Dick Rivers

Dick Rivers, real name Hervé Forneri, was born on April 24, 1945 in Nice, France. He is one of the pioneers of French rock. Inspired by the American rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Dick Rivers helped adapt this musical genre for French audiences. The son of butcher shopkeepers, the choirboy turned to rock after meeting the guitarist brothers Jean-Claude and Gérard Roboly. He adopted the pseudonym Dick Rivers in reference to the character of Deke Rivers portrayed by Elvis Presley in the film Loving You , and with the two musicians formed the group Jerry Joyce and the Joycemen. They then recruited a pianist, Gérard Jacquemus, aka Jack Regard, who soon took over as bassist. The group became Les Chats Sauvages when they arrived in Paris. The group enjoyed dazzling success with songs like "Twist à Saint-Tropez" and "Est-ce que tu le sais?" (a cover of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" ). The popularity of Les Chats Sauvages enabled Dick Rivers to make a name for himself on the French music scene. In 1962, he decided to leave the group and embark on a solo career. As a solo artist, Dick Rivers enjoyed a string of successes and albums. His first album, Je suis bien, was released in 1963. He continued to record numerous albums throughout the 1960s (Je Ne Suis Plus Rien Sans Toi, Mister Pitiful or Dick Rivers Story) and 1970s (Bye Bye Lily, Va, Va, Va, Dixie), and his songs, often inspired by American rock, resonated with French audiences. His best-known songs include "Rien que toi" (1964), "Maman n'aime pas ma musique" (1974) and "Faire un pont " (1975). Despite a dip in activity in the 1990s, he remained active, adding to his discography in the 2000s and 2010s with critically acclaimed albums such as L'Homme sans Âge in 2008 and Mister D in 2011. Alongside his musical career, Dick Rivers also tried his hand at cinema. He appeared in two Jean-Pierre Mocky films, Le Candide Madame Duff (1999) and Le Furet (2003). Dick Rivers died of cancer on April 24, 2019, his 74th birthday.

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