Franck Pourcel

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Franck Pourcel
BBC Orchestra
Musical career
GenresClassical music, popular music, easy listening
Instrument(s)Conductor
LabelsPathe-Marconi, EMI

Franck Pourcel (14 August 1913 – 12 November 2000)

arranger, and conductor of popular and classical music
.

Biography

Early life

Born in Marseille, France,[1] Pourcel started learning the violin at the age of six. Later, Pourcel studied violin at the Conservatoire in Marseille, and also drums because he loved jazz, and spent a year in Paris at the Conservatoire.

By 1931, he was working as a violinist in several theaters in Marseille, marrying Odette eight years later. He then became the musical director for Lucienne Boyer, with whom he went on a world tour.

Career: recording

He immigrated to the

gold disc.[2] It peaked at number 9 on the United States Billboard pop chart
during a 16 weeks chart run.

Conducting

Between 1956 and 1972, he was the conductor for France at the Eurovision Song Contest, with the exceptions of 1957 and 1968. Four of the songs that he conducted won first place for France. As a result, France became the most successful country in the contest's early years, until Luxembourg matched its four wins in 1973.

By 1958, Pourcel started

hit "Chariot", which was recorded by Petula Clark and followed up by Peggy March as "I Will Follow Him". The song became the main theme for the film, Sister Act
.

In 1975, at the request of Air France, Pourcel composed an anthem for their new supersonic plane, Concorde.[3]

Pourcel recorded 250 albums, over 3000 songs, and he conducted famous orchestras such as

Orchestre des concerts Lamoureux
. He created the series Amour Danse et violons (54 albums) and the classical series Pages Célébres. His first recordings from 1956 to 1962 were released under the series Originals.

Pourcel recorded until 1995 with EMI.

He died on 12 November 2000 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, at the age of 87, from Parkinson's disease. His daughter Françoise Pourcel, is taking care of his musical legacy.

Awards

He was rewarded with the following distinctions:

  • 1956: The Grand prix du disque Français
  • 1957: The Grand prix du disque in Brazil
  • 1963: The Golden disc in Venezuela Discomoda
  • 1965: Amsterdam: The Edison Prize for his orchestrations of pop music
  • 1966: Gold record for his sales in France
  • 1968: Golden disc in Colombia for Disco Mundo
  • 1969: Grand Prix du disque of the Charles Cros Academy in Paris
  • 1969: Gold record in Japan for the album Continental Tango
  • 1970: Gold record in Japan for album Adoro, featuring "Adoro"
  • 1972: Tokyo Music Festival; Arranger award
  • 1973: Guacaipuro de Oro in Venezuela
  • 1973: Gold record in Japan for the album For Your Lovely Baby

References

  1. ^ a b "And the conductor is...|...a website dedicated to all conductors of the Eurovision Song Contest". Andtheconductoris.eu. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ISBN 0-214-20512-6
    .
  3. ^ English. Franckpourcel.com (1913-08-14). Retrieved on 2012-04-23.

External links

Media offices
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest conductor
1959 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest conductor
1961 		Succeeded by
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