Biography of the F.R.

David
F. R. David (born Elli Robert Fitoussi David, 1 January 1947, Menzel
Bourguiba, Tunisia) is a Tunisian-born French singer, best known for his 1982 hit
single "Words (Don't Come Easy)".
Career
F. R. David began his career as Robert Fitoussi, singer-songwriter and guitarist
with French garage band Les Trfles. After one E.P., they mutated into Les
Boots, but achieved very little commercial success. Adopting his new stage
name, he went solo in 1967 and recorded some orchestral pop psych with
Michel Colombier, including a version of The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields
Forever" (Il Est Plus Facile). He enjoyed minor hits with the ric Charden penned
"Symphonie" and a cover of The Bee Gees' "Sir Geoffrey Saved the World", but
this success did not last.
During the early 1970s, he formed the progressive rock group David Explosion
but their one album was not a success. He worked with Vangelis for a while,
appearing as vocalist on some of his early 1970s albums, and then joined
French rock band Les Variations, appearing on their final album Caf De
Paris (1975), which featured an early rock-disco crossover "Superman,
Superman". When the band broke up, he went solo again. His personal
"trademarks" are his sunglasses and his guitar (a white Fender Stratocaster).
His most recognised song was his hit "Words" in 1982, which sold eight million
records worldwide, topped various charts around Europe in late 1982, and
reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart[1] in spring 1983, whitewashing a rival
version by 1960s hitmakers The Tremeloes, and going on to becoming the 22nd
best-selling single in the UK during 1983. The song is a catchy, slightly plaintive
synth-led mid-tempo ballad sung in a slender, high-pitched voice. F. R. David's
voice is also heard on the 1974 45rpm single "Who" by Vangelis under the
name 'Odyssey'.
In 1983, Thomas Anders covered F. R. David's song "Pick Up the Phone" in
German. In 2007 Mr. Oizo of Ed Banger Records sampled the song "Don't Go"
on his song "First Love", which features singer Uffie.
During the 1990s he took time out from his own music career and focused on
writing and composing for other well known artists. F. R. David released another
album Words - '99 Version in 2000 which contained mostly covers. In 2009 he
released the album Numbers, which was in collaboration with other musicians
and featured songs that F. R. David himself most preferred. [2]
Between 2010 to 2011, he went on a national French tour of 52 concerts

Village People biography

The Village People from New York City, USA, were a concept before they were a
group. The brainchild of French record producer Jacques Morali (d. 15
November 1991, Paris, France), the troupe was assembled in 1977. Morali, who
had been enjoying great success on the disco charts with the Ritchie Family,
intended to create a camp rock 'n' roll/dance act that would flaunt homosexual
stereotypes yet appeal to gays. Before even constructing his dream
group, Morali secured a recording contract with Casablanca Records, then
riding high with a string of smash disco hits by Donna Summer. Morali'sfirst
recruit was Felipe Rose, a go-go dancer who was dressed in an American Indian
costume when spotted by the entrepreneur. Morali and business partner
Henri Belolo then hired songwriters Phil Hurtt and Peter Whitehead to compose
songs hinting at gay themes before filling out the group with
Alexander Briley (b. Harlem, New York City, New York, USA), Randy Jones (b. 13
September 1952), David Hodo (b. San Andreas, California, USA), Glenn Hughes
(b. 18 July 1950, New York City, New York, USA, d. 4 March 2001, USA) and lead
singer Victor Willis.
Each member of the group was outfitted to cash in on the homosexual "macho"
stereotyping; in addition to the American Indian (Rose) there was a cowboy
(Jones), a policeman (Willis), a hard-hat construction worker (Hodo), a biker
(Hughes) and a G.I. (Briley). The group first charted in the UK with the Top 50
single, "San Francisco (You've Got Me)" in 1977, but their first major US hit was
the Top 30 "Macho Man" in 1978, followed by two international hits,
"Y.M.C.A." (UK number 1/US number 2) and "In The Navy" (UK number 2/US
number 3). Although homosexuals did embrace the group at first, they tired of
it as the mainstream audience picked up on the Village People. In the UK their
success continued with the Top 20 singles, "Go West" (1979) and "Can't Stop
The Music" (1980). The latter was the theme song to an ill-timed film excursion.
Willis had quit the group two days before filming began and was replaced by
Ray Simpson (b. the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA). With anti-disco fever
prevalent in the USA, the failure of the critically panned movie virtually killed
off the group's chart career.
Attempts to resurface with new personnel (Miles Jaye and Jeff Olson replacing
Simpson and Jones) and new styles (including a stint as Spandau Ballet-like
"New Romantics") did not aid their sagging fortunes. They briefly graced
the UK charts in 1985 with the lewd "Sex Over The Phone". Jaye was
subsequently signed to Teddy Pendergrass' Top Priority label as a solo artist,
before achieving success with Island Records on the US R&B singles chart in
the late 80s. Simpson, Rose, Hodo, Hughes, Briley and Olson re-formed the
group in the late 80s, establishing Sixuvus Ltd. to control their own interests
and continuing to earn a tidy living on the live circuit. They also enjoyed a
surprise hit in Australia in 1990 with the single "Living In The Wildlife". Their
former svengali Morali died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991. In 1995, an ill
Hughes dropped out of performing, but was present to help the group celebrate
their
20th
anniversary
two
years
later.
He
was
replaced
by
EricAnzalone (b. Dayton, Ohio, USA), and died of lung cancer in March 2001.

Biography of the Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in
1985. The classic lineup, as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of
vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin,
bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The current lineup consists
of Rose, Slash, McKagan, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese,
guitarist Richard Fortusand drummer Frank Ferrer. The band has released six
studio albums, accumulating sales of more than 100 million records worldwide,
including shipments of 45 million in the United States, making Guns N' Roses
one of the world's best-selling bands of all time.
Guns N' Roses' debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987), reached number
one on the Billboard 200 a year after its release, on the strength of "Sweet
Child o' Mine", the group's only single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot
100. The album has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide, including
18 million units in the United States, making it the best-selling debut album of
all time in the US, as well as the eleventh best-selling album in the United
States. The success of the debut was followed by the eight-song album G N' R
Lies (1988) which reached number two on the Billboard 200. The twin
albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II (1991) debuted at number
two and number one on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 35 million
copies worldwide, including 14 million units in the United States. The cover
album "The Spaghetti Incident?" (1993) was the band's last studio album to
feature Slash and McKagan.
After more than a decade of work and several lineup changes, Guns N' Roses
released the long-awaited album Chinese Democracy(2008) which, at an
estimated $14 million in production costs, is the most expensive rock album to
ever be produced in music history. It debuted at number three on
the Billboard 200 but undersold industry expectations, despite mostly positive
critical reception. Classic era members Slash and McKagan both rejoined the
band in 2016.
Guns N' Roses has been credited with reviving the mainstream popularity of
rock music, at a time when popular music was dominated by dance
music and glam metal. Its late 1980s and early 1990s years have been
described as the period in which the group brought forth a "hedonistic
rebelliousness" reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones, a reputation that had
earned the group the nickname "the most dangerous band in the world". The
band's classic lineup, along with later members Reed and drummer Matt
Sorum, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, in its first
year of eligibility.