Guy Béart
| Guy Béart | |
|---|---|
Guy Béart in 2012
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| Born |
Guy Béhart-Hasson 16 July 1930 Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died |
16 September 2015 (aged 85) Garches, France |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Occupation | Singer Songwriter |
| Relatives | Emmanuelle Béart (daughter) |
Guy Béhart-Hasson (French: [beaʁ]; 16 July 1930 – 16 September 2015), known as Guy Béart, was a French singer and songwriter.
Béart was born Guy Béhart-Hasson (originally spelled Béhar-Hassan) in Cairo, Egypt. His family was Jewish. His father's work as an accountant and business consultant saw the family move frequently, leading to a childhood spent in France, Greece, and Mexico, in addition to Egypt. Between the ages of 10 and 17 his family settled in Lebanon where his interest in music developed to the point that he left for Paris to study at the "École nationale de musique". In addition to music, he also obtained a degree in engineering.
When his father died in 1952, the young Béhart chose to pursue a career in engineering in order to help support his family, studying at the prestigious École nationale des ponts et chaussées. Simultaneously, however, he enrolled in Paris's École nationale de musique, studying violin and mandolin, and in his spare time wrote songs and worked the Paris cabaret circuit, where he played guitar and sang under the stage name "Guy Béart". When a version of one of his songs by a popular performer of the day became a huge success, demand for his writing talents increased and he composed for Juliette Gréco and others. Taken under the wing of renowned music producer Jacques Canetti and fellow musician Boris Vian, he released an album of his own, which won the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque français in 1958.
Normally shy, Béart initially suffered from stage fright and struggled during his concert debut at the Paris Olympia. His biggest hit came when he wrote the soundtrack of the 1960 motion picture, L'Eau vive (Girl and the River in the USA). The title song of the film is considered a classic of what is known as French chanson. Despite his leap to fame, Béart's singing career was soon swamped by the rising tide of American rock and roll. However, reinventing himself as a host of a television show featuring musical stars from a variety of genres, he remained in the public eye and eventually made a recording comeback.
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