Ferre Grignard
Ferre Grignard | |
|---|---|
Grignard (1966) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Fernand Grignard 13 March 1939 Antwerp, Belgium |
| Origin | 'The Muze', Antwerp |
| Died | 8 August 1982 (aged 43) Antwerp |
| Genres | Blues, skiffle, folk |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, painter |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1958–1980 |
| Labels | Fontana, Philips, Barclay, Major Minor, Disques Motors |
Ferre Grignard (13 March 1939 – 8 August 1982) was a Belgian skiffle-singer from Antwerp, Belgium. He had success with a number of songs, such as "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing", "Yama, Yama, Hey", and "My Crucified Jesus".
Biography
Ferre Grignard was born in Antwerp in 1939. He learned to play the harmonica and guitar when he was young. At the end of the 1950s, he went to an Antwerp art academy where he formed a skiffle group.[1] He was unsuccessful as a painter, but he could play the guitar and sing the blues and his performances in "De Muze", an Antwerp jazz café, made him well known in the Antwerp artists' world. He went to the United States for a time but was expelled for being an anarchist.[2]
The young generation accepted him as the first Belgian protest singer, because of his hippie-like appearance and the content of his songs. In 1965 he performed at the first "Jazz-festival" at Bilzen. He was discovered by Hans Kusters (who owned the record company HKM).[2] His first single "Ring Ring, I've Got to Sing" was released and charted in Belgium and the Netherlands.[3][4] Other songs such as "Yama, Yama, Hey", "Drunken Sailor", "My Crucified Jesus" also charted with their mixture of skiffle, folk music and blues.[5][6] At the height of his career he performed at the Paris Olympia. The Belgian artist George Smits was a member of Ferre Grignard's band around that time.
After the ensuing international success, things started to go wrong. He went to live in a mansion, where he made music, painted and partied with the 20 friends who lived with him. He also refused to fill in his tax-forms, so he was ordered to pay the taxes and large part of the royalties from his music went directly to taxes.[2] He neglected his career and was soon forgotten by his fans. A comeback in the 1970s failed.
He died in Antwerp of throat cancer in 1982. At that time he was living in an attic without heating, surrounded by empty bottles. Grignard was buried at the Schoonselhof cemetery, among many of Antwerp's most notable citizens.[7]
Discography
|
|
| Date | A-side | B-side | Label | Cat. No. | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing" | "Maureen" | De Muze | S 50116 | Non-album Single |
| Mar 1966 | "Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing" | "We Want War" | Philips | 319 870 BF | Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing |
| Jul 1966 | "She's Gone" | "My Crucified Jesus" | Philips | 319 875 BF | |
| Oct 1966 | "Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702" | "Drunken Sailor" | Philips | 319 880 BF | |
| Jan 1967 | "A Worried Man" | "Maureen" | Philips | 319 892 BF | |
| Sep 1967 | "La, Si, Do" | "Yellow You, Yellow Me" | Barclay | 60 847 | Non-album singles |
| Nov 1967 | "Close Your Nose… If" | "Old Joe Clark" | Barclay | 60 868 | |
| Aug 1968 | "Captain Disaster" | "Tell Me Now" | Barclay | 60 956 | Captain Disaster |
| Apr 1969 | "Yama, Yama, Hey" | "I Won't Have A Dance" | Barclay | BE 61044 | |
| Aug 1971 | "Railroad Bill" | "Maybe Tomorrow" | Disques Motors | MT 4010 | Non-album Single |
| May 1972 | "Lazy John" | "She's Back" | Disques Motors | MT 4022 | Fērrē Grignard |
| Dec 1973 | "Knockin' Me Down" | "When I'm Down" | Philips | 6021 098 | Non-album Single |
| Mar 1978 | "I Warned You" | "All Right" | Philips | 6021 195 | I Warned You! |
| Year | Title | A-side | B-side | Label | Cat. No | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing | 1 – "Ring, Ring, I've Got To Sing" 2 – "We Want War" |
1 – "My Crucified Jesus" 2 – "She's Gone" |
Philips | 434.330 BE | Ring, Ring, I’ve Got To Sing |
| 1966 | Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702 | 1 – "Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702" 2 – "The Zoo" |
1 – "Diggin' My Potatoes" 2 – "Drunken Sailor" |
Philips | 434.337 BE | |
| 1968 | La, Si, Do | 1 – "Yellow You, Yellow Me" 2 – "Close Your Nose… If" |
1 – "La, Si, Do 25" 2 – "Old Joe Clark" |
Barclay | 71 199 | Non-album EP |
References
- ^ "Ferre Grignard". singlehoesjes. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011.
- ^ a b c "Ferre Grignard". Radio Bodink. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011.
- ^ "Folk Singer Hot Property". Billboard. 18 June 1966. p. 30.
- ^ "Frere Grignard - Ring Ring, I've Got to Sing". Dutch Charts.
- ^ "Ferre Grignard". Top 40.
- ^ "Ferre Grignard – My Crucified Jesus". Ultratop.
- ^ "Ferre Grignard". The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives.
- ^ "Ferre Grignard Discography - All Countries - 45cat". 45cat.com. United States. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Miroslav Jurčeka. "Ultimate Music Database – GRIGNARD Ferre (voc)". umdmusic.com. Czech Republic. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
External links
- "Ferre Grignard". Artiestenbiografie.nl. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.