Thanks to Figarothe largest French daily, Celine Dion is back in the news there.
Céline not having sung on stage in France for six years, the public had forgotten her a little. This week, THE Figaro devotes a series of six long articles to her, propelling her back into the news. The articles we publish about artists are often superficial, but this time, that’s not the case. The papers of Figaro are researched and, I believe, very factual.
The third article, published yesterday (Wednesday), moved me deeply. It brought back some very pleasant memories for me. It was the time when I began to live with Louise DesChâtelets and when our friends Eddy Marnay and Mia Dumont, the Montreal publicist who was the famous lyricist’s companion for several years, were busy making Céline the star she has become.
Here are the first three parts of the dossier on Celine Dion published in the pages of the French daily Le Figaro.
I don’t want to take anything away from René Angélil, whose importance to Céline is indisputable. But René was above all an impresario and to make himself known, a singer needs songs. And what’s more, songs that will become “hits” or “tubes” as they say on the other side of the Atlantic. Eddy Marnay was a discreet and little-spoken man, who could take ten minutes or ten years to write a song. Aware of his talent, he never mentioned it, preferring to lather up the reputation of the singers for whom he wrote. Like Dalida, France Gall and, above all, Céline.
EUROVISION WINNER
Contrary to popular belief, it was not Michel Drucker who made Céline a star in France, but Eddy Marnay. This third article in the series of Figaro shows that he was the one who convinced Drucker to invite the teenager to his popular show Champs Elysees. He again who managed to get her to register for Eurovision to represent Switzerland, a competition from which she emerged victorious. Finally, he who introduced her to MIDEM, this world song market.
The article recalls that in 1981, René Angélil had convinced Eddy to come and meet Ginette Reno in order to write for her. When the lyricist landed in Montreal, René had already dismissed Ginette. He had just fallen in love with Celine. THE Figaro does not reveal which of Mia Dumont or René Angélil succeeds in convincing Eddy to stay in Montreal. During the years that followed, Eddy wrote the songs for Celine’s first five albums, including the outstanding hits Of love or friendship And My friend left me.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FRENCH
Louise DesChâtelets and I dated Eddy and Mia Dumont until our separation in 1994. It was during these years that Eddy told me of his pessimism when René Angélil undertook to launch Céline in the United States. I remember having dinner with Eddy in one of his familiar restaurants in Neuilly-sur-Seine where he lived. He had confided to me his very great sorrow at seeing Céline abandon French song. For Eddy, born in Algeria, French was the language of the gods and the most beautiful for composing songs.
Each time I listen to those he wrote for Céline, I can only agree with the prolific lyricist (he wrote 4000 songs) whose faithful and devoted Mia Dumont collected and classified the archives to ensure their continuity.
