Biography
André Claveau was a French singer and actor. His career as a singer began in 1936, when won an amateur competition called Premières Chances. During the next six years, André Claveau participated in the programof various music halls. He performed at the Mogador Theater in 1939, at the Pacra Concert in 1940 and at L’Européen in 1941. In 1942, during the German Occupation, André Claveau was noticed by the impresario Marc Duthyl and his fame increased. After Worldwar II, André Claveau was banned during two years from the media for his activities during the war. After the ban, he hosted variété shows but mostly became famous as a singer. His best-known titles remain “Marjolaine” and “Deux petits chaussons” (inspired by the original music of Charles Chaplin’s Limelight). From 1947 to 1955, André Claveau appeared in many films, in which he interprets his successes.
In 1958, André Claveau was chosen to represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest, and with success: he won the contest.
When in the early 1960s artists of more modern genres started to hit the charts, André Claveaus popularity decreased. In the late 1960s, André Claveau decided to end his career. He retired and withdrew from the media. He tried a comeback in 1978, when he played the song “Marlène” on the show Loto chanson presented by Guy Lux.
André Claveau died of a cerebral embolism, on July 4th, 2003, in Agen.
