Roland Vincent, a musical for his 60 years of songs

In his 60-year career, Roland Vincent has composed nearly 1000 songs. He chose 25 of the most famous and brought them together in a musical show which will be created on March 12, in Paris, at the Théâtre du Ranelagh, before a tour in France. The composer will be at the piano to accompany the two girls and two boys chosen to perform this “journey into memories” which he has titled Of love and friendship. This is a nod to what became, in 1983, Céline Dion's first success in France. At 15, she had already crossed the Atlantic several times with her mother. At that time, if radio programmers recognized the strength of her voice, they classified the teenager in the category of singers for children. Love and friendship changed everything. This title, created in a Champs-Élysées by Michel Drucker, touched the hearts of the public and marked the beginning of his European career. Roland Vincent never worked for her again.

Also read: Michel Delpech: a musical comedy in tribute to the singer is being prepared

On the other hand, he wrote many other melodies, starting with the greatest hits of Michel Delpech. Their professional complicity, which lasted for nearly three decades, began in the mid-1960s.

Roland, 19, passionate about jazz, spent his nights in Parisian clubs and gained fame by joining several groups. He lives with his parents, in Ville d'Avray. One morning, the neighbor rings the doorbell. Her name is Madame Delpech and she wants Roland to meet Michel, her son, who writes songs. He is looking for someone to add notes to his lyrics but doesn't know anyone. A lunch is organized. At dessert, Roland goes to the piano and in a few minutes adds a melody to a text entitled “chez Laurette”. As soon as the 45 rpm was released, Michel Delpech found himself at the top of the hit parade. A first before many others.

The Delpech -Vincent duo is in fact at the origin of around a hundred songs including Wight is Wight, Inventaire 66, Pour un flirt, The divorced and Ce monday-là. “Each time, when Michel entrusted me with a text, the melody was born in ten minutes or never came,” he remembers. At Ranelagh, on the occasion of this birthday evening, Isabelle Aubret, Anne-Marie David, Hervé Vilard and Danièle Evenou will take turns on stage, time to perform some of the verses and choruses that have crossed the generations .

Over six decades, Roland Vincent has also worked with most of the performers of his generation, including Paul Anka, Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Nicole Croisille, Carlos, Jeane Manson, Serge Reggiani, Marcel Amont and Sacha Distel. He also wrote 180 film scores, including most of those directed by Paul Vecchiali. One of his melodies, LSD part, went around the world. It is part of the soundtrack to Ocean's Twelve, directed in 2004 by Steven Soderbergh, with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as headliners. A career thus praised by Quincy Jones, one of his unconditional fans: “His works have acquired international recognition for their beauty, their lyrical scope and their imagination”.