Dani

Singer and actress Dani was born Danièle Graule in Castres, France on October 1, 1944. She began her career in 1964 as a model but soon moved towards music and acting, appearing in her first two films that year. Influenced by the early rock and roll sound of Elvis Presley and the music of the ‘British Invasion,’ she released three EPs in 1966: Garçon Manqué, Je N'ai Pas à Dire Merci and Sans Asterisque. Out of step with the other female pop singers of the time (yé-yé music), Dani’s music stood out and her music is now compared to other French female icons such as Françoise Hardy and France Gall. Balancing her film work with her recording career, she continued to release EPs and singles throughout the 1960s but didn’t issue her first album, Dani - La Petite Qui Revient de Loin, until 1970. Film and television work continued to take precedence over her recording career although she continued to record sporadically. In 1974, French singer, songwriter, and producer Serge Gainsbourg wrote “Comme Un Boomerang” for Dani as France’s entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the song was deemed inappropriate – not uncommon for a Gainsbourg song – and was rejected and never released. Dani’s commercial profile was raised nearly four decades later when Étienne Daho convinced her to release a newly recorded version of “Comme Un Boomerang” as a duet. The success of this single led to more albums including Tout Dépend du Contexte (2003), Laissez-Moi Rire (2005) and Le Paris de Dani (2010). In 2016, she released her autobiography and accompanying album, both called La Nuit Ne Dure Pas (2016). Focusing on acting again, she didn’t release a new album until 2020’s Horizons Dorés, which featured guitarist Émilie Marsh. Dani died of a heart attack on July 18, 2022, at the age of 77.

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