Isaac Bitton
| Isaac Bitton | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Jacky |
| Born |
December 2, 1947 Casablanca, Morocco |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Genres | Jewish rock, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, soul, Middle Eastern |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, drums |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Associated acts | Les Variations, Baal Shem Tov Band, Raaya Mehemna |
Isaac “Jacky” Bitton (born 2 December 1947) is a Moroccan-born French-American Jewish musician. Initially gaining fame as the drummer for secular rock band Les Variations, Bitton became a baal teshuva through Chabad in the late 1970s and subsequently began a career in contemporary Jewish music.
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Bitton moved from Morocco to France alone at the age of 18. Together with his friends, he formed a rock group and played locally until getting noticed in 1969. Les Variations opened for some of the top billed rockers of the day, such as Bachman–Turner Overdrive, Kiss, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Taste and Aerosmith.
Having a close affinity to his Jewish roots, Bitton always wore the Star of David around his neck while performing.
Bitton is said to have been rated at the time in the top three drummers of Europe. He jammed with John Bonham and Robert Plant in a club in Belgium.
Bitton met Chabad emissaries (shluchim) who helped him further discover his Orthodox Jewish heritage.
By the end of 1975, Les Variations, with their new singer Robert Fitoussi, were nearing a deal to tour with the Rolling Stones. The deal did not come to fruition, however, because the singer soon left the group. Bitton took the opportunity to go to New York, where he met the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the first time.
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