Vinyl giant born of cardboard roots
Jacques Brel was born in 1929 to middle-class parents in a Brussels suburb. He was destined to join his father in the family's cardboard factory, but fled his home to play in the city's cafes. He abandoned Belgium in 1953 for Paris.
His works have been covered by musicians as diverse as Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Frank Sinatra, Marc Almond, The Seekers, Sting, Scott Walker and Nina Simone.
Brel's musical references to Belgium were generally uncomplimentary. "In my eyes Brussels has always been a tramway," he wrote. "I used to have to ride the tram for one hour and a half every morning and night. And it was always raining."
Nevertheless Belgium has declared 2003 the Year of Jacques Brel.
An exhibition in Brussels reflects the obsessions of his fans, containing a half-eaten baguette abandoned by him before his final concert in 1966, and a comb with some of his hairs still entangled in it.
Brel sought inspiration in the Polynesian islands made famous by Paul Gauguin and settled for the last years of his life in the Marquesas. He returned to Paris in 1977 to record his last record and died there of lung cancer in 1978.
He might have been as philosophical about this row as he was about most of the events of his lifetime. "In a man's life, there are two important dates: his birth and death," he said. "Everything in between is not very important."
His works have been covered by musicians as diverse as Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Frank Sinatra, Marc Almond, The Seekers, Sting, Scott Walker and Nina Simone.
Brel's musical references to Belgium were generally uncomplimentary. "In my eyes Brussels has always been a tramway," he wrote. "I used to have to ride the tram for one hour and a half every morning and night. And it was always raining."
Nevertheless Belgium has declared 2003 the Year of Jacques Brel.
An exhibition in Brussels reflects the obsessions of his fans, containing a half-eaten baguette abandoned by him before his final concert in 1966, and a comb with some of his hairs still entangled in it.
Brel sought inspiration in the Polynesian islands made famous by Paul Gauguin and settled for the last years of his life in the Marquesas. He returned to Paris in 1977 to record his last record and died there of lung cancer in 1978.
He might have been as philosophical about this row as he was about most of the events of his lifetime. "In a man's life, there are two important dates: his birth and death," he said. "Everything in between is not very important."

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