Paul Personne

Born in Argenteuil (Val d'Oise) on December 27, 1949, René-Paul Roux, better known under the pseudonym Paul Personne, has renewed interest in French blues, combined with public success. He began by taking up the drums, before opting for the guitar and forming groups such as Les Douglas and L'Origine, which recorded a single for Pathé-Marconi in 1969. After a detour into the theater, the musician returned to music and signed a first solo single released in England in 1973, then bounced back with the blues group Bracos Band in 1977, followed by Backstage, which produced two albums sung in English for Vogue. He went solo under the name Paul Personne with a homonymous debut album for CBS in 1983, followed by Exclusif for Philips the following year. The 1984 release of the mini-album Barjo Land was accompanied by three concerts at the Olympia (Paris), followed by the collection 24/24 (1985) and four years of trying to win back the public. Back in 1989 with La Chance, Paul Personne was awarded the Bus d'acier two years later, and consolidated his audience with the gold-record albums Comme à la Maison (1992) and Rêve Sidéral d'un Naïf Idéal (1994), followed by Instantanés (1996), featuring guests Jean-Louis Aubert and actor Richard Bohringer, and Patchwork Électrique (2000), produced with international accompanists. Representing a French-language blues open to a variety of folk, country and rock influences, the guitarist and singer makes regular appearances on record and in concert. Demain Il F'ra Beau (2003) was followed by Coup d'Blues the same year, and the involvement of his son Jérémy. He teamed up with Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine for Amicalement Blues (2007), followed by the electric and acoustic diptych Personne à l'Ouest (2011), Puzzle 14 (2014) and Lost in Paris Blues Band (2016), featuring Robben Ford, Ron Thal and Beverly Jo Scott. After Funambule (Tentative de Survie en Milieu Hostile) in 2019, the cover versions Dédicaces (My Spécial Personnelles Covers), Vol. I & II will be released in 2023.

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