Françoise Hardy was a French singer, actress, and model whose penchant for thoughtful ballads made her a star of the 1960s.
- Died: June 11, 2024 (Who else died on June 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Paris of laryngeal cancer at the age of 80.
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Françoise Hardy’s legacy
Born in Paris, Françoise Hardy developed an interest in crafting music at an early age, fueled in part when she was gifted a guitar by her father. By her teens, she had begun writing her own melodies. She initially studied at the Paris Institute of Political Studies but switched to the University of Paris before her passion for music led her to pursue a career in entertainment.
Hardy’s musical career began in earnest in the early 1960s. Her debut EP, released in 1962, quickly catapulted the teen to fame on the strength of the ballad, “Tous les garçons et les filles,” which spent 15 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the French charts. The song sold over two million copies and became a defining anthem of the yé-yé movement, a style of pop music that emerged in France during the era.
She became an international star throughout the decade to come, enjoying a slew of top-10 hits in France, Germany, Canada, Spain, Belgium, and beyond. Other notable Hardy songs include “Le Premier Bonheur du jour” (1963), “Mon amie la rose” (1964), and “La Question” (1971). She continued to release music well into the 2000s, with albums like “Tant de belles choses” (2004) and “L’amour fou” (2012) receiving critical acclaim.
In addition to her music career, Hardy also made a name for herself as an actress and model. She appeared in several films, including “Grand Prix” (1966) and “What’s New Pussycat?” (1965), and for a time was a fashion icon, gracing magazine covers and working with designers like André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne.
Hardy married French singer-songwriter Jacques Dutronc in 1981. The couple has one son, Thomas Dutronc, who is also a musician. She was diagnosed with MALT lymphoma in 2004 and battled it in her remaining 20 years. In 2021, she became a public advocate of legalizing physician-assisted suicide in France.
Tributes to Françoise Hardy
Full obituary: Variety
