Nicole Rieu

{{Short description|French singer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{expand French|date=February 2024|topic=bio}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Nicole Rieu

| image = Nicole Rieu en concert à Aniche salle Claudine Normand.jpg

| caption =

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| background = solo_singer

| birth_name =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1949|5|16}}

| death_date =

| origin = Chaumont, Haute-Marne, France

| instrument =

| genre = Pop

| occupation = Singer

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| website = [http://nicole.rieu.free.fr/ Nicole Rieu]

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Nicole Rieu (born 16 May 1949) is a French singer, best known outside France for her participation in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest.

Rieu signed her first record contract with AZ Records in 1969. In 1973 she was spotted by the larger Barclay label, where she was offered a deal, and scored a hit with her first release "Je suis". In 1975, Rieu was chosen internally by channel TF1 as the French representative for the 20th Eurovision Song Contest with the Pierre Delanoë-penned song "Et bonjour à toi l'artiste". The contest was held on 22 March in Stockholm, and Rieu finished in fourth place of 19 entrants.[https://www.esc-history.com/details.php?key=0293 ESC History - Eurovision - France 1975][http://www.diggiloo.net/?1975fr "Et bonjour à toi l'artiste" at diggiloo.net]

An English language version of the song with the title "Live for Love" and with lyrics by Lynsey de Paulpage 48, Record World, 12 April 1975 was also released{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3867514-Nicole-Rieu-Live-For-Love | title=Nicole Rieu - Live for Love | website=Discogs | date=1975 }}{{cite web | url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Nicole-Rieu/Live-For-Love-1654860 | title=Nicole Rieu - Live for Love }}page 46, Billboard, 5 April 1975 that was covered by Ben Thomas and released as a single later that year.{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2152342-Ben-Thomas-Live-For-Love-Et-Bonjour-À-Toi-LArtiste | title=Ben Thomas - Live for Love (Et Bonjour À Toi l'Artiste) | website=Discogs | date=1975 }}{{cite web | url=https://hitparade.ch/song/Ben-Thomas/Live-For-Love-894061 | title=Ben Thomas - Live for Love }}

Rieu followed her Eurovision appearance with further successful singles such as "Je m'envole" and "En courant" (a French-language version of Diana Ross' "Theme from Mahogany") in 1976, "L'immigrant" (1977) and "La goutte d'eau" (1979). She took a career break of several years in the 1980s in order to concentrate on raising her son, since when she has continued to tour and release albums at sporadic intervals.