Axel Bauer

To become a hit maker early in one's career is one thing, but to overcome one-hit wonder status and regain some respect and status on one's own terms is certainly another. For Axel Bauer, who hit the top of the French charts early in his musical life with the 1983 single, "Cargo de Nuit," it was the result of years of hard work and not succumbing to the trappings and pitfalls of fame for a second time. Born to a musical family in Paris on April 7, 1961, Axel Bauer came to pop stardom at the age of 22 with the aforementioned single. Unfortunately, the follow up releases were not as popular, and "Cargo de Nuit" went from being a pop gem to an albatross, mocked and satirized more and more as time went on. With his label out of business and with no deal on the horizon, Bauer moved to London, and began plugging away, eventually landing a deal with EMI. Instead of image and visuals, Bauer focused on his music and performances, and released his debut album, Les Nouveaux Seigneurs, in 1987. Although not a hit, it was the first salvo in what would be a slow battle back to prominence for the former pop star, who next found himself back in France and guesting on Jean-Louis Aubert's album, Bleu Blanc Vert. Bauer's 1990 album, Sentinelles, was a critical success, and spawned the number one single, "Eteins La Lumière." Two more albums followed, Simple Mortel in 1998, and Achille in 2000, but it was his 2001 single that would find the former one hit wonder add another success to his vitae. A duet with singer Zazie resulted in the top ten hit, "A Ma Place," that summer, and Bauer embarked on a tour and a series of sell out shows. 2003 saw the release of his greatest hits collection, La Désintégrale, and his next album, Bad Cowboy, a collaboration with producer Daniel Presley, was released in 2006. ~ Chris True