Michel Delpech

Michel Delpech's introspective songs, sensitive arrangements, and world-weary yet archly sophisticated vocals virtually defined the French pop idiom during the 1970s. At 17, he signed with the Vogue label to cut his debut solo single, but he did not vault to superstardom until 1968, when he claimed the Grand Prix du Disque and the Académie Charles-Cros Prize for the hit "Il y a des Jours où on Ferait Mieux de Rester au Lit." Several subsequent smashes followed, including "Le Loir-et-Cher," and while he never recaptured commercial esteem after that, he retained a devoted audience and never rested on past laurels. ~ Jason Ankeny