It begins badly. Jean-Jacques Debout arrives half an hour late at the Café des Ministries, near the National Assembly: the inexhaustible singer struggles to respect the slightest agenda. His bag still in hand, he launches into his memories of the neighborhood and brings back confidences from former Prime Minister Pierre Bérégovoy, then in full disgrace. “The poor thing started his nervous breakdown here…” Curious introduction.
Then he takes on the photographer with dubious jokes. She reframes him, kind but firm. Makes him pose, glass in hand. Show him some pictures. Is it the effect of the whiskey cola, the skill of the photographer? Suddenly, the veteran of French song becomes a child again who discovers, amazed, his reflection in the mirror: “In this one, I really look like Freud, don’t I? And there, you really would not believe that I am 82 and a half years old… ” He turns to Olivier, his neighbor and friend who accompanies him like a shadow: “Wouldn’t we make the poster for Pleyel? »
Her memory book The Color of Ghosts barely released by Talent Editions (336 pages, 20.90 euros), Jean-Jacques Debout is preparing both this concert scheduled for March 2024, a new album, a musical for his wife, Chantal Goya, and a film. His very first. “I wrote the screenplay, the music, it will be magnificent! » Working title: Juliette de la Brenne, in memory of this end of the Indre where he fled during the war with his family and where he has since taken over his grandmother’s house. A place whose story he could tell for hours.
Jean-Jacques Debout is the “Mister Memory” of the song. With one sentence, he brings backstage Johnny Hallyday, for whom he wrote For me life is about to begin in one night, in a hotel in Castelnaudary, but also Reggiani, Ferré, Brel and Gainsbourg, frequented over joint tours. Or the young Jacques Higelin, with whom he played the clarinet. A few minutes later, he talks about his « maître »Charles Trenet, gliding aloud “Do you know that I knew Hitler very well?” » in a conversation at Lipp; evenings with Marlene Dietrich; Colette offering him a hot chocolate in her apartment in the Palais-Royal, while Cocteau plays Japanese billiards; de Gaulle choosing his glasses from his father, an optician… And even the assassination of Jean Jaurès! This July 31, 1914, at the Café du Croissant, in Paris: “My mother had witnessed the whole scene. »
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