Ronnie Bird

As a student, Bird attended Lycée Claude-Bernard in Paris until he had an argument with a teacher.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

As a young singer, he preferred to perform in English in a desire for authenticity.{{Cite book|last1=Conway|first1=M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFeCDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Ronnie+Bird%22|title=Europeanization in the Twentieth Century: Historical Approaches|last2=Patel|first2=K.|date=2010-10-29|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-29312-0|language=en}}{{Cite magazine|date=20 November 1965|title=Music Capitals of the World|page=29|magazine=Billboard|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-11-20.pdf}} He debuted his recording career in 1964 with Decca, with the title track Adieu à un ami, which was a homage to Buddy Holly; this song later appeared in the film US Go Home (1994).{{Cite book|last=Mayne|first=Judith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vz70AgAAQBAJ&q=Ronnie+Bird|title=Claire Denis|date=2005-03-30|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0-252-09639-6|language=en}} According to author Jonathyne Briggs, Bird and other French pop stars of that era, such as Jacques Dutronc, Hugues Aufray, Antoine, and Serge Gainsbourg "created a more diverse pop music landscape".{{Cite book|last=Briggs|first=Jonathyne|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0dd4BgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Ronnie+Bird%22&pg=PT55|title=Sounds French: Globalization, Cultural Communities and Pop Music, 1958-1980|date=2015-03-02|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-026664-6|language=en}} Richie Unterberger later wrote, "During the mid-'60s, Ronnie Bird was the only French artist to successfully emulate the sounds of the British Invasion across the channel".{{Cite web|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|title=Ronnie Bird {{!}} Biography & History|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ronnie-bird-mn0000275014/biography|access-date=2020-07-28|website=AllMusic|language=en-us}}

He was voted the eighth most popular male singer in France in a 1965 poll by Salut Les Copains.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PykEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Ronnie+Bird%22+singer&pg=PA28|title=Billboard|date=1965-09-11|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en}} He hosted a Radio Luxembourg 208 broadcast on 1 April 1966.{{Cite book|last1=Neill|first1=Andrew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c5yUA_S5pGoC&q=%22Ronnie+Bird%22|title=Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the WHO 1958-1978|last2=Kent|first2=Matthew|date=2009|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|isbn=978-1-4027-6691-6|language=en}}

He regularly appeared with popular singers visiting France, including Chuck Berry{{Cite magazine|date=26 February 1966|title=International News Reports|page=45|magazine=Billboard|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1966/BB-1966-02-26.pdf}} and Tom Jones.{{Cite magazine|date=30 July 1966|title=From the Music Capitals of the World|page=48|magazine=Billboard|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1966/BB-1966-07-30.pdf}}

He recorded the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time" and "Down Home Girl" in French.{{Cite magazine|date=29 May 1965|title=Musical Capitals of the World|page=26|magazine=Billboard|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-05-29.pdf}} He recorded songs by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown in English for Philips.{{Cite magazine|date=11 May 1968|title=From the Music Capitals of the World|page=50|magazine=Billboard}} He recorded two songs, "Rain on the City" and "Sad Soul" for the U.S. market before his U.S. tour.{{Cite news|last=Brillie|first=Michel|date=2 November 1968|title=Paris Promenade|page=43|work=Record World}}

Bird appeared with many other artists in the "photo du siècle" or "photo of the century" taken by Jean-Marie Périer. The photograph published in the magazine Salut les copains in 1966.{{Cite web|date=2011-01-13|title=Les années yé-yé en photos|url=https://www.leparisien.fr/seine-et-marne-77/melun-77000/les-annees-ye-ye-en-photos-13-01-2011-1224648.php|access-date=2020-07-27|website=leparisien.fr|language=fr-FR}}

Despite his evident ability and the apparent success of songs like Elle m'attend, Où va-t-elle ?, Bird ended his artistic career after 5 years.{{Cite magazine|last=Legrand|first=Emmanuel|date=21 November 1992|title=Global Music Pulse|page=51|magazine=Billboard|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-11-21.pdf}}

He is also noted for participating in the French production of the musical Hair between 1968 and 1972 . Moreover, he wrote the lyrics of the song, Precious Things, sung by Dee Dee Bridgewater, in a duet with Ray Charles, which saw success in 1989.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

The song Le Pivert (the woodpecker) was prohibited from being played on Radio-France because of, according to an internal memo, its "vulgar attack on good taste". The memo was published in Charlie Hebdo.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

• 1964 : Adieu à un ami / Tu ferais mieux de filer / On s'aime en secret / Dis aux montagnes (Decca)
• 1964 : L'amour nous rend fou / Pour toi / Je ne mens pas / Tout seul (Decca)
• 1965 : Elle m'attend / Tu perds ton temps / Fais attention / Pour être à toi (Decca)
• 1965 : Où va-t-elle ? / Ma vie s'enfuit / Je voudrais dire / Ce maudit journal (Decca)
• 1966 : Chante / Ne t'en fais pas pour Ronnie / Cette maudite solitude / Cheese (Philips)
• 1966 : N'écoute pas ton cœur / Seul dans la nuit / Hey girl ! / Ça n'est pas vrai (Philips)
• 1967 : Tu en dis trop / C'est un hold-up / Je serre les poings / Tu ne sais pas (Philips)
• 1967 : La surprise / Si quelque chose m'arrivait / Les filles en sucre d'orge / Ne promets rien (Philips)
• 1967 : Le pivert / De l'autre côté du miroir / SOS mesdemoiselles / Aimez-moi (Philips)
• 1969 : Sad soul / Rain in the city (Philips)
• 1992 : One world (version courte) / One world (version longue) / Jazz it up (Philips)
• 1995 : Live 65 & 67 : Route 66 / Fais attention / C'est un hold-up / Fa fa fa fa fa (Sad song) (LCD)

