Jean-Patrick Capdevielle

Sometimes likened to a French version of Bruce Springsteen or Lou Reed, Jean-Patrick Capdevielle debuted in 1978 with "Solitude." He then signed a major-label contract and released his debut album, Les Enfants des Ténèbres et les Anges de la Rue (1979). A classic of its era, it remains Capdevielle's most enduring effort. Capdevielle released new albums annually through 1985, but by the mid-'80s his popularity had begun to wane, and later efforts failed to revive it. In fact, during this era Capdevielle had less success as a solo artist than he did as a songwriter. For instance, Linda Williams scored a hit in 1989 with his song "Traces." ~ Jason Birchmeier