Pop fashion icon, national treasure of France, one of the few female vocalists performing original songs. Françoise Hardy became the first girl to perform songs in the style of Ye-ye, known for romantic and nostalgic songs with sad lyrics. A fragile beauty, an icon of style, an ideal Parisian - all this is about a woman who made her dream come true.
Childhood Francoise Hardy
Little is known about Francoise Hardy's childhood - poverty, fatherlessness, boarding school. A busy mother and a not-so-kind grandmother.
The star of the 1960s was born in the French capital in 1944. Times were hard, money was never enough. And a single mother gave the girl to a boarding school, where Francoise wrote her first songs.
On his 16th birthday and in connection with his admission to the Sorbonne, Ardy was presented with his first guitar. Philology and political science were not very interested in the future celebrity. Simultaneously with the Sorbonne, Francoise attended classes at the Petit Conservatoire de Mireille.
A happy ticket to another life, Francoise got in 1961, when, after reading an advertisement in the newspaper for the recruitment of singers, she came to audition at the recording studio. And she received an offer from the Vogue label to record her debut record. Surprisingly, more than 2 million copies of this single (Tous Les Garçonsetles Filles) were instantly sold out. And Ardi became a European star overnight.
The triumphant youth of Françoise Hardy
The following April, she left the university and released her first record, Oh Oh Chéri. On one side was a song written by Johnny Hallyday. And on the second was his own composition Tous Les Garçonsetles Filles, performed in the style of Ye-ye. And again, more than 2 million copies were sold. It was the success of the singer.
A year later, in 1963, Ardi took 5th place in the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest. And soon her face adorned the covers of almost all major music magazines. It was while working on a photo shoot for the magazine that Hardy met photographer Jean-Marie Perrier. He transformed her image from a shy schoolgirl into a cultural trendsetter. The man became not only her lover, but also greatly influenced her early career.
Thanks to his photographs, she became famous, the main fashion houses drew attention to her - Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Paco Raban, whose face Ardi was for many years. And Roger Vadim (one of the cult directors of France) offered a role in his film. A role in a film of this caliber only increased her national popularity. But Françoise's heart was occupied with music, not cinema.
Professional career Françoise Hardy
The popularity of Françoise beat all records - beautiful, stylish, with a firm, slightly husky viola. With songs that ranged from pop to jazz to blues, she became a legend. Under their sound, they were sad, loved, met and parted.
She became friends with such stars as Mick Jagger and The Beatles, Bob Dillan considered her his muse. She quickly became her country's most recognizable pop star, releasing 10 albums between 1962 and 1968.
In 1968, at the height of her popularity, she made the decision to retire from the stage and stop performing live, concentrating on working in the recording studio. The farewell performance took place at the famous London hotel The Savoy.
Ardi - another life
In the early 1970s, Françoise appeared on the radio of Monaco as an expert astrologer. Jean-Pierre Nicolas (one of the most famous French astrologers) offered her a job. And their collaboration lasted more than 8 years.
In 1988, Ardi announced her retirement from singing. But she did not keep her word. And after 5 years, she began work on the album Le Danger, which was released in 1996.
It seemed that the new millennium breathed new life into the work of chansonnier Ardi. Five new albums have been released in 12 years. The French Academy awarded the artist with the Grand Medal of French Chanson in 2006. In 2008, the autobiography Le Désespoir des singes… et autres bagatelles was published. The novel L'Amour Fou and the album of the same name were released in 2012. And then again the singer announced her retirement. This time, the fans were sympathetic to this statement.
Everyone knew that Francoise was seriously ill. She has been battling cancer since 2004. This fragile woman had so much willpower and love for life that the disease sometimes receded. In 2015, it seemed that the final was closer than ever. Ardi was in a coma for two weeks. But the love of loved ones and the efforts of doctors who applied a new method of chemotherapy brought the singer back to life.
Personal life of Francoise Hardy
The affair with the photographer who made her recognizable ended. In 1981, Ardi married her longtime friend, musician Jacques Dutron. It is noteworthy that back in 1973 she gave birth to his son Thomas. But only after 8 years they officially became husband and wife. The spouses have not lived together for a long time, but they have maintained friendly relations, and they are in no hurry to dissolve the marriage. Perhaps some of them still hope to spend the rest of their days under the same roof.