• 1965 : Ronnie Bird (LP Decca 154134) (France) (réédition 2010 LP Universal 134154S) (regroupe les EP 1,2,3 : Elle M'Attend / Je Ne Mens Pas / Pour Toi / Tu Perds Ton Temps / Dis Aux Montagnes / On S'Aime En Secret / Fais Attention / L'Amour Nous Rend Fous / Adieu A Un Ami / Tout Seul / Pour Être A Toi / Tu Ferais Mieux De Filer)
• 1966 : Ronnie Bird (LP London MLP 10062) (Canada) (version canadienne du précédent, 4 titres remplacés par ceux du EP 4 : Où Va-T-Elle ? / Ma Vie S'enfuit / Je Voudrais Dire / Ce Maudit Journal / Tu Perds Ton Temps / On S'aime En Secret / Pour Toi / Je Ne Mens Pas / Fais Attention / L'amour Nous Rend Fous / Tu Ferais Mieux De Filer / Elle M'Attend)
• 1967 : Ronnie Bird (LP Philips 70452) (Canada) (réédition 2008 LP Mercury 5309083) (France) (regroupe les EP 5,6,7 : N'Écoute Pas Ton Cœur / Seul Dans La Nuit / Hey Girl! / Ce N'Est Pas Vrai / Chante / Ne T'En Fais Pas Pour Ronnie / Je Serre Les Poings / Tu Ne Sais Pas / Tu En Dis Trop / C'Est Un Hold-Up / Cette Maudite Solitude / Cheese)
• 1992 : One World (CD Philips 512292–2) (France) (One World / Jazz It Up / A Dollar A Dance / Russian Cruise / Jungle / Make My Day / Tango / Don't Disturb / Go Ronnie Go / Sister Don't - (Ronnie Bird / Leslie Winston))

• 2016 : Ronnie Bird & M. Mader : The Demos (CD Loon Music) (Beau fixe / Elle est si belle / Si seulement / Elle en a vu / Pêle-mêle / Le beau Gégé / J'suis à court / Tu frappes ta mère / J'ai envie de toi / Respire - (Ronnie Bird / Mader))
• 2017 : Himiko : Nebula (CD Assai Records)

• 1983 : En public (LP Eva 12025) (France)

• 1976 : 63-66 (LP Decca 278 145)
• 1984 : Le style anglais (LP Philips 818986–1)
• 1985 : 1965 (LP ou CD Big Beat Records 70342)
• 1990 : Fais attention (LP ou CD Club Dial 900.048.1)
• 1990 : N'écoute pas ton cœur (LP ou CD Club Dial 900.057.1)
• 1990 : Le rock c'est ça ! (CD Polygram Distribution 842 055–2)
• 2002 : Twistin' the rock vol. 7 (2xCD Mercury France 586495–2)(+)
• 2006 : EP & singles collection 1964-1969 (coffret 9 CD EP + 2 CD SP Magic Records)(+)
• 2009 : Tendres Années 60 (CD Mercury 530 604–7)
• 2015 : Salut les copains (2xCD Mercury)(+)

• 1992 : "Someone to lead me" (Ronnie Bird / FR David) - (SP Pense A Moi) by F.R. David.
• 1989 : "Precious thing" (Ronnie Bird / Pierre Papadiamandis) - (SP Polydor) by Dee Dee Bridgewater & Ray Charles.
• 1996 : CD Strong love affair: Say no more (Ronnie Bird / Pierre Papadiamandis) - (CD Qwest) by Ray Charles.
• 1988 : CD Haunted: Haunted, Memorial, King for a day (Ronnie Bird / Bernard Paganotti) - (CD Bleu Citron) by Paga Group (avec Bernard Paganotti).
• 1993 : CD Gnosis: Caravan (Ronnie Bird / Bernard Paganotti) - (CD Bleu Citron) by Paga Group (avec Bernard Paganotti).

• 2003 : François Jouffa – Pop Culture: Interviews & Reportages 1964-1970: Ronnie Bird - 10/10/65 - (CD Frémeaux & Associés)
• 2014 : En Direct ! (LP Jukebox Magazine JBM 027) (Route 66 / Je Ne Mens Pas / Elle M'attend / Tu Perds Ton Temps / Fais Attention / I Can't Stand It / Chante / Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song) / C'est Un Hold-Up / I Will Love You)

• Ronnie Bird le rock en VF de Didier Delinotte, Camion Blanc, Rosières-en-Haye, 2017. {{ISBN|9782357799585}} [in French]
• Génération Johnny, éditions Gründ, 2010. [in French]
• L’Âge d’or du yéyé, Ramsay, 1983; réédité sous le titre Vinyl Fraise les années 60, Michel Lafon, 1993. [in French]
• "Ronnie Bird." Jukebox Magazine. January–February–March 1985. [in French]
• "Ronnie Bird." Jukebox Magazine. March 1990. [in French]
• "Ronnie Bird: Live 65 & 67." Jukebox Magazine. March 1995. [in French]

• {{ill|Photo_du_siècle|fr}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|id=6503595}}
• [https://classic.europeana.eu/portal/en/search?q=%22ronnie+bird%22 Ronnie Bird at Europeana Collections]

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Category:1946 births

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Boulogne-Billancourt

Category:20th-century French male singers

Category:21st-century French male singers