Gilbert Montagné

Gilbert Montagné was born in the 20th district of Paris.
At the age of 5, Gilbert's parents enrolled him in a special school for the blind where, along with the standard subject, he was taught music for five hours a day. He would continue these musical studies for thirteen years.
At 18, he left for the United States where he played in clubs and piano bars in New York and Florida to perfect his favorite genres: blues and rock.

He then returned to France, bringing his first hit, "THE FOOL", a worldwide success (N°1 in twelve countries). Gilbert was 20.

1979
He gave us “BELIEVE IN ME” (250,000 record sold) and went on tour with Johnny Halliday.

1984
Release of the album “LIBERTE”, which he made with Darlo Farina. The lyrics were by Didier Barbelivien, Claude Lemeste and other, “LIBERTE” went multiple gold (around 400,000 copies sold in France). From the album: – “Musicienne”, “On va s’aimer”, “Le blues de toi”, “Les sunlights des tropiques”. “On va s’aimer” went gold in 3 month and sold a total of more than a million copies in France. In Italy, Gilbert was one of the few foreign singers to reach the N°1 spot in the national charts. “JUST FOR TONIGHT”, the English version, rose to a strong position in German charts. He subsequently gave two sensational concerts at the Paris “Olympia” in 1985 and 1986, and performed at many galas throughout France and South Africa, and in France’s overseas territories. RMC, EUROPE1, LE TOUR DE FRANCE, RTL and M6 tours. Then other albums: – “Quelques notes de musique”, “Je veux tout”, “Plus fort la vie”, “Perdu dans New York”, “Le Coeur en sursis”.

1993
Release of the album “RIEN QU’UNE AMITIE”, with lyrics from his inseparable writers, Didier Barbelivien, Guy Florian, Jean Pierre Lang, Alain Zakman.

1995
Release of his compilation “LE MEILLEUR”. The album very quickly went gold, then, soon after, platinum He recorded a new CD in Belgium at the end of the year: “COMME UNE ETOILE”

FEBRUARY 1996
Release of the album, written by Didier Barbelivien (Gilbert also worked on some of the lyrics). “COMME UNE ETOILE” went gold. APRIL 1996 Gilbert whipped up a storm at the “Casino de Paris”. He then went on a tour of around fifty venues in France, Belgium, and Switzerland, lasting until July 1996. JULY 1996 A second single in summer shades: “MA CHERIE”.

JANUARY 1997
Release of his first single from album, “HISTOIRE DE FEMME”, and his autobiography, “LES YEUX DU COEUR”. 1997 Release of another compilation, “LES PLUS BELLES CHANSONS”, which soon went double gold. 700,000 copies sold for the two compilations, i.e. “LE MEILLEUR” and “LES PLUS BELLES CHANSON”.

1998
Release of the fist single. “ELLE VIT LA SALSA”, taken from his forthcoming album, “MELANGE DE COULEURS”, released in May 1998. Apart from writing all the music, Gilbert wrote the lyrics on 5 of his songs. At the start of summer, release of the second single, a duel with his partner Nikole, entitle “SI TU TE SOUVIENS”. SEPTEMBER 1998 Gilbert was at the Paris OLYMPIA.

FEBRUARY 1999
Release of a double live CD, “ON VA S’AIMER”, recorded at the stunning Olympia concert. MAY 1999 Release of the first videocassette of Gilbert in concert, distributed by TF1 Vidéo and co-produced by Gilbert himself and TCV.

APRIL 2000
Release of a Karaoke DVD and VHS co-produced by Gilbert and TCV. The first aimed at all audiences, since the DVD options are vocal, making it a first and a guideline for industry. Gilbert also toured France and a few European countries all through the summer of 2000, giving 50 concerts to massive applause. While giving one-off concert throughout the year, Gilbert wrote. Also, in March 2001, his official Internet site went on line: gilbertmontagne.com presenting audio and video extracts and other surprises (site entirely accessible for sighted persons and the blind).

MAY 2001
A few television appearances to announce the summer concerts he would give until the end of September. Release of an anthology of 3 CDs remastered in high definition, as well as a compilation of “THE ESSENTIALS”. DECEMBER 2001 Release of a single, “UN VRAI NOEL”, with profits going to the victims of the AZF Toulouse disaster. This song was also included on a new compilation, “L’ESSENTIEL”, released in the same month.

