Laurent Voulzy

Born in Paris in 1948, whose real name is Lucien Voulzy, Laurent Voulzy gradually established himself on the French music scene as a guitarist, singer‑songwriter and vocalist influenced by Anglo‑Saxon pop and the chanson tradition. After starting out in several rock bands in the 1960s, he turned to writing and in the early 1970s began a long‑standing collaboration with Alain Souchon, for whom he composed many songs while building his own discography. His breakthrough with the general public came notably with the single "Rockollection" in 1977, which introduced a style combining carefully worked melodies, instantly memorable choruses and pop‑culture references. The albums "Le Cœur grenadine" (1979), "Bopper en larmes" (1983) and "Caché derrière" (1986) extended this refined pop vein, between ballads, soft rock and songs with dense vocal arrangements. After a quieter spell, Voulzy returned with "Avril" (2001), then explored a programme of covers and nods to 1960s standards on "La Septième Vague" (2006) and "Recollection" (2008). With "Lys & Love" (2011) he introduced more medieval and spiritual references into atmospheric pop, before continuing his work on textures and melodic colours on "Belem" (2017), which shows a marked taste for interwoven vocal lines and supple rhythms.