List of products by artist Renée LEBAS
Renée Lebas, after working in a variety of professions (typist, dancer, journalist), won a radio contest on Radio Cité in 1937. She started out as a performer at the La Conga cabaret on rue La Fontaine, where she met Raymond Asso, one of Edith Piaf's songwriters (Mon Légionnaire c'est lui!).
She recorded her first album in 1939 and signed a contract with Pathé in May 1940. But by June the Germans were in Paris. Prohibited by the occupying forces, she continued to perform in the free zone, recording a number of songs that would leave their mark on her repertoire, but ended up in exile in Lausanne, Switzerland.
After the Liberation, she returned to France and was one of the first to record an album in Paris studios. She performed at the ABC, and in 1946 followed this up with Théâtre de l'Etoile, followed by L'Européen, l'Alhambra and Bobino.
In the vein of Jacqueline François (her worst enemy), she enjoyed a brilliant career as a performer until 1963, singing the early works of Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour, Léo Ferré, Jacques Brel , Francis Carco, Francis Lemarque and Boris Vian.
She recorded Michel Emer and Pierre Dorsey's Trois fois merci, but it failed to live up to expectations, although Jacqueline François made it a hit shortly afterwards! She gave her last concert in 1963 and decided to devote herself to producing up-and-coming singers and musicians such as Regine, Serge Lama, Maurice Vander (under the name Steve Anderson, accompanied by Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke) and others.
His production company also distributed TV series, notably in Germany.
In the 1990's, a young man with a passion for the music of that era came across his path and sought out and restored these wartime recordings.
This young man is none other than Jérôme F. Collet, and thanks to him, this heritage exists once again.
They remained friends until his death at the age of 102.