Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🎨

Claude François

arts Maturity 7-9 death dying Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Claude François was a famous French pop singer and performer. Many people knew him by his nickname, Cloclo.

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann
Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann

He was a very talented artist who did many things. He was a singer, a songwriter, and a composer. He also played the drums and was a dancer. He sold more than 20 million records during his career. Since his death, he has sold another 6 million records. A former French President even called him the great talent of a generation.

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4
Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4

Claude learned music at a young age. His mother was very musical and gave him piano and violin lessons. He also taught himself how to play the drums.

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann
Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann

Later in life, he worked as a drummer in hotels. He moved to Paris to find more work in music. He often took English songs and made them into French hits. One such song was "Belles! Belles! Belles!" which was a version of an Everly Brothers song. He also created new dance steps for his shows. He even started a group of female dancers called Les Clodettes.

Claude was born in the city of Ismaïlia, Egypt, in 1939. His father worked for a company on the Suez Canal. In 1951, his family moved to the city of Port Tewfik. Because of a crisis in 1956, the family had to move to Monaco.

Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963
Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963

Life was hard for a while because his father became ill. Claude worked as a bank clerk to help his family. He also played drums at night to earn extra money. These early years helped him become a hard worker.

His music reached people all over the world. He performed in many places like Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. In 1976, his song "Le Telephone Pleure" reached the music charts in the UK.

Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963
Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963

He even performed a big show at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1978. Claude was also a businessman who owned a record company. He even owned a celebrity magazine and a modeling agency. He used his success to help others through charity concerts. He raised money for medical research and for children with disabilities.

Claude's songs are still very famous today. One song he helped write was "Comme d'habitude." This song later became the famous English song "My Way."

Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4
Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4

His life was captured in a movie called "Cloclo" in 2012. His two sons, Claude Jr. and Marc, now look after his musical history. A place in Paris is even named after him. People still listen to his music and remember his energy on stage.

420 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg
Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann.jpg
File:Claude François dessiné par Michel Bourdais en 1963.jpg
Claude François dessiné par Michel...
File:Claude François (1976) by Erling Mandelmann - 4.jpg
Claude François (1976) by Erling...
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.