April 2017

Roll over Beethoven, and tell Tchaikovsky the news !

You might already know that I am not very fond of obituaries, but I still felt it necessary to mark the disparition of one of the fathers of rock?n?roll (if not its inventor), Chuck Berry, who has inspired me many times : when I discovered his songs through the Beatles and the Stones, with Rock'n Roll Music, Roll Over Beethoven, and so on? ; When, spending the summer of 1964 in the United States, I loved « C?est la vie, said the old folks ..." (You Never Can Tell); When I had the incredible chance to sign for my first singing tour with him through France (see photo); And when, traveling to the US in 1972, I liked his song "My Ding-a-ling" to the point of recording an adaptation.

Rest in peace, Chuck, next to Beethoven (and tell Tchaikowsky the news!). Your music has revolutionized our youth, and opened the doors to dozens of rockers, white or black.

I recommend you watch in its entirety this recording of a superb show of the BBC diffused on Arte

I am sending you this message from Tahiti, where I spend a few days before returning to Apataki in order to put the boat back into the water for several months of sailing in the Tuamotus; Banana Split has waited for me at theshipyard among a dozen catamarans and as many monohulls; I?ve got a lot of work to put everything in a state to sail, but it should not be long, with the end of the hurricane season.