See all 49 pictures

Play Jacques Brel Radio

Jacques Brel

2,721,346 plays (164,689 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

206 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Get Ringtones

Jacques Brel (April 8, 1929 – October 9, 1978) was a Belgian French-speaking singer and author-composer, considered by many as a poet as well, given the power of his lyrics. Known in the English-speaking world mainly through translations of his songs, he is also remembered in French-speaking countries as an actor and director.
Brel was born in Schaarbeek, Belgium, a district of Brussels, and lived half of his life in Paris. He died in Bobigny in the suburbs of Paris, of lung cancer, and is buried in the Marquesas Islands.

Although the Brels spoke French, they were of Flemish descent, with some of the family originating from Zandvoorde, near Ieper. Brel’s father was co-owner of a cardboard factory and Brel started his professional life at that firm, apparently destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. However he had no interest for it and showed an interest in culture instead, having joined the Catholic-humanist youth organisation Franche Cordée, where he did some singing and acting. At Franche Cordée he met Thérèse Michielsen (‘Miche’). They married in 1950.

In the early 1950s Brel achieved some minor success in Belgium singing self penned songs. A 78rpm record (La foire/Il y a) was released as a result. From 1954 Brel seriously pursued an international singing career. He quit his job and relocated to Paris, writing music and singing in the city’s cabarets and music-halls, where on stage he delivered his songs with great physicality. In January 1955 he supported in the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels the performances of the Belgian pop and variety pioneer Bobbejaan Schoepen.

Tagged as:

french, chanson, chanson francaise, singer-songwriter, belgian
See more…

Similar Artists

Top Albums

Ne Me Quitte Pas
Jacques Brel
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $28.99
- eBay Search
Ses 16 plus belles chansons
Jacques Brel
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Quinze ans d'amour
Jacques Brel
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $15.99
- eBay Search
Ballades et mots d'amour (disc 2)
Jacques Brel
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	Ne Me Quitte Pas full track	855
2	Amsterdam full track	484
3	Quand On N'A Que L'Amour full track	329
4	Mathilde full track	327
5	La Chanson Des Vieux Amants full track	289
6	Le Moribond full track	284
7	Vesoul full track	281
8	Le Plat Pays full track	280
9	Les Bourgeois full track	229
10	Madeleine full track	222
11	Marieke full track	189
12	La Valse A Mille Temps full track	188
13	Au Suivant full track	186
14	Les Vieux full track	176
14	Les Flamandes full track	176

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

Akurat_ wrote:
Wednesday evening

wspaniały!

View Profile | Leave Akurat_ a shout
daftks wrote:
Wednesday afternoon

magnifique!

View Profile | Leave daftks a shout
noneto wrote:
last week

Jump out of the window and fuck off all around...

View Profile | Leave noneto a shout
dhfarka wrote:
last week

tres fantastique! C'est formidable!

View Profile | Leave dhfarka a shout
MonsieurFelix wrote:
13 days ago

Si j'étais homosexuel j'en pincerais pour lui. Quel charisme !

View Profile | Leave MonsieurFelix a shout
tokyomoon wrote:
18 days ago

so beautiful I could cry

View Profile | Leave tokyomoon a shout
Tonacatecuhtli wrote:
23 days ago

Ne me quitte pas est magnifique(4)

View Profile | Leave Tonacatecuhtli a shout
gabethevegan wrote:
24 days ago

Ne me quitte pas est magnifique( 3)

View Profile | Leave gabethevegan a shout
gabethevegan wrote:
26 days ago

Feel a bit of fraud doing this in English,seeing the other shouts.But i just want to Say this Guy was unique, i cant think of an Artist in any English speaking Country that comes near him,Genius

View Profile | Leave gabethevegan a shout
popstinka wrote:
last month

il aura toujours une place dans mon coeur

View Profile | Leave popstinka a shout
Awkward8 wrote:
last month

le plus grand parolier de notre chanson francaise

View Profile | Leave Awkward8 a shout
Schulerr wrote:
last month

Chauffe Marcel, Chauffe !

View Profile | Leave Schulerr a shout
Grainne79 wrote:
last month

Jacques, je vous aime.

View Profile | Leave Grainne79 a shout
Kowaqqatzi wrote:
September 2009

Ne me quitte pas est magnifique (2)

View Profile | Leave Kowaqqatzi a shout
Parisblues wrote:
September 2009

en live "quand on n'a que l'amour" http://www.last.fm/music/Jacques+Brel/_/Quand+on+n%27a+que+l%27amour+%28live%29

View Profile | Leave Parisblues a shout
spekkie_cfc wrote:
September 2009

Allez Jef!

View Profile | Leave spekkie_cfc a shout
nemokoning wrote:
August 2009

Ne me quitte pas est magnifique

View Profile | Leave nemokoning a shout
ggoes wrote:
August 2009

je viens pour le gaz.

View Profile | Leave ggoes a shout
missceliesblues wrote:
August 2009

O compositor.

View Profile | Leave missceliesblues a shout
lavieplusbelle wrote:
August 2009

j'aime beaucoup!

View Profile | Leave lavieplusbelle a shout

See all 206 shouts

Videos

Listeners

Ism_Dvs
Listening now
to Quand On N'A Que L'Amour
Padhraic
Listening now
to Amsterdam
panilewinska
Listening now
to Le Moribond
bagnos
Top Listener
skshat
Top Listener
mugettin
Top Listener

Recent Activity

ghadiz, fabienneseseke, Pofucci and 10 other people added Jacques Brel to their libraries. 5 hours ago
maxmachine77 connected Jacques Brel to the group Multiculture. yesterday afternoon
lorena00, eevrim_, michelgilmour and 18 other people added Jacques Brel to their libraries. yesterday morning
SirAlecHendrix connected Jacques Brel to the group Café de Paris. Tuesday morning
fjgomez, vincentwillmui, ANGELA071 and 1 other person added Jacques Brel to their libraries. Monday evening
MontanaSacra tagged Jacques Brel with chanson and singer-songwriter. Monday afternoon
MontanaSacra, Malback, Telepatica and 8 other people added Jacques Brel to their libraries. Monday afternoon
ikketm tagged Jacques Brel with singer-songwriter and chanson. Sunday afternoon
chansonwolf and zamarashk added Jacques Brel to their libraries. Sunday afternoon
JabuJabu tagged Jacques Brel with chanson and french. Sunday afternoon