Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
company name	Aviva plc
company logo
company type	Public limited company(, )
foundation	2000
location	St Helen's TowerLondon, United Kingdom
key people	Lord Sharman, Chairman Andrew Moss, CEO
num employees	46,000 (2010)
customers	53 million (2010)
revenue	£58,401 million (2010)
operating income	£2,834 million (2010)
net income	£1,892 million (2010)
industry	Insurance
products	Life insurancePensionsGeneral Insurance
homepage	}}

Aviva plc (, ) is a global insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the sixth-largest insurance company in the world measured by net premium income and has 53 million customers in 28 countries. It is the market leader in both general insurance and life and pensions in the UK and has major businesses in Continental Europe, North America and Asia.

Its primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange and it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

History

Aviva can trace its history back to Hand in Hand Fire & Life Insurance Society in 1696.

It was created by a merger of two British insurance firms, Norwich Union and CGU plc (itself created by the 1998 merger of Commercial Union and General Accident) as CGNU in 2000. The Aviva name was adopted in July 2002.

During March 2005 Aviva plc acquired the RAC plc breakdown recovery operation for around £1.1 billion.

In July 2006, Aviva greatly increased its presence in the United States by acquiring AmerUs Group, a financial services company founded in 1896. Aviva Corp. is not affiliated with Aviva Energy Corp., an energy consulting firm based in the U.S.

The Company continued to use the Norwich Union name as a trading name in the UK until 1 June 2009 when it became formally known as Aviva within the United Kingdom. The launch was supported by a £9 million advertising campaign to promote the rebranding (one of the most expensive ever in the UK insurance field), with the participation of celebrities including Bruce Willis and Alice Cooper. In January 2010, the process of Aviva's rebrand was formally recognised when they appeared on the shortlist of the Transform Awards for rebranding and brand transformation in a number of categories

In June 2009 the Company decided to dispose of ''Navigator'', its Australian wealth management business, to National Australia Bank for A$825 million (£401 million).

In October 2009 the company decided to focus on its commercial insurance sector and demonstrate its commitment to brokers by launching their 'find a broker' facility, using the British Insurance Brokers Association search engine. To help them with this endeavour, Paul Whitehouse was recruited to play the part of a successful hairdresser running three salons. The message of the campaign focused on business insurance through insurance brokers. The closing line of the campaign was "We're in business to keep you in business".

Operations

The Company's main activities are general and life insurance as well as long-term savings and fund management. It has around £379 billion of assets under management. The group has 46,000 employees, serving 53 million customers worldwide.

Aviva was the first insurance company to become carbon neutral globally.

Companies

United Kingdom

* Aviva Life – Pensions, investments, Life Insurance and long term savings ''(formerly Norwich Union)''

* Aviva Insurance – General Insurance

* Aviva Investors – Fund Management ''(formerly Morley Fund Management)

* RAC – Breakdown recovery

United States of America – Aviva USA Corporation

Ireland

*Aviva Direct

*Aviva Health

Poland – Aviva

Spain

Netherlands – Delta Lloyd Groep

Romania – Aviva

Canada – Aviva Canada

France – Eurofil

Serbia

Australia

China – Aviva-Cofco

India – Aviva India

Malaysia – CIMB Aviva

Singapore

Turkey

Taiwan – First Aviva (in Chinese language)

Sri Lanka

Russia

Lithuania

Italy – Aviva Italia Holding S.p.A.

South Korea

Senior management

CEO Richard Harvey retired on 11 July 2007. His successor was Andrew Moss, the former group finance director. Moss is paid an annual base salary of £925,000 for his role as Chief Executive.

Sponsorship

In May 2008 Aviva became Norwich City Football Club's main sponsor. Ironically, in a 2009 television advert starring Paul Whitehouse they feature a Plymouth Argyle F.C. fan who uses Aviva car insurance followed by a Green Army chant. It also acquired the naming rights for the redeveloped Lansdowne Road stadium in Dublin, Ireland, and will now be called the Aviva Stadium.

In 2010, Aviva also took over sponsorship of rugby union's English Premiership from Guinness. The four-year sponsorship deal is valued at £20 million.

References

External links

Aviva plc

Aviva Insurance

Profile of Aviva USA

Category:Companies established in 2000 Category:Insurance companies of the United Kingdom Category:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange Category:Financial services companies based in London Category:Life insurance companies Category:Hebrew-language names

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Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Paul Whitehouse
birth date	May 17, 1958
birth place	Stanleytown, Glamorgan, Wales
occupation	Actor, comedian, writer }}

Paul Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, ''The Fast Show''. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders. Johnny Depp described Paul Whitehouse as "the greatest actor of all time".

