François Hardy is 80 years old. The idol of the “sixties”, singer of an entire generation, was born on January 17, 1944. Like “all the boys and girls” of his age, time has passed, but the artist, in fragile health, keeps a special place in the hearts of the French. Love with Jacques Dutronc, masculine conquests, old age… Françoise Hardy confided at length, and with unstoppable freedom and lucidity, to Thierry Ardisson in “Everybody talks about it”, in 2004 – a program to be found on the INA ArdiTube website.
Françoise Hardy is a singer with sensitive lyrics, a big mouth and also an iconic couple with Jacques Dutronc. An atypical tandem. “He trained me for solitude. I was forced to accept a certain solitude, I took a liking to it because it corresponded to my deep nature,” explains the singer of Le Temps de l’amour. “Over time, the feeling evolves: we go from passion with all that implies of exclusivity and jealousy, to a very special and unique friendship.”
The artist also returns to the icon she was in the sixties. In 1964, Bob Dylan fell completely under her spell when he saw a photo of Françoise Hardy by William Klein on the cover of Vogue. Two years later, he is in Paris. “I wanted to go see him at the Olympia,” recalls Françoise Hardy. I was in Monaco and I ended up going there. During the first game, he was not in his best form. At intermission, he didn’t want to come back on stage unless I went to his dressing room. I went there. I was terrified. It was a kind of vampire, yellow, with very long nails. They never saw each other again. Without regret. “I prefer that he stays with the fantasy of the photo of my twenties than the ruin that I have become.” Before the singer of Ma jeunesse fout camp (1967) concludes: “I sing like a foot. Worse, I sing worse than a foot.”
An extract to discover:
