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Jean-Patrick Capdevielle

Biography

Jean-Patrick Capdevielle (born December 19, 1945) is a French songwriter, composer, singer, musician and painter who influenced the French rock scene in the 1980s.

With a mixture of American and British influences, Capdevielle's work is characterised by his raucous voice. Many of his lyrics are based on anarchist and visionary concepts, with rhythms commonly seen in 1960s London and late 1970s New York club scenes.

Capdevielle was born on December 19, 1945. in Levallois-Perret, near Paris. He received his high school diploma when he was 15 years old, then went on to study medicine and law.

Following his studies, he worked as a journalist and a photographer for various French magazines including Salut les copains, Mademoiselle Age Tendre, SuperHebdo, Actuel (dedicated to counter-culture), and Lui or Paris Match. Following that, he became an artistic director and created a teen magazine, which he sold a short time later.

In the 1960s, he traveled to the United States and lived there for two years in a Volkswagen camper van. He also lived in London, where he met The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and he became a close friend of Eric Clapton.

In 1970, he settled in the Balearic Islands in Ibiza, where he devoted himself to painting and composing music. In 1978, Capdevielle received a gift of an electric guitar from a friend and began to write his first songs. This led to the recording of his first record, "Solitude", which was described as "Reggae in French" and was produced by Ketchup Music (a label owned by French/American artist William Sheller). This first record was moderately successful. When the record label later ceased operations, his initial success allowed him to sign a contract with CBS.