Biographie de Gilbert Montagné en Anglais

Gilbert Montagné

Gilbert Montagné was born the 28th December in 1951 in Paris after only 6 months of pregnancy. He's placed in incubator for about 3 months and it's during that time he became blind due to a too oxygen-rich air. At the age of 5, Gilbert’s parents enrolled him in a special school for the blind where, along with the standard subject, he was taught music for five hours a day. He would continue these musical studies for thirteen years.

It is self-taught, that is to say he replayed the music just after listening to them, and on his piano that he developed a real taste for jazz, blues and rock. It is at the age of sixteen that Gilbert Montagné recorded his first 45 rpm entitled "Quand on ferme les yeux" who doesn't know a great success.

As a result, he went to live a time in the United States, where he played in clubs and piano bars in New York and Florida to perfect his favorite genres: blues and rock. Upon his return, in 1971, he released his first hit, The Fool, number one in a dozen countries. He released two other albums, but he loses foot and returns to take refuge in America. In 1979, Johnny Hallyday offered him to accompany her on the piano for his show in Paris and he accepts.

After this participation, Gilbert Montagné is back on the front of the stage and he signed his comeback with the public by registering, in 1980, the song "Believe in me". The success chained and his career takes off , in particular in 1984 with "On va s'aimer" and "Sous le sunlight des tropiques", to mention only the most famous.

Then, he'll concatenate the albums and tours to become what it is today, namely one of the most popular singers in France.

Concerning his private life, Gilbert Montagné married a first time with Maureen Byrne, with whom he had two children and whom he has divorced. He then married a second time with Niokole. Throughout his career, he leads a relentless fight for a better recognition of the blind people by society, for example through the project at the European level, labelling braille consumer products.

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