Jean Sablon

A pupil at the Lycée Charlemagne in Paris, Jean Sablon dropped out, intending to study at the Conservatory of Paris. Too late, however, to apply for his year, he concentrated immediately on a professional singing career. He made his debut at the age of seventeen in an operetta in Paris. It was in operettas that he came to share the stage in 1923 first with Jean Gabin in La Dame en Décolleté and then with Charles Boyer and Falconetti in Simili in 1925.

1927 found him appearing in the review of Au Temps de Gastounet (written by Rip) with Jacqueline Delubac. It was Paul Colin who created the first billboard for the young singer. After appearing in the operetta "Lulu" with Fernand Gravey, he embarked on a transatlantic journey to Rio de Janeiro in the company of Georges Milton and Alice Cocéa for the inauguration of the Copacabana Palace (1928). In 1929, Jean Sablon recorded his first demo record for Columbia with Georges Van Parys, as well as sharing the stage in the operetta Vive Leroy with Arletty, Dranem and Jacqueline Delubac and then Music Hall with Damia and Germaine Rouer. The following year, he appeared in Cocktail 328 with Damia again, as well as making his first film, Chacun sa Chance, the same year, with Jean Gabin who also made his film debut with him.

Henri Diamant-Berger approached Sablon in 1931 for the making of Tante Aurélie alongside his sister Germaine Sablon. That year, he was back on stage in La Revue Argentine, then Parade de Femmes with Carlos Gardel. It was in 1931 that he met Mireille, whose song "Couchés dans le foin" became a great success, the introduction being made by the editor Raoul Breton.

Other important encounter in 1931, Jean discovered the guitarist Django Reinhardt in La Boîte à Matelots.