EARLY 2002
Gilbert recorded his new album: “RIEN SANS TON AMOUR” Gilbert wrote most of the songs, but there were new partnerships including 3 tracks co-written with Eddie Barclay. Another surprise: two of his children (Eric Montagné and Julien Assayah) co-wrote two tracks with Gilbert. He is particularly fond of them: “c’est le fun ce soir” and “I’ll always be here”. A new lyricist friend : Thierry SFORZA and Gilbert’s long time friend Claude LEMESLE will join him. Gilbert will co-produce this album with a very talented team GSP who produced numerous hit albums such as G.SQUAD, TRIBAL JAM, OPHELIE WINTER , etc. A 3D video clip is released from the first single “ENTENDRE TON SOURIRE”. And for this song Gilbert will surprise us by dancing along with five gorgeous girls in a real nice choreography for t-v shows.

JUNE 2002
Release of the album “RIEN SANS TON AMOUR”. Gilbert starts touring Europe but more than this… AUGUST 2002 Gilbert greets his fans from Lebanon for an unforgettable concert in Beirut. OCTOBER 2002 After a few TV shows Gilbert heads for the Indian ocean and the Reunion Island where he brings a smile to more than fifteen thousand faces each night. NOVEMBER 2002 Gilbert is in Brazil and sings for the world final of the famous top model agency. At the end of the same month, Gilbert responds at the request of the European Commission for him to be the good will ambassador for the year 2003 : (European Year of the Disabled).

JANUARY 2003
Launch of the European Year for handicap people. Gilbert is in Athens for his first speech as an Ambassador. He is very well received by all the political figures there and will end the night by singing a song specially written for the event and the words of this song will be simultaneously shown on a big screen for all the hearing impairs people.. During the last week of may 2003, Gilbert joins a reality t-v show where him and all the characters will share their different ways to see, live and enjoy life. A week latter, Gilbert releases a live DVD concert and as a world premier makes it accessible for blind people by making all menus and pages talk just by using the remote control box of the dvd player. By doing this Gilbert wants it to be a normal thing in every DVD in the world. SUMMER 2003 Gilbert is on the road. SEPTEMBER 2003 Gilbert leaves for Hong Kong and will perform there for a charity to help all the sars victims. On the fun side Gilbert and his wife Nicole will visit on a romantic escapade for their 4th wedding anniversary.. The year 2004 has been filled of a lot of t-v shows in France and else where as well as concerts and not to forget the writing of a musical project.

DECEMBER 2004
Gilbert answers the call of different blind people’s association and wins a battle with the help of the French news medias about the new coming law on the accessibility of the handicap people. The secretary of state for handicap people assures him of all her support. One of Gilbert’s long time goal is to demand that the first vocally accessible A.T.M machines would be in place in France for the year 2006.

MARCH 2005
Gilbert helps to conceive a new product “Kartelbraille” that will make easier for blind people to move about and feel more secure in hotels, public buildings etc… Gilbert takes part with a lot of other artists in an album which all the funds will be donated for the people touched with aids in Africa, and there for, he will write the music and sing the song “LA MAISON DU BONHEUR” along with Manu Dibango. JUNE 2005 Before his summer tour ; Gilbert leaves for Beijing where he starts recording a demo with a young chinease singer : Chen Ming for whom he specially wrote a song after listening to her through the net on a Beijing radio station. They both plane to release the tittle soon and Gilbert will sing in chinease with Chen Ming. Coming back from China, Gilbert received the highest decoration in France from Mister President CHIRAC June 2006 : the Legion of Honour. DECEMBER 2005 Gilbert sees a long long time dream come true. With the help of Diebold : A.T.M constructor and BNP ParisBas, the first vocally accessible A.T.M machines are launched in France on the December 20th 2005.

EARLY SPRING 2006
Gilbert is just about to make an other dream come true by starting to record thirteen soul classic tracks which made him be alive in « possible » since he was a child. For this project Gilbert is assisted by a Canadian team (JP. Isaac and R. Grignon) that will musically produce the album which also contains one original track in french « cette musique là » written by Thierry Sforza and Gilbert. Gilbert will supervise the album that’s taking place between Montreal and Paris live via the net. Are you ready for this? The album is called : Get ready to be released in NOVEMBER 2006. The sound engineer for all of Gilbert’s vocal tracks is E. MONTAGNE Gilbert’s son witch whom Gilbert will have a lot of fun and complicity to work with.

JUNE 2007
Gilbert brings his support to Nicolas Sarkozy the new President of France to be elected and spontaneously addresses to a huge crowd of fifty thousand people. Gilbert asks the new to become president to pay special attention to the handicap people in need of recognition and integration for who they are. In the same time through that meeting Gilbert will sing the same song he wrote especially for the year of the European disable people in 2003 cause he thought the meaning of the words would perfectly fit, it says “ together we are going to win”. AUGUST 2007 The Minister of labour and social affairs in France Mr Xavier BERTRAND asks Gilbert to write a report on the situation of the visually impaired people in France and to come up with new ideas for a much better living of that population. There for, Gilbert will travel through France, Belgium, Finland, Spain and Italy where he will audit various handicap people’s organisations. DECEMBER 2007 Gilbert organizes a very important meeting where all the major actors in the field of multimedia and household appliances such as washing machines, TV, Microwaves etc… are going to take part. The idea is to explain to all the participants that the major goal is to make all those products accessible for all from the start by the common use of the voice activated generalisation as you can see in any GPS on the market.

