Bob
Have a question related to this hub?
Alice
Got something to say related to this hub?
Share it here.
Alexandre "Sacha" Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004) was a French musician and singer who had hits with a cover version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in 1970, which reached No. 10 on the UK charts,[1][2] "Scoubidou", and "The Good Life". He was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997.[3] He had also scored a hit as a songwriter when Tony Bennett recorded "The Good Life" in 1963. It peaked at No. 18 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and reached the top 10 of the Easy Listening chart.
Distel was the son of Russian-French émigré Léonide Distel who was born in Odesa, Ukraine and French-Jewish pianist Andrée Ventura (1902–1965), born in Constantinople.[4] His uncle was bandleader Ray Ventura.[5] After Ventura settled in Paris with his orchestra Les Collégiens, Distel gave up piano and switched to guitar.[6]
During his career, Distel worked with Kenny Clarke, Jimmy Gourley, Lionel Hampton, Slide Hampton, Bobby Jaspar, Barney Kessel, John Lewis, Pierre Michelot, Bernard Peiffer, Henri Renaud, Fats Sadi, Art Simmons, Martial Solal, René Urtreger, and Barney Wilen.[7]
As well as his musical career he also did some acting, primarily on French television. He had a cameo appearance in the 1960 film Zazie dans le Métro. He appeared in "Fallen Angels" by Noel Coward on British television in 1974.
After Brigitte Bardot accepted Distel's invitation to his birthday party in Saint-Tropez in 1958, the two began a much-publicized relationship that lasted until 1959. [8] In 1963, he married champion Olympic skier Francine Bréaud.[8] Distel publicly stated that he remained faithful to his wife: "Anything I want in a woman I can get at home."[8]
Distel died of cancer at the age of 71 on 22 July 2004 at his mother-in-law's home in Rayol-Canadel, near Saint-Tropez, France.[9]
