(Paris) “I am a seller of happiness. I sing all the pleasures! »: French singer Francky Vincent is preparing to celebrate half a century of career with a tour in France, Africa, Latin America, an autobiography, a compilation and unreleased releases.
“The idea of retirement doesn’t even cross my mind. There is no retirement in this profession. I draw my energy from the stage,” confides to AFP the “naughty zouker”, one of the nicknames of this singer-songwriter who is preparing to celebrate his 68th birthday and is proud of multiple explicitly saucy successes, Passion fruit has Alice slips.
“I am an erotic poet. I sing about the pleasures of life and sex is one of them,” declares the artist, made a Knight of Arts and Letters – rewarding those who have distinguished themselves in the literary or artistic field – a year ago.
“I felt a lot of emotion and pride. It’s a snub to those who find me politically incorrect! », Adds the singer born in Guadeloupe (French Antilles) to a Breton mother and a West Indian father. “The critics sometimes hurt me, but as an injured man does not die, it was quickly filed away.”
“Hypocritical criticism”
“I dreamed of being successful very early on. With determination and self-sacrifice, I got there. I feel a certain self-satisfaction which does not rhyme with strong pretension,” assures Francky Vincent.
“Those who criticize me are hypocrites. Everyone has sex, right? I don’t sing about sex for free: I make sex sparkle! With me, sex is beautiful! »
PHOTO MIGUEL MEDINA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
And to ensure that the chorus of its flagship title Passion fruit (“Go ahead Francky/It’s good, good, good!”) is a spontaneous reaction from a partner in the middle of sexual intercourse.
“France has always been the country of bawdy songs. Is Brassens vulgar when he “gets hard thinking about Fernande”? », he asks.
After the West Indies, France and Africa, Francky Vincent, who boasts 200 songs registered with Sacem and 3.5 million albums sold, has conquered several Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Brazil and Argentina.
“I am an anti-stress public entertainer”, summarizes the artist who is “very proud” of his mainly female audience. “I love women and I respect them. They know it. My songs are funny above all.”
The message to his audience: “continue to embrace life to the fullest, cultivate joy of living and humor and maintain a long sex life!” »
“Doctor Porn”
Coming from a modest family, Francky Vincent discovered music as a child in the hall of his building in Pointe-à-Pitre: “friends played on the guitar and I accompanied the rhythm by tapping on the mailboxes”.
In 1974, at the age of 18, he joined a local group “as a charming singer, the time of slows “. “With my temperament for humor and naughty things, I was bored,” he says. Six years later, he launched a solo career. We nickname him “Doctor Porno”. The hits keep coming.
PHOTO MIGUEL MEDINA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
In 1987, he sold out his first Parisian venue. Already with the AFP, he assumes his credo: “the naughty and teasing buttock”. In 1994, he saw as a consecration an invitation from Printemps de Bourges, a music festival in central France.
Married twice “and soon a third”, Francky Vincent, father of four children, now divides his time between the West Indies and his castle in Picardy, acquired three years ago.
A few months ago, he was criticized for his friendship with Dieudonné, a comedian once considered one of the best, who twenty years ago fell into controversy and anti-Semitism and was condemned on numerous occasions for racial insults or incitement to hatred.
“I don’t condone everything he says. He knows it. But, for me, he remains the best comedian,” assures Francky Vincent.