Born on January 25: Jean-Louis Murat, poet and rebel singer

Jean-Louis Bergheaud was born in 1952. 

 The young boy spent most of his childhood on his grandparents' farm in the small village of Murat-le-Quaire. His memories of these solitary years in the countryside will include his name as an artist, the Auvergne region that is part of his DNA, and a fierce need for freedom. 

He soon developed a passion for music, joining his first orchestra at the age of seven. He played the drum, learned to play the saxophone and began to write timid poems, with the help of his first dictionary received at Christmas. His teenage years were marked by the sale of his childhood farm and the departure of his father, just after the birth of his little sister.

At 19, married and already a father, the young poet left everything behind to travel, accumulating odd jobs and setbacks. Six years later, after a suicide attempt, he returned to his native village and decided to devote himself fully to his music. He formed his first rock band, and was noticed by William Sheller, who invited them to open for him. However, this early career was soon marked by the break-up of the group. Jean-Louis Murat continued his solo adventure, still supported by his mentor. He released his first tracks, but struggled to reach an audience. Sales failed to take off, and his record company terminated his contract. 

 It wasn't until she was forty that she finally achieved success. In 1989, his studio album “Cheyenne Autumn” confirmed his ascent, with titles such as “L'ange déchu” and “Te garder près de moi”. The singer made a name for himself among the stars of the moment, and his subsequent singles climbed to the top of the hits charts and into the hearts of his public. He is also a regular on movie sets, starring alongside Romain Duris in “Mademoiselle Personne”. 

In 2013, he released the album “Toboggan”, followed by “Babel” a year later, recorded with a group from Auvergne. In 2018, “Il Francese” is his twentieth album. Three others will complete the immense career of this singer with legendary outbursts but a tender heart. He died on May 25, 2023, aged 71. “I'm quite happy with people not liking me”, he declared. But he will leave behind him fans inconsolable at the passing of this poet of French song. 

(Céline Massart - Tr.: MH - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Jean-Louis in Brussels (Belgium) in April 1989