Palermo, Sicily, Italy

June 3, 1950

A pop artist who made his name in Belgium with a career that spanned four decades, Frédéric François (born Francesco Barracatto in June 1950) was born in Italy and relocated with family to Belgium while still a toddler. He began his career very early in life, singing songs at local establishments at the age of 12. His first single saw the light of day in 1971, the first of many released over the next two decades. While collections of his work were available throughout that time, his first "official" album release came in 1993. A string of full-lengths followed, with 2007 seeing his album Merci la Vie achieve European chart success, success, that over the years, François had become quite accustomed to. ~ Chris True