Sacha Distel

Sacha Distel, born Alexandre Distel on January 29, 1933 in Pairs, France, used his position as a jazz singer and guitarist to become on of his country’s most popular entertainers, as well as a celebrity throughout Europe. The nephew of jazz bandleader Ray Ventura, Distel began playing music as a child, and he first gained professional attention as a guitarist. He became a star in the late 1950s as a singer on a series of successful recordings including “Brigitte”, an homage to his significant other at the time, film star Brigitte Bardot. In the 1960’s his composition “La Belle Vie” was recorded by Tony Bennett under the title “The Good Life”. His notoriety increased with his own weekly television show, and in 1970 he scored a top 10 hit in the UK with a cover of “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”. Distel maintained his popularity in France and England by recording songs in both English and French, and he remained such a ubiquitous TV presence that in 1980 he was chose to perform as part of a celebration marking the 80’s birthday of The Queen Mother. Although he would be known to the public as a crooner and chanson singer specializing in interpreting other people’s songs, his skills as a composer led to his work being covered by numerous big names. In addition to Bennett, his songs were recorded by Shirley Horn, Billy Eckstine, Bobby Darin, and many others. A severe car crash in the 1980s slowed him down, and he passed away after a battle with cancer on July 22, 2004.

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