Patrick Bruel, whose real name is Patrick Benguigui, is a French singer-songwriter whose pseudonym Bruel actually comes from one of his favorite singers, namely… Jacques Brel !
It was playing GO at Club Med during his early youth that he made his first debut on stage. In terms of studies, even if he attended some of the most prestigious high schools like Henry IV, that did not prevent him from missing his baccalaureate. His path will therefore be quite different. This path, he will find it during a concert by Michel Sardou which he attends : he will be an artist or he will not be !
It was not until the year 1978 that his fate finally changed. Indeed, disappointed not to have received a response to a casting that appeared in France-Soir, he was about to go to Mexico for Club Med when he received a call from Alexandre Arcady. A call that will turn his life upside down since the latter offers him a role in Le coup de Sirocco, a film whose stars are none other than Roger Hanin and Marthe Villalonga.
A resounding debut that he manages, despite his young age, calmly when he decides to leave shortly after for the United States to take a step back. Another providential encounter there when he crosses paths with Gérard Presgurvic with whom he will subsequently achieve wonders.
Return to France later, passage of the BAC as a free candidate and course in Economics at the Faculty in the wake. The early 1980s saw him play in the play Charimari. He also started singing and even released a first single “Vide”. Without success.
On the cinema side, business is resuming with films such as "Les diplômés du dernier rang" and "Le grand carnaval". He will also narrowly miss the role of Philippe Berthier, Vic's lover in the Boom 2.
On the song side, things suddenly accelerated when the single "Mare de cette nana là" was released in 1984. A song written by a certain… Gérard Presgurvic, the same one met a few years earlier in the United States. The song is a real success and propels the young singer on the front of the stage.
He did it again later in 1985 with the title “Comment ça va pour vous”, which became his first classified title. He also starred in the film P.R.O.F.S which was to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year.
The year 1986 saw the release of his first album "De face". The album has had some success, but nothing more. A first album which nevertheless opened the doors to Olympia for him. On the cinema side, this time he is filming in Gérard Lautner's film "La maison assassinée".
Not much in 1987 other than the release of the single "Tout l'monde peut s'tromper" which will go relatively unnoticed. A lean period that will last until 1989.
1989, a year when everything will change and which will prove to be exceptional for the artist. The album "Alors regarde that came out that year was going to be a hit and literally explode its notoriety. In particular thanks to the title “Casser la voix” which came out the same year and which became an enormous success. Success that even transcends the borders of France.
"J'te l'dit quand même", "Alors regarde", still from the same album, came out in 1990. The level of success is almost equivalent to their predecessor. The artist becomes a real phenomenon. Fan appeal for the artist is starting to turn into mass hysteria.
The album produced two more singles, "Place des grands hommes" and "Décalé". And once again, the singles have impressive sales scores. The album will have produced 5 top hits in the end, a real feat !
On the film side, he also succeeds with two leading roles, one in "L’union sacrée" and the other "Force majeure".
It was in 1991 that he achieved the biggest success of his single career with the track "Qui a le droit", from the live album "Si ce soir".
Yet at the height of success, the following years will mark a pause in the artist's meteoric rise. Not much on the song side, even failures on the cinema side until 1994.
Back in force that year with the album "Bruel", which contrasts radically on the sound side with the previous albums. Album from which will be extracted mainly “Bouge !" and "Combien de murs" which will be the biggest success. Two other singles will be extracted from it but will go almost unnoticed.
The end of the decade will be spent mainly in the cinema with films like "The Jaguar" or "K" once again with Alexandre Arcady. The end of the decade was the opposite of its start, meaning much calmer, as Bruelmania had calmed down considerably.
But the story does not end there, far from it. Because the turn of the millennium will have many beautiful surprises in store for him. To be continued ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Vide 1982
Marre de cette nana là 1984
Comment ça va pour vous 1985
Non j’veux pas 1986
J'roule vers toi 1986
Tout le monde peut s’tromper 1986
Musique vieille 1987
Casser la voix 1989
J’te l’dis quand même 1989
Alors regarde 1989
Place des grands hommes 1990
Décalé 1991
Qui a le droit 1991
Bouge 1994
Combien de murs… 1994
Pars pas 1994
J'suis quand même là 1995
J’te mentirais 1999
Pour la vie 2000
Au café des délices 2000
Tout s'efface 2000
Mon amant de Saint Jean 2002
La complainte de la Butte 2002
Ménilmontant 2002
J'm'attendais pas à toi 2006
Lequel de nous 2012
She's gone 2012
Maux d'enfants 2013
Dans ces moments là 2013
Corsica 2015
Tout recommencer 2018
Pas eu le temps 2018
Stand up 2019
Tous les deux 2019
Clips :
1982...the very first steps of a little youngster who doesn't look like much. Who would imagine for a single second that he will become one of the greatest singers of the next 30 years on the French side, not many people, that's for sure...
