Photo: Licio D'Aloisio / Reporters Associati & Archivi / Mondadori / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Gilbert Bécaud is someone I think of as pure French showmanship. Nicknamed Monsieur 100,000 Volts for his electric stage energy, he was a singer, composer and pianist whose songs traveled far beyond France. Et maintenant became What Now My Love in English, and Nathalie remains a classic, so his reach genuinely impresses me. The Legion of Honour and the Arts and Letters honors confirm how seriously his homeland regarded him. He passed in 2001, but to me that catalogue still feels alive. I love that he wasn't just a crooner but a real composer, shaping melodies that other artists kept reinterpreting for decades.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Gilbert Bécaud
- Name (Japanese)
- ジルベール・ベコー
- Reading
- じるべーる・べこー
- Born
- October 24, 1927 – December 18, 2001
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rabbit
- Origin
- Toulon, Var, France
- Occupation
- composer / pianist / singer / actor / singer-songwriter
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Legion of Honour
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 1973 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Order of La Pléiade
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Roza | — | |
| Notable work | L'important c'est la rose | — | |
| Notable work | What Now My Love | — | |
| Notable work | Nathalie | — | |
| Notable work | Mes mains | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Gilbert Bécaud born?
October 24, 1927 – December 18, 2001.
Where is Gilbert Bécaud from?
Gilbert Bécaud is from Toulon, Var, France.
What does Gilbert Bécaud do?
Gilbert Bécaud works as composer, pianist, singer, actor, singer-songwriter.
What is Gilbert Bécaud known for?
Notable works include Roza, L'important c'est la rose, What Now My Love.
Composer — see all → · Pianist — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.