Early life

Whitehouse was born in Stanleytown in the Rhondda Valley, Glamorgan, Wales. His father worked for the National Coal Board and his mother was a singer with the Welsh National Opera. The family moved to Enfield when he was four years old, which led to him discovering his talent for mimicry:

"At school I didn’t say a word for the first four weeks - I called it my Silent Month. I think it was because everyone was speaking so differently from how it had been in Wales. Then, after four weeks, I came home one day and said, ‘Muumm, I wanna go to Sarfend!’ For her that was the end because I had lost my lovely Welsh lilt. So I became very conscious of speech and the effects it can have. But when I went back to Wales I would start talking all Welsh, ‘lyke that you see’ before going all Alf Garnett while coming back the other way.”

Early career

Whitehouse attended the University of East Anglia in Norwich from Autumn 1977, where he made friends with Charlie Higson. The pair spent little of their first year studying, instead playing guitar and performing with their punk rock combo, the Right Hand Lovers, along with other university friends Kevin Buckland and Dave Cummings.

Whitehouse dropped out and lived with other drop-outs in a council flat in Hackney, east London and occasionally worked as a plasterer. After Higson graduated in 1980, he moved in with Whitehouse, working by day as a decorator and performing at night and the weekends with his new punk-funk group ''The Higsons.''

The pair began working as tradesmen on a house shared by comedians Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, which inspired them to start writing comedy. They moved to an estate where in a pub they met Harry Enfield, a neighbour with a stage act, and after he gained a place on Channel 4's ''Saturday Live,'' the pair were invited to write for him. Whitehouse created Enfield's character ''Stavros'' a London-based Greek kebab shop owner, and then ''Loadsamoney'' an archetypal Essex boy made good in Margaret Thatcher's 1980s; he also appeared as Enfield's sidekick Lance on ''Saturday Live.''

This success turned Whitehouse and Higson's career, and they began to appear on shows such as ''Vic Reeves' Big Night Out'' and extensively for the BBC, with Whitehouse appearing on ''A Bit of Fry and Laurie'' as a man with a clinical need to have his bottom fondled, and ''Paul Merton: The Series'', then as performer on shows such as ''Harry Enfield's Television Programme'', where he developed numerous characters including DJ Mike Smash of Smashie and Nicey alongside Harry Enfield as Nicey.

TV career

''The Fast Show''

While watching a preview tape of highlights from Enfield's show, Whitehouse and Higson were inspired to create a rapid-fire delivery comedy show, ''The Fast Show.'' Whitehouse's characters included:

Rowley Birkin QC

The 13th Duke of Wymbourne

Archie ("hardest game in the world")

Chris Jackson

Unlucky Alf

Arthur Atkinson

'Brilliant'

Ron Manager

Ken, one of the "Suit You" tailors

Lindsey, one of the Offroaders

Poutremos Poutra-Poutremos, anchor of the foreign TV station Chanel 9 sketch

Due to his array of comedy characters, Johnny Depp has said Whitehouse is one of the best actors he has seen. Depp is a fan of the ''The Fast Show'' and made a guest appearance on the programme.

''Happiness''

In 2001 and 2002 Whitehouse wrote and performed in two series of the BBC comedy drama ''Happiness'', in which he played a voice-over actor with a mid-life crisis.

''Help''

Whitehouse wrote, produced and appeared with Chris Langham in the 2005 comedy drama ''Help'', also for the BBC. In this show he took 25 roles, all patients of Langham's psychotherapist (except one, who is Langham's psychotherapist's psychotherapist). The pair's collaboration resulted in Whitehouse taking the witness stand on 24 July 2007 in the trial of Langham, in regard to the charge of holding explicit images and videos of minors. Langham claimed he downloaded this material as research for a character in the second series of ''Help'', but Whitehouse's testimony only partially corroborated this explanation.

''Harry and Paul''

Whitehouse is appearing in the BBC sketch show ''Harry & Paul'' (formerly ''Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul''), starring alongside Harry Enfield.

