Tribute to Vline Buggy, lyricist of Claude François

Vline Buggy, who has just passed away at the age of 97, dedicated a book in 2018 to Claude François, I think about it and then I forget (The Archipelago). For Le Figaro she returned to the tragic fate of the “young singer from Ismailia” who came to knock on her door to ask her to write him a song: “On the evening of October 14, 1962, a little blond came into my life never to leave again...”.

She therefore concocted for Claude François the cult song Belles!, Belles!, Belles!. Vline Buggy, her favorite lyricist, who has just passed away, wanted to pay tribute to her in 2018 for the forty-year anniversary of her death, which occurred on March 11, 1978. At her home, she spoke to us with verve about a “generous, talented, capricious” artist with whom she lived “a beautiful story, quite simply”.

LE FIGARO. - How was your first meeting with Claude François?

VLine BUGGY. - Claude, who was still unknown, called me one day on the advice of his artistic director, Jean-Jacques Tilté. I arranged to meet him at my house, and he arrived four hours late. He will never be on time, not that night, not ever. I remember this first meeting as if it were yesterday. Claude seemed shy but he already possessed the charm that would later make him famous.

How did the ice break between you and this shy young man?

He must have felt confident because he confided in the new man in my life, Alain, and in me. He recounted his childhood in Egypt: the hasty departure from his country of childhood after the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Nasser, the difficult installation in France of his family. He also spoke to us about his vocation as an artist. Finally, the crucial moment in his life when his father, Aimé François, understood that his son only wanted one thing: to become a musician. Its preamble in the form of a confession is unforgettable.

You still ended up talking about song...

Of course. He came to meet me to talk about my adaptation of Made To Love by the Everly Brothers. I still laugh at his introduction: “I love the song but I don’t really like the text!” My response, amused, also came: “It’s a shame, I only wrote that!” Claude’s intuition and frankness still appealed to the lyricist that I am. The next day, I submitted to him the text of Belles, Belles, Belles. The idea immediately excited him. He will reserve the punctuation and the famous exclamation points for himself. Our musical story could begin.

After Belles!, Belles!, Belles! , begins a formidable musical saga with Clo-Clo which will continue with Marche tout straight, Si j'had un hammer... How, with hindsight, do you explain your amazing professional complicity?

Beyond his incredible sense of the profession, Claude and I had experienced the same sorrows. He had just lost his father, I had lost my little sister (Evelyne Yvonne Konyn died on April 14, 1962 at age 35, Editor's note). We were never so painfully separated from our spouses. It creates invisible but strong bonds. Despite these misfortunes, we will write together Me, I would like to get married... but not before thirty years!” It's curious, isn't it?

Many observers today speak of a detestable Claude François in his professional and intimate life. You who knew him very well, is this consistent with reality?

He was a damn character but we were all crazy about him. It is true that in 1967, faced with his interventionist ways, I had to slam the door to show him that I had the strength to confront him. One day I will even go so far as to throw records in his face. Ultimately, all things considered, he respected you. He was like this: temperamental, hardworking perfectionist, intelligent, gifted and then obviously hypersensitive and elegant. We will part ways professionally for a while, it’s true. However, the affection we have for each other will remain intact. In fact, Claude, we could only love him.