| Ferre Grignard | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Férré Grignard |
| Born | March 13, 1939 Antwerp |
| Origin | 'The Muze', Antwerp |
| Died | August 8, 1982 (aged 43) Antwerp |
| Genres | Blues, skiffle, folk |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, painter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1964–1978 |
| Labels | Fontana, Philips, Barclay, Major Minor, Disques Motors |
Ferre Grignard (13 March 1939 – 8 August 1982) was a Belgian skiffle-singer from Antwerp who surprised the world in 1965 with his international hits "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing" and "My Crucified Jesus".
Ferre Grignard renounced his middle-class origin and at the end of the 1950s he went to the Antwerp art academy. He was unsuccessful as a painter, but he could play the guitar and sing the blues and his performances in “De Muze”, a famous Antwerp jazz café, made him well-known in the Antwerp artists world.
The young generation accepted him as the first Belgian protest singer, because of his hippie-like appearance and the contents of his songs. In 1965 he performed at the first "Jazz-festival" at Bilzen. He was discovered by Hans Kusters (the same man who owned the record company HKM that's now producing the music of the Belgian band Clouseau). His "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing" and "My Crucified Jesus" conquered the world with their mixture of skiffle, folk music and blues. At the height of his career he even performed at the Paris Olympia. The Belgian artist George Smits was a member of Ferre Grignards band around that time.
After the ensuing international success, things started to go wrong. He went to live in a mansion, where he made music, painted and partied with the 20 friends who lived with him. He also refused to fill in his tax-forms, so after a while all royalties went directly to taxes. He neglected his career and was soon forgotten by his fans. A comeback in the seventies failed.
He died in Antwerp of throat cancer in 1982. At that time he was living on an attic without heating, surrounded with empty bottles. Ferre Grignard lies buried at the Schoonselhof cemetery, among many of Antwerp's most important citizens.
Albums
| Year | Title | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing | Fontana - 858 088 FPY |
| 1968 | Ferre Grignard | Philips - 12837 |
| 1969 | Captain Disaster | Barclay - 920 117 |
| 1972 | Ferre Grignard (1972) | Disques Motors - MT 44011 |
| 1978 | I Warned You | Philips - 6320 042 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing / Maureen | De Muze - S 50116 |
| 1966 | Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702 / Drunken Sailor | Philips - 319 880 |
| 1966 | My Crucified Jesus / She's Gone | Philips - 319 875 |
| 1966 | Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing / We Want War | Philips - 319870 bf |
| 1966 | Drunken Sailor / Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702 | Philips - 319 880 |
| 1967 | A Worried Man / Maureen | Philips - 319 892 |
| 1968 | Captain Disaster / Tell Me Now | Barclay - 60 956 |
| 1968 | La, Si, Do / Yellow You, Yellow Me | Barclay - 60 847 |
| 1968 | Yellow You, Yellow Me / Close Your Noses … If
La, Si, Do / Old Joe Clarck |
Barclay - 71 199 |
| 1969 | Close Your Noses … If / Old Joe Clarck | Barclay - 60 868 |
| 1969 | Yama, Yama, Hey / I Won't Have A Dance | Barclay - 61 044 |
| 1971 | Railroad Bill / Maybe Tomorrow | 6013 909 |
| 1972 | Lazy John / She's Back | Disques Motors - 4022 |
| 1973 | Knockin' Me Down / When I'm Down | Ssm - 001 |
| 1978 | I Warned You / All Right | Philips - 6021 095 |
Compilations
| Year | Title | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Best of Ferre Grignard | Philips - 845 5442 |
| 1997 | Het beste van Ferre Grignard | Polygram - 536 0332 |
| 2002 | Lost Tracks | Nijgh & Van Ditmar - 21311 |