''Bellamy's People''

Whitehouse stars alongside Charlie Higson in a new BBC2 comedy series called Bellamy's People, the first episode was broadcast on 21 January 2010. The comedy evolved from the BBC Radio 4 show Down the Line. The show originally had the working title of ''Bellamy’s Kingdom,''

Radio

Whitehouse and Charlie Higson produced and appeared in a spoof phone-in show ''Down the Line'' on BBC Radio 4. The first series was broadcast May–June 2006. A second series was broadcast 16 January - 20 February 2007, during which they won a Sony Radio Academy Award. A third series was broadcast in January 2008. They are scheduled to record the fourth series in January/February 2011.

Advertising

In mid-2007, Whitehouse followed Victoria Wood in the latest Asda advertising campaign.

He is involved in a current advertising campaign for Aviva in which he plays a variety of characters including a supporter taking his mates to away games and an elderly Welsh goth who collects antiques.

Other

He also starred alongside James Corden and Matthew Horne in episode 4 of Horne & Corden.

In April 2009 Whitehouse publicly announced that he plans to create “the best television comedy format ever devised”. Though some have questioned Whitehouse’s confidence, many consider the comedy genius more than capable of achieving his goal. In a magazine interview, veteran panellist John Sessions commented, “He’s the man for the job. It’s something we’ve all tried to do and failed, in my case desperately, but if anyone can do it Paul can.”

Personal life

Whitehouse is divorced and has three daughters - Molly, Sophie and Lauren. He lives in Islington and drives an Audi R8, is a supporter of English Premiership football team Tottenham Hotspur and has appeared on fellow comedian Phil Cornwell's Spurs Show podcast. Whitehouse also claimed to have a soft spot for Everton when asked on the Danny Baker radio show broadcast on Saturday 13 February 2010 to describe his childhood bedroom Whitehouse responded by saying "There's an Everton and Tottenham poster on the wall. I'm a Tottenham fan but I quite like Everton 'cause they were the champions when I was a kid. If I wasn't from Tottenham I think I'd have been an Everton fan as they're my second team if you like."

Inspiration

Whitehouse's main early influences were the sketches of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and the Monty Python crew. Tommy Cooper made him laugh, as did Morecambe and Wise and the television show ''"Dad's Army".'' He cites his modern influences as Harry Enfield (who he says without meeting he would not have been doing what he does now), and the approach of Reeves and Mortimer who he thinks are "far and away the best comedians that we have had in this country for a long while."

Filmography

Whitehouse has had a number of small roles in film, principally:

''Kevin and Perry Go Large'' - Bouncer, with Harry Enfield

''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' - Sir Cadogan.

''Finding Neverland'' - Stage Manager (with his friend and admirer Johnny Depp; Whitehouse's daughters Molly and Sophie have non-speaking roles as orphans in the film)

''Corpse Bride'' - William Van Dort, Mayhew, Paul the Head Waiter (again, with Johnny Depp)

''Alice in Wonderland'' - Thackery Earwicket, the March Hare (once again, with friend Johnny Depp)

''Burke and Hare''

References

External links

BBC - South East Wales - Hall of Fame - Paul Whitehouse

BBC Comedy Guide

Category:1958 births Category:Alumni of the University of East Anglia Category:Living people Category:People from Rhondda Category:People from Enfield Category:People from Islington Category:Welsh actors Category:Welsh comedians cy:Paul Whitehouse fr:Paul Whitehouse nl:Paul Whitehouse ja:ポール・ホワイトハウス no:Paul Whitehouse pt:Paul Whitehouse fi:Paul Whitehouse

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	The Script
background	group_or_band
origin	Dublin, Ireland
genre	Pop rock, soul
years active	2001–present
label	Phonogenic, RCA, Epic
associated acts	mytown (1996-2001)
website
current members	Danny O'DonoghueMark SheehanGlen Power }}

The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008. Their music has been featured in video games and the popular television programs ''90210'', ''Ghost Whisperer'', ''The Hills'', ''Waterloo Road'', ''EastEnders'' and ''The Vampire Diaries''.

Biography

Danny O'Donoghue and Mark Sheehan met in a club in The Liberties area of Dublin, Ireland near the Guinness brewery, gravitating to each other through a shared liking of music, and in particular a love of American black music. "At that time, MTV only came on in Dublin after midnight, it was the fuzzy channel, and for my generation black culture was just a wave through us all," explains Sheehan. "It wasn't about gangs and guns; it was fashion and fun, singing and dancing."