JANUARY 2008
Gilbert will bring the awaited report to the Minister and from that on a plan will be presented by the government in June the same year. Mean while, Gilbert is still on the road. SEPTEMBER 2008, Minister Xavier Bertrand asks Gilbert to supervise the governmental plan for the visually handicap population.

MARCH 2009
Gilbert accepts to be nominated as National Secretary of handicap affairs for the UMP party.. Through the summer, Gilbert will work on a new album SEPTEMBER 2009 Gilbert is on national TV in France for a very special show called “Rendez-vous to an unknown land” where Gilbert was taken in the Himalayas (15000 feet high) the destination his hidden to the guest till the plane is up in the air. Gilbert is about to meet with a very remote and beautiful family right in the Zanskar region he will live with them and share their everyday lives. This show promises to be in extreme conditions and full of emotion as well as learning. DECEMBER 2009, launching of Gilbert’s 15 greatest hits with videos in a unplugged version on the main web portals.

MARCH 2010
Gilbert gets involved for the regional elections for the region of Auvergne and especially in the district of Allier. 5,6,7 NOVEMBER 2010 Gilbert gives a memorable serie of concerts in the famous Salle Gaveau of Paris where his audience gives him an out standing ovations right from the very first note of his performances. For the first time through the first part of the show, Gilbert is alone on piano interpreting a number of his hits plus a set of other tunes Gilbert loves. He will be latter joined by his band. In the cours of those concerts, Gilbert made sure to provide all the informations accessible using all the latest technologies with the help of EO Guidage Compagny. Few months later, the live album and DVD is released ! and accessible for all with the credits and menus read by Gilbert’s voice.

JANUARY 19th, 2011
Release of a stoning book “J’ai toujours su que c’était toi” “I’ve always knone it was you” where Gilbert reveals a family secret that is an incredible and real story that is as we speak a true success. The book was also printed in braill. SEPTEMBER 2011 Gilbert starts shooting a sceen in a very promissing moovie « Stars80 » produced by Thomas Langmann, directed by Frederic Forestier to be realeased next fall. Gilbert is very excited about his new life as an actor and wants to give it its best. September 28th 2011 Gilbert is going to be granted by Mr Sarkozy in the promotion of national merit officer. This ceremony will take place at the Presidential Palace. OCTOBER 2011 Gilbert had a lot of fun by writing a tv commercial for a proheminent business phone Company Paritel.

JANUARY 2012
Gilbert gives his voice for the audio format of his book « j’ai toujours su que c’était toi ». JULY 2012 Gilbert comes back from Quebec city where he was very happy to have sang in front of 100.000 people for the summer festival « French first » that was viewed through Canada and Europe. OCTOBER 2012 Release of the movie « Stars 80 » wich folows a delirious reception from the public in various cities through Europe.

MARCH 2013
, due to a great public request, Gilbert's book "I always knone it was you" is republished. JULY 2013, Gilbert starts taping a new tv-show "un air de famille", that will be aired evry saturday from september to december on France2 channel.

MARCH 2014,
the very prestigious band of the french republican gard reacords a seven album box set as a tribute for the hundredth birthday of the first world war. Gilbert will be the only one singing . The song is called: le père la victoire writen in 1888. The box set will be realeased in june with all the credits printed in braille and red by the very talented comedien "Jacques Veber." OCTOBER 2014, after several concerts in france and abroad through last sumer, Gilbert who dreaned since childhood a car that would drive itself. As a matter of fact, Gilbert often talked about this issue on various medias. Well! He seas that dream getting closer to reality cause Gilbert had a chance to discuss that facinating subject with the General director of Audi france at the last Paris auto show. Gilbert far from stoping there is farmly decided to bring people's attention on that very chalenging hop. NOVEMBER 2014 Gilbert replys to the demand of Any CordY « very famous french artist » wrigint her a song with the precious help of friend Claude Lemesle for the lyrics « c’est noel ». DECEMBER 2014 Universal realeases a chrismass album collection in wich Gilbert sings « Un vrai Noël » This song will be included in an album boxset « Chrismass greatest hits »

JANUARY 2015
Following tragic events in France, Gilbert decides to send a gift to the people by sending out a song he wrote a few years back with Thiery Sforza and Julien Assayah « pour vivre ensemble : to live together ». This song is out for free on various music portals. MARCH 2015 To the request of Sony music Gilbert is hapy to sing two songs inside of a tribute album about his long time friend Pierre Bachelet. MAY 2015 Between tv shows and concerts, Gilbert makes the fiction seen of the movie « stars 80 » become real in accepting the exceptional appearance on may 9th, at the famous Stade de France with Gilbert’s band of course, along with his friends that sang in thath same movie. October 2015, great nightshow commemorating the armenian genocide as well as the shoa drama, where Gilbert is performing along with a number of talented singers ans musiciens.

