Francis Cabrel

Francis Cabrel
Background information
Born	(1953-11-23) 23 November 1953 Agen, France
Genres	Folk, pop, blues
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1974–present
Labels	CBS, Columbia

Francis Cabrel (born 23 November 1953, Agen) is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released a number of albums falling mostly within the realm of folk, with occasional forays into blues or country. Several of his songs, such as "L'encre de tes yeux," "Petite Marie," and "La corrida," have become enduring favorites in French music.

His first hit song was "Petite Marie", in 1974; since then he has sold 21 million albums. The song was about the woman who soon became his wife, Mariette, to whom he was still married in 2016.

An unauthorized biography published in 2015. Cabrel, who is one of the most private French singers, attempted to have the book suppressed.

Biography

Francis Cabrel was born in Agen into a modest family of Friulian descent. His father was a labourer in a biscuit factory and his mother a cashier in a cafeteria. He has a sister, Martine, and a brother, Philippe. He spent his childhood in Astaffort, in Lot-et-Garonne.

Discography

Cabrel has created about twenty albums as of 2015.

Studio albums

• Francis Cabrel (also known as Les Murs De Poussière) (1977, CBS)
• Les chemins de traverse (1979, CBS)
• Fragile (1980, CBS)
• Carte Postale (1981, CBS)
• Quelqu'un de l'intérieur (1983, CBS)
• Photos de voyages (1985, CBS)
• Sarbacane (1989, CBS)
• Samedi soir sur la terre (1994, Columbia)
• Hors-saison (1999, Columbia)
• Les beaux dégâts (2004, Columbia)
• Des roses et des orties (2008, Columbia)
• Vise le ciel (2012)
• In extremis (2015)

Live albums

• Cabrel Public (1984, CBS)
• D'une ombre à l'Autre (1991, Columbia)
• Double tour (Électrique & acoustique) (2000, Columbia, 3 CDs)
• La tournée des bodegas (2005, Columbia)

Compilations

• Cabrel 77–87 (1987, CBS)
• L'Essentiel 1977–2007 (2007, Chandelle Production)
• Lo Mejor de los Mejores (1994, Sony Music, Special Marketing)
• Concierto en Bogotá, Colombia (1991)

Singles

• "Petite Marie" (1977)
• "Pas trop de peine" (1978)
• "Les Murs de poussière" (1978)
• "Je l'aime à mourir" (1979)
• "Je rêve" (1979)
• "L'Encre de tes yeux" (1980)
• "Je pense encore à toi" (1980)
• "La dame de Haute-Savoie" (1981)
• "Carte postale" (1981)
• "Répondez-moi" (1982)
• "La fille qui m'accompagne" (1983)
• "Saïd et Mohamed" (live) (1984)
• "Je te suivrai" (1985)
• "Encore et encore" (1985)
• "Tourner les hélicos" (1985)
• "Il faudra leur dire" (1986)
• "C'est écrit (1989)
• "Animal" (1989)
• "Sarbacane" (1989)
• "Tout le monde y pense" (1990)
• "Petite Marie" (live) (1990)
• "La corrida" (1994)
• "Je t'aimais, je t'aime, je t'aimerai" (1994)
• "Samedi soir sur la Terre" (1995)
• "La cabane du pêcheur" (1995)
• "Octobre" (1995)
• "Presque rien" (1999)
• "Le reste du temps" (1999)
• "Hors-saison" (1999)
• "Le monde est sourd" (2000)
• "Ma place dans le trafic" (live) (2000)
• "Bonne nouvelle" (2004)
• "Qu'est-ce que t'en dis?" (2004)
• "Tu me corresponds" (2004)
• "Les gens absents" (2005)
• "Je pense encore à toi" (live) (2005)
• "Le gorille" (2007)
• "La robe et l'échelle" (2008)
• "Le chêne liège" (2008)
• "Des hommes pareils" (2009)
• "Né dans le Bayou" (2009)
• "Les cardinaux en costume" (2010)
• "Octobre" (2015)
• "Partir pour rester" (2015)

Videography

• Sarbacane tour (1989)

External links

• (French) Official Francis Cabrel website
• Biography of Francis Cabrel, from Radio France Internationale

Preceded by Claude Nougaro

Victoires de la Musique Male artist of the year 1990

Succeeded by Michel Sardou