Mark and Danny were formerly part of a band that had formed in 1996 called mytown. Striking up a songwriting and production partnership, O'Donoghue and Sheehan's talent was recognized early, and, to their astonishment, they found themselves invited to Canada to collaborate with some of their production heroes, including such legends of modern R&B; as Dallas Austin, Montell Jordan and Teddy Riley. They were based in the US for many years, but moved back to Dublin where they recruited Glen Power for their new band. He had been playing sessions from the age of fifteen, using the money to work on a solo project in his home. But that went on hold when his collaboration with Mark and Danny produced three songs in one week. The band signed to Phonogenic in 2005, and released an EP on Last.FM. The band's influences include a diverse group of artists that include U2, The Police, The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Van Morrison, all of which contribute to their distinct sound. O'Donoghue also made a reference to Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder while discussing his personal voice while singing. They have worked on a few collaborations with Amy Winehouse and Denzel Washington, varying styles and genres. He stated that the instrument he attempts to imitate is a violin, based on the string arrangements of Stevie Wonder, while Amy Winehouse is similar to a saxophone.

Danny and Mark started making demos for other artists, but when they met drummer Glen Power, the objective changed. The pair had never heard Power play, but they made a connection that motivated Sheehan to invite Glen on a working holiday to Los Angeles. In one week, the trio produced three songs. "It was like I found my home playing with these guys," says Glen. "I had never had a chance with any other band to express myself with such freedom." "Individually, we all had our own talents, but together it just went to another level," according to Danny.

In the beginning years of the band, Mark Sheehan's mother fell terminally ill, causing a lot of stress on the band and members, but it also had a positive effect on Sheehan's writing. With such strong emotional tension, the songwriter found new lyrics every day. Sheehan said that "That was the time when it finally came home to me how important music was to me, 'cause in my darkest moments that's what got me through." After Sheehan's mother's passing, ten months after her diagnosis, Danny's father died four months later of a heart attack. Even with such trying moments in their early years, the band was able to rise out of it, albeit with somewhat bleak lyrics in several songs, as commented by Danny when referencing "We Cry": "There is not a lot of hope in the song, cause not everybody's life is full of hope. There's not always roses at the end."

''The Script'' (2008–2010)

The Script performed "We Cry" for the first time on BalconyTV in Dublin on 13 September 2007. The band claimed that BalconyTV was the "first TV they ever did" and credited Michael Hunter as the "push we needed to propel us" when they won Best Band at the DanishTV Music Video Awards 2009 in the Pepper Club Dublin on 20 June 2008. At the awards the band said the award was their "first ever". The Script released their debut single "We Cry" on 14 April 2008. "We Cry" received "Single of the Day" on RTÉ 2FM, Today FM and by Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1, where many radio presenters heavily supported the band. The single peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, giving the band their first top 20 single. The track also performed well on the Irish Singles Chart, peaking at number 9 and giving the band their first top ten single in their home country. The single reached number 2 in Ireland, Denmark, and the UK. The band released their debut album, ''The Script'', on 11 August 2008. Following the success of "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one with sales of 20,240 copies where it stayed for eleven weeks. The album spent three weeks in the top ten and was the eighteenth best selling album in the UK of 2008. The album also entered the Irish Albums Chart at number one, holding the top spot for five weeks. It had, as of January 2009, spent 2 wks. in the top 10. The Irish office of Sony BMG music presented the group with their first multi-platinum disc for over 600,000 sales of their debut album, ''The Script''.

The band's third single, "Breakeven", was released in Ireland on 21 November 2008 and in the UK on 29 December 2008. The single was an instant success on the Irish Singles Chart. After entering the chart at number forty, it spent one week before entering the top ten at number ten giving the Script their third top ten single in Russia. The single has, to date, spent 4 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 21. The band's fourth single "Talk You Down" was released in March 2009.

On 9 November The Script received an award at the World Music Awards for 'Best Selling Irish Act' of 2008 and on 19 February 2010, they won 'Best Live Performance' at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards. The band has confirmed that they plan to write a track for Leona Lewis's second album. In December 2008, the band were confirmed to be supporting Take That at their concert at Croke Park on 13 June 2009. The band played at the Cheerio's Childline concert on the opening night of Dublin's 02. They played among big stars Enrique Iglesias, Anastacia, Westlife and many more.

On 7 April 2009 the band was confirmed to be supporting U2 on their third concert at Croke Park, which took place on 27 July 2009. On 29 April 2009, the band announced that their next single would be Before The Worst, to be released on 15 June 2009. On 17 and 18 July 2009, The Script opened for Paul McCartney at the historic first concerts at New York's Citi Field and for U2 at Dublin's Croke Park.