After a few concerts the beginning of year 2016
is celebrating with the release of a beautiful boxset : - « Par Amour » containing several live albums as well as acoustic ones and dvds. Early march Gilbert is hapy to appeare in the movie « Stars 80 n° 2 » with is the due to be realesed on December 2017 produced by friend Thomas Langmann. Summer 16 marks the 45th birhday of Gilbert’s career where he gives a number of shows through out the sumer.

NOVEMBER 2017
Gilbert makes a dream come true interpreting ten wonderful songs from singer and composer Gilbert Bécaud, inside a new album called « gilbert chante Bécaud ». In fact there will be eleven songs cause there is a special one Gilbert Bécaud wrote to be song with GM and himself. But could not do so at the time because of unexpected death. So, Gilbert Montagné was able so to capture Bécaud’s voice by adding Montagné’s one on it made this duet coming to life. Through 2017 Gilbert gives a eerie of concert and finishes the shooting of the movie « Stars 80  the follow up» On December of the same year he will appear on a great nation wide tv cast about the release of the movie, he also have big fun singing with the legendary band « Kool & the Gang » https://www.france.tv/france-2/stars-80/350085-kool-the-gang-interpretent-celebration-en-duo-avec-gilbert-montagne.html A few months before, Gilbert shoots a beautiful documentary directed by Anne For named « Gilbert the visionary » based on Gilbert’s life and all he accomplished musically and specially for the better being of the visually impaired people. Gilbert will present the documentary on a premiere event on the mysterious Island of Saint Pierre et Miquelon followed by a concert on the island. Then Gilbert and he’s crew fly to Montreal for a memorable show at the famous Olympia Theater, as well as two fantastic concerts at the very legendary Folies Bergère in Paris just before new year’s eave. Just to end year 2017 Gilbert records two new titles « Que tes Yeux » and « La Niña » that will be released before summer. SUMMER 2018 release of his new heat "la Niña" available for downloading with is the teasing of a new album planed to be released at the end of the year. Gilbert also will give us a live album and dvd from his outstanding concert at the famous Folies Bergère. Gilbert’s new book "welcome to my life’s garden" published by Flammarion will be in your hands as soon as november 7th. Gilbert opens up to us about his very first introduction to life for he will spend four months in an incubator.

SUMMER 2018, release of his new hit "la Niña" available for downloading with is the teasing of a new album planed to be released at the end of the year. Gilbert also will give us a live album and dvd from his outstanding concert at the famous Folies Bergère. Gilbert’s new book "welcome to my life’s garden" published by Flammarion will be in your hands as soon as november 7th. Gilbert opens up to us about his very first introduction to life for he will spend four months in an incubator.

MARCH 2019
Release of the live album recorded at the famous Folies Bergère of Paris.
Lecture at Oxford University to a floor filled with francophile students.
After some outstanding concerts through the summer Gilbert and his team are on stage in the Reunion Island and Mauritius met by a crowd on fire.

APRIL 2020
Covid put a stop on all concerts but fortunately gave room to a knew form of live exchange with people all around the world via social networks Covid-19 confinement brought a beautiful idea « Si Vous Nous Aidez = If You Will Help Us » a song sang by eighty doctors, nurses etc.. on behalf of
- Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris et Hôpitaux de France
- Fondation de l’AP-HP
All the members in that clip were wrewarded by a Leadership Citizen prize on February 18,2021

MAY 2021
The song “The Fool” turns Fifty. There for, the original album is republished + BonusTrack specialy recorded “The Fool In Love”

APRIL 2022
MASK SINGER, Great TV experience where Gilbert is a tree discovered by a very young audience

OCTOBER 2022
October 7th, 2022 Gilbert’s new book for children from 7 to 11 Lounaciel tells you about her new world. An intense promo program until the end of January 2023.

JUNE 2024
Release of an illustrated book for children aged 2 to 5 years old from Fleurus Publishing, inside which we can find 10 nursery rhymes sung by Gilbert, including 5 originals written (lyrics and music) by Gilbert.