The song "Belle", performed in French and a hit for several years, was probably not heard by the lazy. The most beautiful song was first performed in the musical Notre Dame de Paris, and later came out as a single and was a resounding success. She was recognized as the best for her fiftieth birthday. In the original version, it was performed by Daniel Lavoie, Patrick Fiori and Garou. The latter will be discussed further. Performing one of the main roles in the musical, he woke up famous. Garu is a singer with a beautiful baritone, as well as an actor and musician. What is his biography and creative destiny?
Childhood
Garou's real name is Pierre Garan (we’ll tell the story of the appearance of the pseudonym a bit later). He is considered a Frenchman, but in reality he is a Canadian. It was in this country, in the city of Sherbrooke, that the future singer and actor was born in the distant seventy-second year, June 26.
Oddly enough, his parents predetermined the son’s creative profession. At the age of three, they presented the kid with a guitar (his father himself liked to play the strings and, of course, wanted to convey his love to his son), perhaps this is exactly the same (as well as the fact that music always sounded in the little Pierre's house) and ultimately affected the choice profession. Otherwise, how to explain that his whole future life with music was connected, despite the initial desire to become an archaeologist? Yes, and there were no singers in the Garu family, if you do not take into account the hobby of his father (a mechanic by profession, by the way) with a guitar.
At five, little Pierre began to practice the piano, then mastered the organ, then the trumpet. About people like him, now they say - multi-instrumentalist. This means that a person can play several musical instruments at once, and at the same time, each of them is equally good. And he also loved to speak to guests, ran out to their room, portrayed someone. Adults laughed, clapped the boy, calling him the sun, and Pierre was happy. Since those very years he fell in love with the atmosphere of the holiday, he liked to give people fun, joy, positive emotions. Namely, music, perhaps, like nothing else, is capable of giving such sensations.
Rebel or obedient son
The future singer Garou, or rather, then just Pierre, was engaged not only in music. Parents decided that his son should study at the seminary, and at first he did not resist. However, later this began to weigh him, he wanted to do music, not spiritual self-development. In addition, after all, the guy’s nature turned out to be more rebellious than meek and obedient. Therefore, in the end, it was the rebellious beginning that prevailed over Garu, and he left the seminary. Then he was about fourteen years old.
Around the same time, he became the owner of his stage name. Although then it was just a nickname, a nickname given in the company of friends. In French, there is the expression loup-garou, which means "werewolf." As you know, they appear at night, namely, Pierre liked night and night life more than the rest of his pastime. It was for this that friends began to call him Garu. Which, incidentally, is consonant with the name of the artist.
The beginning of creativity
When Gar was fifteen, he and his friends put together a group under the interesting title of "Windows and Doors." Pierre took her place as a guitarist. The guys played for some time at school events with such a team. And then the study ended, and Pierre joined the army, but not as an ordinary soldier, but as a trumpeter. Even in this situation, he managed not to lose touch with music.
In 1992, the army was finished. Gar then turned exactly twenty years old. He returned home and again began to do the same as before: he began to lead a nocturnal lifestyle, performing in various bars, clubs, discos, playing the guitar and entertaining the inhabitants with his singing. They listened to him willingly, but the trouble was that you won’t make money in this way, but they were needed. That is why he did not disdain any work, if only a penny would fall into his pocket.
In 1993, Pierre got a job as a grape picker, and just a few months later, his friend called him to a concert of one famous chansonnier. Garu went willingly, but he did not know that this evening would be truly fateful for him.
Two things happened at the concert. Firstly, somehow, by magic, a friend persuaded the maestro to give Pierre the opportunity to sing his song during the break of his performance. And secondly, not only the audience, but also the owner of the bar where the concert was held, was impressed by the Garu song. Yes, under such that he immediately suggested that Pierre work with him. From that moment on, you can talk about Pierre as a singer Garou. Under this name, he began performing in cafes and restaurants, moving from one to another with the guitar at the ready and baggage from his own songs.
Becoming
Roaming around cafes and restaurants, Garou eventually lingered for a long time in one of the perhaps most fashionable establishments of the time - Liquor's Store de Sherbrooke. There he played until 1997 and was so in demand and popular with the public that the owner of the institution organized the so-called Garu Sundays. On Sundays, the artist performed not alone, but along with other musicians, who were specially invited to make him company.
Your team
The singer’s skill was improved day by day, he saved up experience, saved up material in order to record his new album. This will happen a few years later, but we will not get ahead of ourselves. Two years earlier, Pierre had assembled his own group of musicians of three people: a trombonist, saxophonist and trumpeter. Since then, since the ninety-fifth year, this team accompanied the artist in all his performances. But back in 1997, which became fateful for singer Garou.
Quasimodo
It was in that year in France that the musical Notre Dame de Paris, based on the eponymous work by Victor Hugo (Notre Dame de Paris), was made world famous. The author of the libretto was Luke Plamondon, a rather famous person in the creative world. He was looking for a performer for a major male role - the hunchback Quasimodo. However, everything was not right and all wrong, until Plamondon accidentally got to the performance of Garou and his group. At that moment, he realized that his hunchback had been found. He invited Garou to audition, and he, of course, did not refuse such a tempting and promising offer.