The band's bonus track and B-side "Live Like We're Dying" was re-recorded by American Idol 2009 winner Kris Allen as the first single off his self-titled album. Allen's version of "Live Like We're Dying" was digitally released for download on 21 September 2009.

On 2 December 2009 the band's single "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" was featured as a remix on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show during the Enchanted Forest segment.

On 16 April 2010, their first U.S. single "Breakeven" was certified Platinum by the RIAA (the Recording Industry Association of America), selling over one million copies in the U.S. and has since peaked at #12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the spring of 2010. The band performed a headline tour in the United States that kicked off in San Diego on 11 October 2010 at the House of Blues and ended on 7 November 2010 at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts. On 21 May 2010, they appeared live on NBC's ''Today Show'' as part of the show's outdoor Toyota Concert Series.

''Science & Faith'' (2010–present)

The Script announced a new album and single on their website on Monday, 19 July 2010. The first single from album ''Science & Faith'', "For the First Time", was released in the UK on 20 August 2010 and the album followed on 13 September 2010. In the United States, "For the First Time" was released on iTunes on 8 November 2010, with "Science & Faith" was released on 18 January 2011. The song was first released in the United States on AOL Music on 29 September 2010. "For the First Time" has entered the UK charts at #5 and moved up to #4 the following week and entered the Irish charts at #1. The music video features Bono's daughter Eve Hewson. ''Science & Faith'' entered the Irish Album Chart and the UK album chart at #1.

The Script recorded their album in London, and vocalist Danny O'Donoghue says that the economic crisis in Ireland is "a microcosm for the rest of the world." He talks about people being stripped of everything that they own and how it inspired the band to write the songs for the new album. Danny says, "We're dealing with complex emotions in the simplest of ways, that's what we battle with in these songs." The subject matter might sound bleak at first, but ''Science & Faith'' is about optimism. "With Irish people, no matter how bad things get, you always pick yourself up and carry on."

On Friday, 24 September at 9:00am tickets for The Script's three nights at The O2 Dublin, two nights at The Odyssey, Belfast & two at The INEC, Killarney went on sale and sold out in less than 40 minutes, with over 60,000 tickets sold. On 1 October at 9:00am tickets for The Script arena tour in March 2011 went on sale. The tickets for all 12 arenas around the UK sold out in 5 days. They also announced that they would play a "Homecoming" concert at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. This is part of the Science & Faith Tour and will be their biggest headline show to date.

The Script also took part in Children in Need 2010. The Script will be participating in the VH1 Best Cruise Ever and sailing to Cozumel 28 April-2 May 2011. The Script took part in BRMB's live 2010 with acts such as The Saturdays, Mark Ronson and Mcfly. The Script were nominated for Best International Act at the 2011 Brit Awards. The Script announced that they will perform at: Pinkpop festival, V festival, Oxegen, Isle of Wight Festival, T in the park, Thetford Forest Show, iTunes Festival, Skanderborg Festival, Sudoeste Festival, Tennents ViTal.

The Script also played to the biggest indoor crowd of 18,300 people at The Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg South Africa 24 June 2011.

They later went on to play their official biggest crowd ever on 2 July 2011 in Dublin's Aviva Stadium, and performed to a sold-out crowd of 50,000 people. The Coronas and Tinie Tempah were support acts on the night.

Discography

;Studio albums

2008: ''The Script''

2010: ''Science & Faith''

Tours and shows

Science & Faith Tour

iTunes Festival 2011

Awards and Nominations

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Result
2008		Best Selling Irish Act
2009		Best Irish Band
2009	Best Album - ''The Script''
2009	Best Irish Pop Act
2010	Best Live Performance
		Choice Music Group

References

External links

The Script at MySpace

The Script at Billboard.com

The Script on BalconyTV – Music With Nothing

BBC Talking Shop: The Script by Neil Smith, 17 April 2008 at ITV

BBC Music Club: The Script

The Script CD review in MTVMexico.com

Talk You Down Review at Daily Music Book

The Script Interview in the Virgin Red Room

Category:Irish rock music groups Category:Music from Dublin (city) Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Irish indie rock groups

ca:The Script da:The Script de:The Script es:The Script fr:The Script ga:The Script ko:스크립트 (음악 그룹) it:The Script he:דה סקריפט lt:The Script nl:The Script ja:ザ・スクリプト no:The Script pl:The Script pt:The Script ru:The Script fi:The Script sv:The Script th:เดอะสคริปต์ uk:The Script zh:手創樂團

Marie Laforêt is a French singer and actress, (born Maïténa Marie Brigitte Doumenach, on 5 October 1939, in Soulac-sur-Mer, Gironde). In 1978 she moved to Geneva, Switzerland and took out Swiss nationality.