1984...from the 2nd title it's the jackpot. He delivers here a title that will hit the mark and above all will launch his career in a dazzling way !
1985 ... one would have thought that little Patrick was going to pass like a shooting star in the French musical landscape of the 80s. It was without counting on a talent who will prove to be one of the very best of his generation !
1986 ... the singer confirms title after title that he is surely not there to make only some figuration. After 2 huge Dance titles which revealed him in a shattering way, he continues his little way quietly, but surely ...
1986...paradoxically, he will not be able to confirm all the good that we think of him during this year 1986 with the key to a slight air hole. But don't worry about him, the rest is going to be great...
1986 ... we feel that little Patrick is evolving, both physically and in terms of sound. Always so euphoric but in a more adult register ...
1987 ... the metamorphosis is amplified with more and more incursions into the Intimist register. A register in which he will show truly extraordinary skills compared to the competition ...
1989 ... Bruel Season II. There is the young and carefree Bruel before this title and the Bruel after. An absolutely pivotal title in his career and which will propel him into spheres of recognition and glory that we could never have imagined ...
1989 ... an absolutely exceptional year for the artist who made him one of the biggest phenomena of the moment on the French side. A phenomenon that has only just begun ...
1989 ... yet another title that will remain among its most emblematic. An absolutely incredible level of inspiration that produces top hits after top hits. Everything he touches now immediately turns to gold !
1990 ... and what about this one ! He begins the new decade with an extremely light and airy title that perfectly sums up his time. MAS-TER-FUL !
1991 ... here he arrived in Bossa-Nova mode, the total big difference with his previous title, to say the least. And why not...
1991 ... here he signs a new title of great beauty in the Intimist register after "Casser la voix". Another title with extraordinary inspiration, one more !
1994 ... a decade of 90 which will have seen him seek several times, in particular in terms of style. On this one, he tries the 100 % rock experience. Why not but is it really a domain made for him, not on ...
1994 ... on the other hand, what is certain is that in the Intimist register, he excels and has always done so. The proof with this new title. A know-how among the best of its generation, it is undeniable !
1994...some titles will pass somewhat 'through'. Of the 3 titles released in 1994, this one only had a very limited level of success. And yes, it can happen to him...
1995...as much as the beginning of the 90s saw him smash everything, the end of it will see him return to the ground in a violent way to say the least. Can and must do better !
1999...a decade of the 90s which ended on a high note with this sumptuous new title. Once again gently and delicately. And the adventure is far from over. See you next decade !
2000...the 90s will have seen him experience very highs and a few lows. It now remains to be seen what this new decade of the 2000s has in store for him. The least we can say is that this decade has gotten off to a very, very good start !
2000...the beginnings of the decade were particularly successful for him, it is clear. He will have smashed everything at the start of the 90s and he is doing it again at the start of the 2000s. What a talent !
2000...a year 2000 where everything succeeded for him since he obtained a 3rd big-caliber success here. We were afraid at the end of the 90s that the adventure would end there, but it was very bad to know him...
2002... who could have imagined that he was going to make such a success by covering this title of Lucienne Delyle dating from 1942 ?! No one would have dared but he did it and above all succeeded in this impossible bet to say the least !
2002...this time he covers the song by Cora Vaucaire dating from 1955. All in duet mode and not with just anyone since it is Francis Cabrel that he has chosen as a partner...
2002...this time he covers Charles Trenet dating from 1938, all in the company of another sacred monster of French song, namely Charles Aznavour. The clash of generations !
2006... he will disappear from the radar for nearly 4 years and here he is back in this year 2006 in a form that we will qualify as relative. Relative because it will be his last title of the decade...
2012...he will take 6 years to come back and this time the beginning of the 2010 decade will not be as prosperous as its other beginnings of the decade. Times are getting harder and harder...
2012...a year 2012 that sees him really struggling. He will have to reinvent himself and quickly, otherwise the final exit door may present himself much faster than expected...
2013...no major upturn in 2013. It must be said that his career is already 30 years old and it is increasingly difficult for him to exist at the highest level in the face of the young generation who have on average half his age...
2013... so will the 2010 decade be the decade of too much, only the future will tell us. What is certain is that the singer is really struggling at the start of the decade...
2015...it's this duo that will put him back in the race in an unexpected way to say the least. It must be said that pushing the song with Patrick Fiori on one of the most famous titles of Corsican culture could only produce a title of more certain quality...
2018...definitely, during this decade, nothing happens as usual. He will know his greatest successes at the end of the 2010 decade when usually the end of the decade was not really favorable to him...
2018...a great year 2018 which sees him return to the front of the stage in an unexpected way to say the least. But you have to know that with him nothing is ever over, that's for sure...
2019...a very last year of a decade that sees him once again disappear from the radar. A career increasingly marked by the yo-yo effect...
2019...now remains to be seen whether this title will be one of his very last or not. Will we see him again next decade, only the future can answer this question...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :