Born on 24 April: Véronique Sanson, victory of emotions

It was on 24th April 1949 that Véronique Sanson was born, into a family of music lovers who chose to give their two daughters names starting with the letter V, the symbol of victory during those post-war years.

She played her first scales on the piano before being sent to a Scottish boarding school, her parents hoping to calm her fiery temperament. She graduated with her baccalaureate and returned to France where she quickly performed in a few bands. She wanted to make music her life, sharing this feeling with her partner, Michel Berger. So, she worked tirelessly, waiting for her lucky star.

In 1972, she released her first album, produced by Michel Berger. It was an immediate success for "Amoureuse" and particularly its track "Besoin de personne". France was charmed by her original lyrics, sung in front of her eternal piano. A second album followed soon after entitled "De l’autre côté de mon rêve". It included some of her most famous hits, such as "Chanson sur ma drôle de vie", which found a second life with the release of the film "Tout ce qui brille" in 2010.

While her lucky star was now watching over her career, the singer's love life was more tumultuous. In 1973, she told her partner she was going to buy cigarettes but actually flew to New York to meet the musician Stephen Stills. An escape in the form of a one-way ticket that lasted a few years. Settling with her husband on a ranch, she gave birth to their son as well as a new album, with more rock sounds. The public hadn't forgotten about her, and her lyrics, often filled with regrets about her sudden breakup with Michel Berger, touched her fans.

After a long divorce, she returned to France in 1983 and took the time to heal her wounds. Four years later, a new album assured her of her fans' affection, no matter how long she took. Albums followed with a few years' gap, each time featuring tracks that resembled chapters of her life, like "Sans regrets" (1992), "Indestructible" (1998), or "Longue distance" (2004).

In 2016, she released her fifteenth studio album and, three years later, despite health issues, celebrated her 70th birthday on stage, a place where she always felt alive. "Sa drôle de vie" continued on stage in 2025 and her audience, as always, was there.

On tour:

14th June: Zénith Plein Air - Nancy (France) with Jean-Louis Aubert

10th July: Francofolies - La Rochelle (France)

20th July: Francofolies - Spa (Belgium)

And throughout France in the autumn

Photo: Véronique Sanson on stage at the Cirque Royal in Brussels (Belgium) on March 3, 1984