Biography

The sources of her birth name

Her first name Maïtena, which is of Basque origin, means "beloved", and is sometimes used by the inhabitants of Languedoc, especially of Pyrénées . and also resembles the diminutive of the name Marie-Thérèse , "Maïthé". Doumenach, her last name, is Catalan in origin – Domenicus or Domingo in Catalan. Her birth name Maïtena Marie Brigitte Doumenach, and her repertoire which included pieces inspired from the world folklore, have led to speculation of an Armenian origin of her parents. The singer herself used to define herself sometimes as "ariégeoise", i.e. from the region of Ariege in the south of France.

Her childhood and adolescence

Marie Laforêt was born at Soulac-sur-Mer, in Médoc, in the villa "Rithé-Rilou", named after her aunt and her mother: Marie Thérese et Marie Louise Saint Guily. Her father's family, Doumenach, were originally from Olette, a village in the Pyrénées Orientales, on the border of Têt. Her paternal grand-grand-father, Louis Doumenach, led a textile factory at Lavelanet, in Ariege and his son, Charles-Joseph Doumenach, was colonel and municipal counsellor. The singer's maternal grand father built "cabanons" in the resort of Soulac-sur-mer, in Gironde in 1886. . During the Second World War, the artist's father, industry man, was captured and detained as a prisoner of war in Germany until the liberation in May 1945. Marie, her sister Alexandra and their mother knew a period of many hardships. At the age of three Marie suffered a sexual trauma which affected her for longtime. During the war the Doumenachs found shelter at Cahors and in the province of their ancestors Ariege, in the village Lavelanet. After the war the family moved to Valenciennes where the father led a factory for railways utensils, and later they settled in Paris. After becoming more religious and having considered becoming a nun, Marie continued her secondary studies at the Lycee La Fontaine in Paris. There she began to show interest for the dramatic arts and her first experiences in this domain proved to be therapeutically useful for her through their cathartic effect.

The 1960s

Her career began accidentally in 1959 when she replaced her sister at the last minute in a French radio talent contest ''Naissance d'une étoile'' (birth of a star) and won. Director Louis Malle then cast the young starlet in the film he was shooting at the time, ''Liberté'', a project he finally abandoned, making Laforêt's first appearance on screen opposite actor Alain Delon in René Clément's 1960 drama ''Plein Soleil''.

After this film she became very popular and interpreted many roles in the 1960s. She married director Jean-Gabriel Albicocco, who cast her in some of his own works, including ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Or'' (''The Girl with the Golden Eyes''), based on the Balzac story, which would become her nickname.

In her second film, ''Saint Tropez Blues'', accompanied by a young Jacques Higelin at the guitar, she sang the title song and immediately started releasing singles, her first hit being 1963's ''Les Vendanges de l'Amour''. Her songs offered a more mature, poetic, tender alternative to the light, teenage yé-yé tunes charting in France at the time. Her melodies borrowed more from exotic folk music, especially South American and Eastern European, than from contemporary American and British pop acts. Laforêt worked with many important French composers, musicians and lyricists, such as André Popp and Pierre Cour, who provided her with a panoply of colorful, sophisticated orchestral arrangements, featuring dozens of musical instruments and creating a variety of sounds, sometimes almost Medieval, Renaissance or Baroque, other times quite modern and innovative.

The 1970s

At the end of the 1960s, Marie had become a rather distinctive figure in the French pop scene. Her music stood out, perhaps too much for her new label CBS Records, which expected of her more upbeat, simpler songs. She was interested in making more personal records, but finally gave in. Although her most financially successful singles ("Viens, Viens", a cover of the German hit ″Rain Rain Rain″, and "Il a neigé sur Yesterday", a ballad about the break-up of the Beatles) were released in the 1970s, Marie progressively lost interest in her singing career, moving to Geneva, Switzerland in 1978, where she opened an art gallery and abandoned music.

1980 to today

In the 1980s, Marie concentrated on her acting career, appearing in a few French and Italian films. Some music singles were eventually released, but were not popular. She made a comeback, however, in 1993 with her final album, for which she wrote the lyrics. In the 1990s, she again continued to work as an actress, both on screen and on stage. She has performed in a number of plays in Paris over the years, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. In September 2005 she sang once again, going on tour in France for the first time since 1972. Every concert was sold out. Laforêt still currently resides in Geneva and has obtained Swiss citizenship.

