Cardinal, about one of France's most popular artist...

Dear comrades,

I am Cardinal, 17 years old. 

I am in final year of high school in literature.

I think it's because I like reading about history, poetry, and listening to music for the lyrics.

I chose the name « Cardinal » because it's the goalkepper of Nice, my favorite football team.

I'd like to speak to you about a great icon of French history, humorist and French comedian of italian origin.

You have understood, I'm talking about Coluche.

He was born in 1944, at the end of the Second World war; his father was italian, and Italy was an enemy country during the war.

Michel Colucci grew up in Montrouge in the south of  Paris. 

In 1947 his father died, so the future Coluche lived with his mother, Simone Bouyer (Monette).

He had a difficult childhood, he stopped school early and he multiplied bad behaviour actions. He had problems with the police. 

During his youth he wandered several years and started a musical career singing songs of Brassens, Bobby Lapointe, Boris Vian, Léo Ferré, Charles Trenet and Yves Montand in a Parisian café. 

His humouristic career began in the « Café de la Gare », a comedy club where he met with success. Coluche had problems with alcohol, he was violent according to Romain Bouteille. Michel left his troop and continued alone.

His first sketch in 1973, had a big success, « C'est l'histoire d'un mec » tells the story of a guy of the french society, with an interesting background. 

He performed one month at the Olympia in 1974. He was putting on a show persons who are hateful and unrefined. 

Coluche appeared for the first time on television with François Mitterand.

Between 1975 and 1980, he worked for radios like RMC or Europe 1 in 1978, but he was always excessive. 

During these 5 years his popularity increased.

Coluche President of France :

In 1980 Coluche announced, his official engagement into the presidential election, one year later. You can see in the Hara-Kiri newspaper his picture for his candidacy.

He proposed funny slogans like «Avant moi, la France était coupée en deux. Maintenant elle sera pliée en quatre» or « Coluche, le seul candidat qui n'a pas de raison de mentir».

There were intellectuals like Pierre Bourdieu or Gille Deleuze who supported the candidacy of Coluche, a big joke for some . 

He caused problems in the political environment and Mitterand (who was the favourite candidate for president) asked  him of cancel his candidacy.

He finally retired in 1981.

After the election of Francois Mitterand, the same year, Coluche was not good, he divorced  his wife and he  left for Guadeloupe. 

He invited the wife of his best friend Patrick Deweare, in his house, she accepted, after a photo in Hara-kiri  (the ancestor of Charlie Hebdo)with a gun. He gave the rifle to Patrick Deweare who committed suicide shortly after, with it.

He was really sad and refused many roles, he relapsed into alcohol and drugs. 

2 years later, Coluche returned on the front of the scene in 1983, with the movie « Tchao Pantin » , in which he played the dramatic role of a man bruised by a painful past, not so different from his life. He obtained the Cesar Award for best actor in 1984.

He was engaged in politics and he participated in an other tv show,  « Droit de réponse », animated by Michel Polac. 

In 1985 after a good year for him, with some movies like Le bon roi Dagobert or Les rois du gag (1984). He comforted his notoriety. 

You can see a really funny video on Youtube, with the presentator Sabatier in the « Jeu de la vérité » a television game, where the personnality could answer  the questions of the public.

Coluche organized a lot of gags during three years, the most famous is maybe when he organized a gigantic hoax on September 1985 relayed by the media, the mariage between him and Thierry le Luron « for the better and for laughter »

The clown had passions like motorcycling, he beat the world record of speeding in 1985, just after finishing the Paris-Dakar. Amazing when you know the end !! 

Afterwards, Michel left for the south to prepare his last show in theZenith.

He had put an end to his cinema career.

In addition, the same year Coluche spoke of the « restaurant du coeur » on Europe 1, the project was launched and the first restaurant opened on september. 

 This big man did not usually drag, in motorcycle or in life he was always straight to his objective.

June 19, 1986, Coluche died in a motorcycle accident, he crashed on a truck, near to his villa. I invite you to go seeing this INA video about his death :

The circumstances surrounding this accident will lead to several rumors of murdered ! WHAT ABOUT YOU ?

After his death, he received many tributes like « putain de camion » by Renaud, or « Ma gueule ? » by Mr R.

Many personalities respect a man who was maybe excessive but with a big heart !

  To finish, Coluche is today an idol for many persons, he is 5th on the list of french personality. We keep a good memory of him, even if during his life, he met much of opposition !

THANK YOU