play the guitar, but did not think at all about a musical career.

After some time, Joe got a job at the RTL radio station, where he met representatives of the CBS recording studio. He was persuaded to take a risk, and in 1965 Dassin's first single, Je change un peu de vent, was released. And although the song was not a stunning success, a start was made. A little later, Joe meets Jacques Plet, a talented lyricist. It was thanks to Ple that the hit Bip-bip (1966) made Dassin famous. A year later, Joe went on tour to accompany Salvatore Adamo, and that’s when he first appeared on stage. Soon Dassin himself goes on tour to Canada and Africa, then gives concerts in France. And in 1969, Joe Dassin was invited to sing on the stage of the most prestigious concert hall in Paris - the Olympia.

The 70s were the most fruitful period for Joe. His songs reach the top of the charts, he himself is extremely popular, actively gives concerts, tours, and participates in TV shows. From 1966 to 1980, Joe Dassin recorded more than ten albums.

Childhood and youth

Joe loved his sisters, tried to devote time to them, felt like an older brother and protector. Since childhood, Joe was not indifferent to reading books; with his first honestly earned salary, he purchased the Britannica encyclopedia.

At the age of 16, he was an attractive and intelligent young man, went in for sports (swimming and skiing), knew three foreign languages ​​and successfully passed exams.

Joe was categorically against participating in the army, so he decided to prepare false medical certificates, but they were never useful: during a medical examination, he was diagnosed with a real illness. Joe was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Therefore, he was not allowed into the army. Joe decided not to think about heart problems, but the disease will make itself known when it is too late.

Joe Dassin's university years were also marked by highs in his father's career.

Joe became seriously interested in music; in the evenings he and his French friends sang in night bars (sometimes they earned $50 in one evening). Most often they sang just for fun. The musical performances of Giraud and Dassin were popular, despite the fact that the music they performed was not fashionable. Since the cost of gigs was small, Joe found various part-time jobs: truck driver, garbage man, mechanic and bartender.

As a student, Joe wrote a short story that won second place in the National Prose Competition.

Disco and filmography

During the artist's lifetime the following albums were released:

• 1966 - A New York;
• 1967 - Les deux mondes De Joe Dassin;
• 1969 - Les Champs-Elysees;
• 1970 - La fleur aux dents;
• 1971 - Elle etait.. oh!;
• 1972 - Joe;
• 1973 - 13 chansons Nouvelles;
• 1976 - Le Jardin du Luxembourg;
• 1979 - Blue Country;
• 1982 - Little Italy.

Many discs were released after the singer's death. In 1994, the Golden Collection was presented, in 1993 - the best compositions of the chansonnier.

None of the singers managed to look like an artist, and his hit “If it weren’t for you, tell me, why live then?” was included in recordings released between 1995 and 2017.

The filmography of the great artist is small. In some films he starred as an actor or played himself.

Viewers remember the films with his participation:

• "Lady L" (1965);
• Nick Carter and Red Clover (1965);
• "Topkapi" (1964);
• "The Law" (1958);
• "He Who Must Die" (1957).

In the film “Where the hot wind blows” the artist starred with world cinema stars: Gina Lollobrigida, Marcello Mastroianni, Melina Mercuri, Yves Montand.

Joe has appeared on television programs. In the Soviet Union, viewers fell in love with the program with the participation of the artist; the songs of the popular artist were liked by the Russian people. A television film about the artist’s last tour, released in 2006, left a memory in the hearts of admirers of his talent.

Creation

Joe Dassin had the opportunity to take part in one of his father’s films “La loi”, it was then that Joe first demonstrated his high creative abilities.

Joe worked on radio as a presenter, then at Playboy as a journalist.

In 1960, Joe moved towards the traditional pop stage. Worked with Tony Joe White (Blue Countr album, which turned out to be his final one).

Joe Dassin's baritone voice was characterized by an unusual, pleasant timbre, with a sensual and soulful style. Unusual intonations and accents gave his vocals uniqueness and creativity.

A large role in his work was played by his characteristic artistry, elegance, confidence on stage, aristocracy, unusual stage behavior, as well as his pleasant appearance: slender physique, lush hair, masculinity and charm.

In his youth, Joe, like many young people, was looking for his place in life. When he was a medical student, he thought being a doctor was great, then he started studying ethnography and thought teaching was great. As a result, Dassin became a famous chanson performer. He believed that it was on stage that he was truly useful than anywhere else.