Records

Marie Laforêt, the folk singer

Laforêt has been fond of folk music ever since she began recording in the early 1960s. She helped popularize the Bob Dylan song "Blowin' in the Wind" in France with her 1963 interpretation. On the B-side of the same EP she sings the classic American folk ballad "House of the Rising Sun". Other folk recordings include: "Viens sur la montagne", a 1964 French adaptation of the African-American spiritual "Go Tell It on the Mountain", recorded by American folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary the previous year, "Coule doux" (Hush-a-Bye), another Peter, Paul and Mary song, 1966's "Sur les chemins des Andes", a French version of the traditional Peruvian song "El Cóndor Pasa", and "La voix du silence", a 1966 cover of American duo Simon and Garfunkel's first hit, "The Sound of Silence".

Marie Laforêt, the rocker

She also recorded some rock songs in the 1960s, her most famous being "Marie-douceur, Marie-colère", a 1966 cover of the Rolling Stones hit "Paint It Black". Another popular recording was 1965's girl group-style "A demain, my darling", known by English-speakers as "The Sha La La Song" written by Marianne Faithfull on her debut eponymous album.

Marie Laforêt, the pop singer

Some of her most memorable pop songs are those written or arranged by French composer André Popp, such as "Entre toi et moi", "L'amour en fleurs", "Les noces de campagne", "Mon amour, mon ami", and "Manchester et Liverpool". The melody of the latter song gained fame in the former Soviet Union as the background music to the Vremya television news programme's weather forecast in the 1970s.

Other important records

The quiet, bittersweet and minimally arranged ballad "Je voudrais tant que tu comprennes" (1966), composed by Francis Lai, is a Marie Laforêt favorite. Homage was paid to the song in the 1980s when French pop superstar Mylène Farmer added it to her own concert repertoire.

Marie's 1977 hit "Il a neigé sur Yesterday", perhaps her most well-known recording, was penned by musician Jean-Claude Petit, and lyricist Michel Jourdan, (famous for his work with Dalida, Nana Mouskouri, Michel Fugain and Mike Brant) and who had written the words for earlier Laforêt songs, such as "Les vendanges de l'amour" and "L'orage".

The 1973 hit "Viens, viens" was a cover version of a German song "Rain, Rain, Rain" performed by Simon Butterfly.

Filmography

1960 : ''Plein Soleil'' : Marge Duval, René Clément

1961 : ''Saint Tropez Blues'' : Anne-Marie, Marcel Moussy

1961 : ''La Fille aux yeux d'or'' (The Girl with the Golden Eyes) : the girl, Jean-Gabriel Albicocco

1961 : ''Les Amours Célèbres'' : Mlle Georges, Michel Boisrond

1962 : ''Le Rat d'Amérique'', Jean-Gabriel Albicocco

1962 : ''Leviathan'' : Angèle, Léonard Keigel

1963 : ''Cherchez l'idole'', Michel Boisrond

1963 : ''À cause, à cause d'une femme'' : Agathe, Michel Deville

1964 : ''La Chasse à l'homme'' : Gisèle, Édouard Molinaro

1965 : ''Cent briques et des tuiles'' : Ida, Pierre Grimblat

1965 : ''La Soldatesse'', Valerio Zurlini

1965 : ''Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha'' : Marie-Chantal, Claude Chabrol

1967 : ''Le 13ème caprice'' : Fanny, Roger Boussinot

1967 : ''Jack of Diamonds'' : Olga, Don Taylor

1972 : ''Le Petit Poucet'' (Tom Thumb) : the queen, Michel Boisrond

1979 : ''Flic ou voyou'' : Edmonde Puget-Rostand, Georges Lautner

1982 : ''Les Diplômés du dernier rang'' : Dominique, Christian Gion

1982 : ''Que les gros salaires lèvent le doigt!'' : Rose, Denys Granier-Deferre

1984 : ''Les Morfalous'' : Hélène Laroche-Fréon, Henri Verneuil

1984 : ''Joyeuses Pâques'' : Sophie Margelle, Georges Lautner

1985 : ''Le Pactole'' : Greta Rousselet, Jean-Pierre Mocky

1985 : ''Tangos, l'exil de Gardel'' : Mariana, Fernando Solanas

1987 : ''Sale destin'' : Marthe Marboni, Sylvain Madigan

1987 : ''Fucking Fernand'' : Lotte, Gérard Mordillat

1987 : ''Il est génial papy!'' : Louise, Michel Drach

1995 : ''Dis-moi oui...'' : Mme Villiers, Alexandre Arcady

1996 : ''Tykho Moon'' : Éva, Enki Bilal

1997 : ''Héroïnes'' : Sylvie, Gérard Krawczyk

1997 : ''C'est la tangente que je préfère'' : Pétra la vérité, Charlotte Silvera

2000 : ''Jeux pour mourir'', Bruno Romy

2001 : ''Le Syndrome de l'adhésif''

