Michèle Torr

Michèle Torr (born Michelle Cléberte Tort 7 April 1947) is a French singer and author, best known in non-Francophone countries for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg in 1966 and for Monaco in 1977.

Early career Born in Pertuis, Vaucluse, Torr won her first singing contest at age fifteen, in 1962, winning the first year's On Chante dans mon Quartier contest in Avignon. Michèle was a tall beautiful woman with actress-like expression, and easily wins the audience over by singing the Édith Piaf song Exodus. Mireille Mathieu was runner-up that year with Les cloches de Lisbonne by Maria Candido. Then in 1963, at age sixteen, Michèle won a recording contract with the Mercury label, and opened for Jacques Brel at the Paris Olympia. She released three EPs (four songs each) throughout 1964, which were aimed at radio and juke-box play. Torr's release of Dans mes bras, oublie ta peine in 1964 was a big hit. Further releases of both original French material, and French covers of British and American hits, proved to be hit and miss. This setting the tone for Torr's career throughout the 60's, as she tried to find her niche. The Mercury contract ended in 1972.

Eurovision Song Contest appearances In 1966, Torr was invited to perform the Luxembourgish entry, Ce soir je t'attendais, at the eleventh Eurovision Song Contest. This was permitted as there has never been a requirement at Eurovision for the singer to be native to the country they represent; indeed Luxembourg only very rarely chose a Luxembourger as their performer. As Luxembourg had won the 1965 contest, the 1966 contest was held in Luxembourg City on 5 March. Torr wound up finishing joint-tenth out of eighteen participants, alongside the entries from Finland and Germany.

Eleven years later, in 1977, Torr again took part in Eurovision, this time representing Monaco with the song Une petite française. The 1977 contest took place in London on 7 May, and Torr improved on her previous result, finishing fourth of eighteen participants.

In between her two Eurovision appearances, Torr had also taken part in the French Eurovision pre-selection in 1970 with two songs, but had not progressed beyond the semi-final stage.

Later career Torr had continued to record and release singles during the early and mid 1970s like Une vague bleue, a big hit, but she achieved the biggest successes of her career at the end of the decade with Emmène-moi danser ce soir, La séparation and Discomotion. Through the 1980s she continued to release successful singles and albums and was a regular on television. Her career stalled in the 1990s, with much less new material being released, although compilations of earlier work kept her in the public eye.

On 3 March 2008, she released her album Ces années-là on the Sony BMG Import label.

On 12 November 2012, she released an album of religious songs Chanter c'est Prier on the Sony Music France S.M.A.R.T. label.

As of 2015, She continues to tour worldwide on the French music nostalgia circuit, with almost a concert a month.

Decorations Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016)

Discography 45s Les Amoureux et Piano va l'amour 1973 Une vague bleue Je m'appelle Michèle fr:Cette fille c'était moi 1975 Ce soir je t'attendais (Eurovision) 1976 Une petite Française (Eurovision) 1977 fr:Emmène-moi danser ce soir 1978 J'aime 1978 Chanson inédite 1979 Lui (1980) fr:J'en appelle à la tendresse 1981 Midnight blue en Irlande 1983 Adieu 1983 Donne moi la main, donne moi l'amour 1984

Albums

1964: Dans mes bras oublie ta peine 1965: Dis-moi maintenant 1966: Ce soir je t'attendais 1970: tous les oiseaux reviennent 1974: un disque d'amour 1976: je m'appelle Michèle 1976: Michele Torr 1977: j'aime 1978: Emmène moi danser ce soir 1979: chanson inédite 1980: à l'Olympia 1980: Lui 1981: j'en appelle à la tendresse 1982: Olympia 1983: adieu/à mon père 1983: midnight blue en Irlande 1983: Adieu Disc'Az 478 1984: donne-moi le matin, donne-moi l'amour 1985: Michèle Torr 1986: Qui 1987: chansons de toujours 1987: I remember you 1988: je t'avais rapporté 1988: Argentina 1990: la compil' de mes succès 1991: vague à l'homme 1993: à mi vie 1995: à nos beaux jours 1996: le meilleur de Michele Torr en public 1997: seule 1998: portrait de scène 1998: Michele Torr 2cd 1999: emmene moi danser ce soir en public 2000: une petite française 3cd 2001: acoustique 2001: best of 2002: donner 2003: à l'Olympia 2003: chante Piaf 2004: en concert 2005: à l'Olympia 2006: la louve 2007: ces années là 2008: Olympia 2010: triple best of 2011: Olympia 2012: chanter c'est prier 2013: Herbert Léonard / Michele Torr au Québec 2014: diva 2016: tout l'amour du monde

Others 2012: Chanter c'est prier

Books 1999: La Cuisine (provençale) de ma mère by Michèle Torr 2005: la Couleur des mots (autobiography) by Michèle Torr, and Laurent Fialaix