When he started his musical career, he did not want to look ridiculous compared to other young talents. Moreover, his father’s success did not leave him any room for failure. For his first record, Joe recorded 4 songs, but the recording was not successful, because Joe lost his voice. However, the producers were not discouraged by this fact; they invited Dassin to record a repeat disc. There were failures and setbacks in his work. Then he realized that creativity requires special, thorough and endless preparation. He was a perfectionist at work. He was often dissatisfied with himself, because the feeling of failure on stage is difficult to forget.

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Biography of Joe Dassin

Joe Dassin is a great musician about whom, it seems, we can talk endlessly.
His work has everything - lyricism and soulful sensuality, tenderness and some kind of magical intimacy. Listening to the songs of the great French artist, sometimes it seems that they were written especially for you. That is why the legacy of our today's hero does not fade even many years after his death. Video course “Spring”

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Personal life

The singer had two marriages.

Joe met his first wife at a party; he immediately liked a beautiful and charming girl named Maryse Massiera. Joe seriously began to flirt with her, trying to leave a pleasant impression of himself. In fact, he was shy and did not know how to care at all. Maryse was his dresser, nutritionist, hairdresser and secretary.

“It was impossible to imagine them without each other,” their friends said. On her 26th birthday, Maryse decided to give Dassin an interesting present: she recorded Joe’s song on tape. Then the public heard this recording on the radio. This was a decisive event for Dassin's musical triumph.

In December 1966, the couple decided to get married. After 7 years, a son, Joshua, appeared in the family. However, the child was born prematurely and died 5 days later. Soon the relationship between the spouses changed for the worse, and already in 1977 Joe divorced the marriage. He explains the reason for this decision by the presence in their relationship of frequent quarrels, scandals, reproaches and misunderstandings, which each time only destroyed their marriage. The family lived together for 11 years.

A year later, Joe marries Christine Delvaux, who gives birth to two sons: Jonathan and Julien. The wedding took place in the south of France in rainy weather. The wedding was not loud, only the closest people were present. Instead of wearing a traditional white dress, Christine wore a light floral dress, while Joe wore a casual suit.

The couple met on an airplane when Christine was just 19 years old. At that time, Joe was very popular, he was recognized everywhere: on the street, in restaurants. Christine found out about her second pregnancy when her first child was only 6 months old. When Julien is born, Joe decides to file for divorce. Even though the couple raised two children, the family broke up in 1980. After the divorce, Joe Dassin made every effort to sue Christie's two sons.

The age difference between the spouses was 10 years!

His sons, both the eldest and the youngest, became musicians. They still worship the work of their famous father.

He promised himself that after 40 years he would stop singing and start living; at 41, on July 11, 1980, right during a concert at Port Canto in Cannes, he suffered a heart attack. But even this did not stop him from working through the program to the end, and a month later, on August 20, 1980, in Tahiti, right at the restaurant table, his heart stopped.

Interesting facts from life

1. The scientific degree that Joe Dassin earned in his youth did not prevent him from abandoning his scientific career and devoting himself to music.
2. For a very long time, Joe Dassin could not decide on his vocation. His songs never had political or social echoes.
3. His childhood dream was to be a doctor, but after laboratory experiments on animals, he realized that this was not his calling.
4. He did not aspire to become a singer; the producers spent a long time persuading the future star to devote himself to show business.
5. He was not afraid of dirty work, he tried himself in different areas.
6. He was an ardent fan of fishing and loved to spend his free time with a fishing rod in his hands.
7. Joe's song about a little chocolate bun influenced the skyrocketing demand for baked goods made from chocolate dough. People literally started buying up chocolate buns.
8. In his work, Dassin was extremely demanding of himself; he could become a bore over every little thing.
9. On stages, he gave his best, tried very hard, and as a result, after each concert he even lost several kilograms.
10. He performed his songs in several languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, English and Greek. His songs talked about love and friendship.
11. I knew French much worse than English.
12. Joe, unlike his father, was not interested in politics.
13. In one of his songs, Dassin talks about his love for his father.
14. He did not like to flaunt his personal life and was very secretive.
15. Even in his youth, Joe Dassin was diagnosed with heart problems, but he did not take his health seriously enough and did not receive treatment. Frequent worries and heart problems caused his sudden death.

Joe Dassin was a professional on stage, a world-class star, and off the stage he was an ordinary person, attached to his family and children. Thanks to his amazing hits, an entire generation dreamed and fell in love. Until now, the songs of the famous Joe Dassin excite the hearts of many people, and the number of his fans, perhaps, has not changed after his death.

Joe Dassin “Et si tu n'existais pas”

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