French song & variety
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon, a Québécois lyricist and producer born in 1942, is one of the greatest names in French-language song: more than five hundred titles and two musicals that became legendary, “Starmania”, written with Michel Berger, and “Notre-Dame de Paris”, composed with Richard Cocciante. With his ash-grey mane and smoked glasses, he shares with Michel Polnareff one of the most recognisable looks in French song. Long tied to Montreux, where he had a flat and then a suite at the Montreux Palace, he no longer lives there today but remains attached to the region. In 2015, the Auditorium Stravinski devoted a tribute evening to him.
Luc Plamondon, the lyricist of five hundred songs
A monumental body of work
His contribution to French song is monumental: more than five hundred titles, performed by the greatest voices, from Céline Dion to Julien Clerc, from Diane Dufresne to Johnny Hallyday, from Barbara to Daniel Balavoine, from Françoise Hardy to Maurane, from Patrick Juvet to Robert Charlebois.
His refrains are often known without people realising they are his: “Le monde est stone”, “Le blues du businessman”, “Les uns contre les autres”, “Ziggy”, “L’amour existe encore”, “Cœur de rockeur” or “Belle”.
Starmania and Notre-Dame de Paris
Two works travelled the world. The rock opera “Starmania”, written with the composer Michel Berger and premiered in 1979, established titles that became standards, from “Le monde est stone” to “Le blues du businessman”.
Twenty years later, the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris”, composed with Richard Cocciante after Victor Hugo, triumphed in turn, carried by “Belle”, one of the best-selling French-language songs of its time.
Montreux, between flat and Palace suite
Luc Plamondon long loved Montreux, where he enjoyed doing everything on foot. He owned a flat in the town centre, overlooking the lake and the Alps, before selling it in 2015. He then went on spending part of the year in the town, renting a suite at the Montreux Palace (24 heures). He no longer lives there today.
He was happily met on the Riviera, with great simplicity, and the region paid him fine tributes.
“Tous en Chœur, on chante Plamondon”
The highlight of these tributes was the show “Tous en Chœur, on chante Plamondon”, given in December 2015 at the Auditorium Stravinski of the Montreux Music & Convention Centre (2m2c), as part of the Montreux cultural season.
Two hundred choristers led by Jacky Locks performed his greatest songs. The recording, a professional audiovisual production, is by Mediaprofil.