At the tests, Garu was asked to perform excerpts from two songs of the future musical, one of which was “Belle”. Pierre did a great job and the very next day he was approved for the role. So began a new round in the life of singer Garu (pictured) - acting. And then he did not yet know that this role would glorify him throughout the world.
Notre Dame de Paris
The musical was released in the same year and, as they say, thundered. Garu woke up famous. This is a common expression, but that is exactly what happened. They started talking about him not only as an actor, but also as a singer Garu. His songs instantly became in demand by a wide audience.
Notre Dame really gained incredible popularity in Paris, and with it the performers of the main parties. It became clear that the tour to be! Over the next years, the troupe actively traveled the world, moving from city to city, from one country to another. However, Garu not only played Quasimodo and sang about love for Esmeralda. He did not forget about the rest of his work, actively composed songs. Singer Garu then, perhaps, was not so interesting as Garu Quasimodo, but the army of listeners and fans of the young artist in any case increased significantly.
Musical creativity
On the wave of success, Garu was noticed, they became interested in him and began to offer all kinds of contracts. He rejected something, something aroused his interest. For example, singer Garou took part in the recording of the French musicians' collective album on AIDS (this happened a year after the publication of Notre Dame). Together with the artist, who performed the part of Esmeralda in the musical, Garu recorded a duet, of course, about love.
And a year later, he had another duet: with the famous singer Celine Dion. The song was written by Jacques Veneruso, who later wrote Tout l'or des hommes and Je ne vous oublie pas for her. The song was a hit in French-speaking countries, took first place in France (3 weeks at the top of the charts), Belgium (1 week) and became the second in Switzerland. This is still one of the best songs of singer Garu in his career.
Plate
In 2000, Pierre released his first album, the name of which can be translated from French as "Lonely." The album was a huge success, and Garu went on tour in his support. In this voyage he was accompanied by a faithful team of musicians, assembled by him five years ago.
Garu now
After the release of the first record, Garu released nine more albums to the world, the last of which appeared four years ago. Clips of singer Garu also appear with enviable regularity. In 2009, he starred in the movie, from 2012 - settled in the chair of the mentor of the French version of the popular show "Voice". He constantly travels a lot with concerts around the world, and has repeatedly come to our country. And two years ago, Garou opened his own cabaret restaurant.
Personal life in the biography of singer Garou
Speaking of creative people, it is always interesting to learn not only about their musical and acting life, but also about personal life. The singer Garu’s personal life is not so much to advertise, but he does not hide. He was never married, but he has a seventeen-year-old daughter named Emily from an affair with a Swedish fashion model.
According to the artist himself, the daughter with whom, although he does not live together, but very often communicates and sees, is his full copy of temperament. Garou met her mother on an excursion in London, being already a world celebrity. However, the Swede did not know him, which, in fact, captivated the artist. They did not meet for long, broke up shortly after the birth of their daughter, but managed to maintain a warm relationship until now. Over the past five years, the artist has been associated with a model from Canada.
Interesting Facts
- Garu has a sister who is eight years older than him. The artist recalls that in childhood he was something like a doll for her - she loved to babysit with her younger brother.
- Idol Garou - Paul McCartney. In his youth, he often sang songs of the master when he performed at a school evening with a group of musician friends.
- Garou read the work of Victor Hugo, only getting the role of Quasimodo.
- He worked with the team Celine Dion when recording his album in the two thousandth.
- He received several awards for the performance of the song "Belle".
- He sang a duet with Dina Garipova, the winner of the first season of the Russian show "Voice".
- The height of singer Garu is almost two meters, and the weight is just over eighty kilograms. According to the zodiac sign, he is Cancer, and his hobbies are cars and poker.
- In his youth, Pierre considered himself ugly and was very complex about this. He really did not like the nose, which he thought was too big, protruding ears and jagged teeth.
- In relations with women, Garou, as he himself admits, is always henpecked. According to the singer and actor, a similar situation could well have developed due to the dominance of an older sister in childhood.
- Pierre loves the smell of gasoline and engine oil, because he associates it with his childhood - it smelled so in his father’s garage and from himself.
- Garu is able not only to record songs, but also to mix the sound on his own.
- The artist himself calls himself a spender, says he does not know how to save, lets everything that has been earned into the wind. According to the musician and actor, such behavior can be the result of a rather poor childhood, despite the fact that parents tried not to deny their children anything.
- Pierre learned to play the piano thanks to his sister: he saw how she plays and began to imitate.
- Those around him call Garou a smoothie, but he does not deny it. He captivates many women, often falls in love with himself, but until now he could not find a woman about whom he would like to say that this is the love of his life, near which he would like to grow old and die.
This is the biography of Garou - singer, actor, musician.