Serge Lama

Serge Lama - born Serge Chauvier on February 11, 1943, in Bordeaux, France – is one of the most popular French singers of his generation. The son of opera singer Georges Chauvier, he grew up listening to opera music, which informed his singing style later on. In the early 1950s, his family relocated to Paris, France where his father pursued a more successful outside of Bordeaux. By 1954, he was already writing songs and focusing his attention on a singing career. His father gave up on his own dreams of a bigger musical career and returned to a full-time job. Serge Lama, disappointed by his father’s decision, began to skip school and eventually ran away. In the early 1960s, he worked odd jobs before serving his military service and spending time in Algeria. When he returned to France in late 1963, he met pianist Jackie Bayard. Their friendship turned creative and Bayard wrote music to his lyrics. Serge Lama began performing in cabarets in Paris and was discovered by French singer and producer Renée Lebas. After recording several of his songs, he began to gain more attention and was booked on an episode of music-oriented TV series Discorama in October 1964. After releasing his second EP, he was injured in a serious accident in August 1965 and spent over a year convalescing in the hospital. Once he returned to performing, he released his first nationally successful singles: “Les Ballons rouges” (1967) and "D'aventures enaventures" (1968). In 1969, he won the Rose d’or d’Antibes competition with his song ”Une île.” Serge Lama had an eventful 1971 with the release of his cover of The Kinks’ “Superman (Apeman)” and his Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Un jardin sur la terre," which placed Number 7. More hits followed including "Les P'tites femmes de Pigalle" (1973), "Chez moi" (1974) and "Femme, Femme, Femme" (1978). In 1979, he took an artistic detour and starred in the motion picture So…Happy? Serge Lama released the album Father & Son in 1981 featuring duets with his father. He then set his sights on musical theater, co-writing and starring in De Bonaparte À Napoléon (1982) and the sequel Marie la Polonaise (1984). He continued to release albums including Portraits de Femmes (1986), Je T'aime (1987), Amald'âme (1992), Lama (1994) and remained a popular live performer well into the millennium. Serge Lama was made Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2000 and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2004. His 2003 album Plurielles featured duets with Lara Fabian, Lynda Lemay, Isabelle Boulay, Marie-Paule Belle, Annie Girardot, Anggun, and Lorie. After the release of Where Are Our Dreams Passed (2016), Serge Lama celebrated his 75th birthday in 2018 on the stage at the Olympia. Four years later, he announced the release of his final album of new music, Aimer, released in October 2022.

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