Jean-Louis Murat

The poet laureate of contemporary French rock, Jean-Louis Murat is an enigmatic and reclusive figure who communicates with the world at large almost exclusively via his poignant and deeply elegiac songs. Born Jean-Louis Bergheaud on January 28, 1954, in the Massif Central mountain community of La Bourboule, he spent the majority of his childhood at his grandparents' farm in remote Murat-le-Quaire; not only would the village's name later double as his creative alias, but its rural austerity would deeply influence his songwriting as well. Murat began learning music at age seven, often sitting in on tenor saxophone and cornet with his father's amateur band. A loner by nature, as a teen he consumed the romantic literature of André Gide and D.H. Lawrence, eventually discovering American jazz and R&B. By 17 he was a husband and father, concurrently studying at Clermont-Ferrand -- the marriage proved short-lived, however, and Murat spent the next several years as a nomad, working odd jobs everywhere from Paris to Saint Tropez. In 1977 he returned to Murat-le-Quaire for good, forming a band, Clara, that briefly served as the support unit behind pop singer William Sheller. While Clara dissolved soon after, the exposure landed Murat a record deal with EMI, and he introduced his signature brand of romantic despair with 1981's "Suicidez-Vous, le People Est Mort," which immediately earned censure from radio station Europe 1. A six-song EP, Murat, followed in 1982, and two years later he issued his first full-length effort, Passion Priveé. Sales were nonexistent, and while on tour in support of CharlElie Couture, the singer learned that EMI had terminated his contract. Murat soon latched on with CBS, recording a number of demos that were unceremoniously shelved, and ultimately...