Born on March 16: Elliott Murphy, the American troubadour in love with France

He was born in 1949 in Rockville Centre, a small town in the state of New York with a predestined name for the author of Rock Ballad!

Very close to his parents who instilled their love of music in him, Elliott Murphy showed filial love throughout his career by dedicating a few touching songs to them such as Time Flies, On Elvis Presley Birthday, and Pneumonia Alley, about the disease that took his father when he was only 16.

Although he draws much of his inspiration from the depths of the culture of Uncle Sam's country and is also the author of the magnificent Just A Story From America (1977), Elliott has always been attracted by Old Europe. Barely out of adolescence, as a true modern-day troubadour, he visited the cities of the Old Continent with his brother Matthew in the late '60s. Together, they earned enough to continue their travels through impromptu performances on street corners. While passing through the Italian capital, Elliott, who was naturally blessed with a "handsome little love face", got a tiny role in Roma by Federico Fellini.

Since Aquashow, his very first recording in 1973, Elliott Murphy has never stopped filling the pages of his notebooks and transforming them into songs. Even though he has never gained mainstream recognition, the artist is still appreciated, sometimes even revered by his peers. For instance, Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) produced his album Milwaukee (1985). During his career, many have scrambled to lend him a hand here and there: Phil Collins, Sonny Landreth, David Johansen, Gene Parsons, Billy Joel, and his lifelong friend, Bruce Springsteen on backing vocals on Everything I Do Leads Me Back To You.

Almost unknown in his own country, the artist moved to Paris with his family in 1989 and formed a close relationship with guitarist Olivier Durand (Little Bob Story). In 2024, he even ventured into a touching duet in French (Tout va bien) with Cali after having already chosen the French language for two of his albums: les Beauregard and La terre commune.

He has also thus signed several books and short stories among which Poetic Justice stands out.

If you aren't familiar with Elliott Murphy's repertoire, here are a few entry points: A Touch Of Kindness and Not Enough Time from the album Coming Home Again (2007), Anastasia and Rock Ballad from Just A Story From America (1977) will then lead you to ask an obvious question. How could you have ignored such an artist for so long?

(MH with AK - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Elliott Murphy in the dressing room of Ancienne Belgique in Brussels (Belgium) before his concert on November 17, 1981