Discography

1960s singles and EPs

1960 : ''Saint-Tropez Blues / Tumbleweed''

1963 : ''Tu fais semblant – Les vendanges de l'amour / Mary Ann – Les jeunes filles''

1963 : ''Blowin' in the Wind – Flora / House of the Rising Sun – Banks on the Ohio''

1963 : ''Au coeur de l'automne – L'amour en fleurs / Qu'est-ce qui fait pleurer les filles – Mais si loin de moi''

1963 : ''La vendemmia dell'amore – E giusto / Una noia senza fine – Che male c'e''

1964 : ''Viens sur la montagne – Les noces de campagne / Un amour qui s'éteint – L'amour qu'il fera demain''

1964 : ''La tendresse – La plage / Après toi qui sait – L'arbre qui pleure''

1965 : ''Katy cruelle – Entre toi et moi / La bague au doigt – Ma chanson faite pour toi''

1965 : ''Ah ! Dites, dites – Julie Crèvecoeur / Viens – À demain my darling''

1965 : ''La plage / Après toi, qui sait''

1966 : ''La voix du silence (The Sound of Silence) – Siffle, siffle ma fille / Je t'attends – L'orage''

1966 : ''Marie-douceur, Marie-colère (Paint It Black) – Toi qui dors / Je voudrais tant que tu comprennes – La moisson''

1966 : ''Manchester et Liverpool – Pourquoi ces nuages / Prenons le temps – Sur les chemins des Andes''

1966 : ''Mon amour, mon ami – Sébastien / Je suis folle de vous – Mon village au fond de l'eau''

1967 : ''Ivan, Boris et moi – Je ne peux rien promettre / Pour celui qui viendra – Tom''

1968 : ''Le lit de Lola – Qu'y-a-t-il de changé / Et si je t'aime – A la gare de Manhattan''

1968 : ''El polo – L'air que tu jouais pour moi / Le tengo rabia al silencio – House of the rising sun''

1968 : ''Que calor la vida – Mais mon coeur est vide / La valse des petits chiens blancs – Requiem pour trois mariages''

1969 : ''Au printemps – Roselyne / Feuilles d'or – D'être à vous''

1969 : ''Pour une étoile – Ton coeur sauvage / Vin de l'été – En plus de l'amour''

1969 : ''Ah ! Si mon moine – On n'oublie jamais / Tourne, tourne – La fleur sans nom''

1969 : ''Tu es laide / Toi, nos enfants et moi''

1960s LPs

1964 : ''Marie Laforêt''

1965 : ''Marie Laforêt Vol. 2''

1967 : ''Marie Laforêt Vol. 3''

1968 : ''Marie Laforêt Vol. 4''

1968 : ''Que calor la vida''

1969 : ''Marie Laforêt Vol. 6''

1970 : ''Marie Laforêt Vol. 7''

Sources and external links

''Soulac-en-Médoc'' – Photos by Richard Zebulun, ed. Cairn, 2009.

interview about her family life, in French

some biographical data in Généalogie Magazine Nr 294. 2010

Marie Laforet, celebrity in Switzerland – in French

biography of Marie Laforet following Télé Melody, in French

a biography, archives de la musique de la semaine

interview about the place of religion in her life

about her career, 2005

Illustrated Discography

Pierre Saka,Yann Plougastel (dir.) – ''La Chanson française et francophone'',Guide Totem, Larousse/HER, 1999, ISBN :2-03-511346-6

Notes

Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:People from Gironde Category:French female singers Category:French actors

de:Marie Laforêt es:Marie Laforêt fr:Marie Laforêt it:Marie Laforêt he:מארי לאפורה lb:Marie Laforêt ja:マリー・ラフォレ pl:Marie Laforêt pt:Marie Laforêt ru:Лафоре, Мари fi:Marie Laforêt tr:Marie Laforêt uk:Марі Лафоре