Jacques Brel 10/1978

October 9, 1978 – Jacques Brel was born on April 8th 1929 near Brussels Belgium. He composed and recorded his songs almost exclusively in French, although he recorded a number of songs in Dutch, which was his original mother’s tongue. His father Romain Brel as well as his mother Mouky Lambertine Vanneste, both have Flemish roots, anchored in the west Flemish town of Zandvoorde, where his great grandfather was even mayor. His dual identity has majorly ruled his artistic life and trying to find some kind of balance between his Flemish birth environment versus his French raising, comes throughin many of his beautiful , but complex chansons.

Brel’s songs (poems actually) are not especially well known in the English-speaking world except in translation and through the interpretations of other singers, maybe most famously Scott Walker and Judy Collins. The range of superstars who however have covered his work, is other worldly. Much as a reminder how Leonard Cohen‘s epic Hallelujah is covered by dozens of other stars.

Others who have sung his work in English include Karen Akers, Marc Almond, Momus/Nick Currie, Beirut, Bellowhead, David Bowie, Ray Charles, John Denver, The Dresden Dolls, Gavin Friday, Alex Harvey, Terry Jacks, Alan Clayson, Barb Jungr, The Kingston Trio, Jack Lukeman, Amanda McBroom, Rod McKuen, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Spencer Moody, Camille O’Sullivan, Dax Riggs, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Laurika Rauch and Dave Van Ronk.

In French-speaking countries, Brel is also remembered as an actor and director. He has sold over 25 million records worldwide, including over 12 million albums and singles in France and Belgium. His most frequently recorded song is “Ne me quitte pas” (“Don’t Leave Me”), usually translated in English as “If You Go Away”, and overall, there have been at least 400 different recorded versions of this standard in at least 22 different languages.

A chain smoker, Jacques Brel sadly lost his battle with cancer on October 9, 1978 and is buried on his favorite Marquesas Islands in the Pacific. He was 49.

Here is – probably not even complete – a list of international stars who have covered his work:

Karen Akers – Marc Almond – Isabelle Aubret – Joan Baez – Shirley Bassey – Beirut – Dave Berry
Theodore Bikel – Raquel Bitton – Frida Boccara – David Bowie – Glen Campbell – Belinda Carlisle
Ray Charles – Alan Clayson – Judy Collins – Zach Condon – Ray Conniff – John Denver – Neil Diamond
Marlene Dietrich – Céline Dion – Sheena Easton – Lara Fabian – Marianne Faithfull – Gavin Friday – Giorgio Gaber Goldfrapp – Bobby Goldsboro – Juliette Gréco – Johnny Hallyday – Neil Hannon – Alex Harvey – Klaus Hoffmann
Shirley Horn – Julio Iglesias – Tom Jones
Ibrica Jusić
The Kingston Trio
Thomas Lang (singer)
Cyndi Lauper
Vicky Leandros
Brenda Lee
Jack Lukeman
Barry Manilow
Johnny Mathis
Rod McKuen
Tom McRae
Liza Minnelli
Momus
Nana Mouskouri
Olivia Newton-John
Nirvana
Edith Piaf
Duilio Del Prete
Gary Puckett
Laurika Rauch
Secret Chiefs 3
The Seekers
Show of Hands
Nina Simone
Frank Sinatra
Dusty Springfield
Sting
Stromae
Emiliana Torrini
Herman van Veen
Scott Walker
Dionne Warwick
Andy Williams
Barbra Streisand
Nancy Wilson
Glenn Yarbrough[2]