Bitten by the music bug in his early teens, Laurent went on to form his own group at the age of 14, appointing himself as the group's drummer. But he soon moved on from playing the drums and discovered the guitar - a more versatile instrument that allowed him to develop his budding songwriting talent. Meanwhile, across the Channel, the Beatles were taking the U.K. music scene by storm. Laurent was a passionate Beatles' fan. Indeed, the French teenager's early songwriting was heavily influenced by the Fab Four's sophisticated pop melodies. And in 1965 he managed to arrange a trip to England. The U.K. was a veritable music goldmine in the mid-60's and, needless to say, young Laurent returned from his trip loaded down with stacks of records.  

Laurent got his first major break in 1967 when he won first prize at a local music contest with a song called "Timide". However, it would take more than this to get the young singer's career off the ground - indeed, Laurent would have to plug away for many more years before he even got near the charts! In 1968 Laurent took a break from his singing career, leaving the Paris music scene to go and do his military service. When he returned he enrolled at the Assas Law Faculty in central Paris. But he did not prove to be one of the faculty's most assiduous students. Music remained Laurent's overriding passion in life and it was around this period that he formed his first professional group, Le Poing. The group quickly built up a reputation on the local music scene and even performed several national tours, but they never got round to recording anything together.  

Meanwhile, young Voulzy continued to devote much of his time to songwriting and he soon managed to record a couple of demo tapes which he began showing around the major record labels. One of his tapes landed on the desk of an artistic director at RCA and, impressed by Voulzy's talent, he called the young singer in and offered him his first recording contract. Voulzy actually began his career writing material for other groups but in 1972 he finally went into the studio to record his own first single "l'Amour est un oiseau". Unfortunately, the single failed to make any kind of impact on the French charts, nor incidentally did any of Voulzy's successive singles - "la Maison à croquer" (1973), "Milady" (1974), "la Fille en papier" (1975) and "les Radios qui chantent" (1976).  

In 1974 Voulzy met up with Alain Souchon, another young French singer whose career was proving rather slow in taking off. The pair hit it off immediately and went on to become extremely close friends. What's more, Voulzy and Souchon soon discovered that they were on the same musical wavelength and, teaming up together, they began a long-lasting and highly successful songwriting collaboration.  

The Voulzy/Souchon duo soon turned out to be a highly complementary partnership. Souchon had already written an impressive collection of lyrics, but had never really come across anyone to write suitable melodies for his songs. After meeting Souchon in '74, Voulzy immediately set to work composing music to fit round his words. And the hits soon began rolling in! By the end of '74 Souchon had enough material to go into the studio and record his debut album (which was entirely co-written by Voulzy and himself). The album proved an instant hit with the French public - thanks, largely, to the success of the two best-selling singles "Bidon" and "J'ai 10 ans"!  

Voulzy's career would take slightly longer to get off the ground. But in 1977, with the release of the single "Rockcollection", it was finally his turn! "Rockcollection", which was written in collaboration with Souchon (of course!), was a semi-autobiographical song on which Voulzy reminisced about his teenage years in the 60's. But it was the chorus which really got French music fans going, as Voulzy launched into a medley famous 60's hits, covering extracts of songs by everyone from the Beach Boys to the Rolling Stones. The song proved to be a phenomenal hit, rocketing to the top of the French singles charts within weeks of its release.  

In 1978 Voulzy followed "Rockcollection" with another smash hit single, "Bubble Star". It may have taken Voulzy a while to get his career off the ground, but when he did he did so in style, establishing himself at the very forefront of the French music scene. The days of Voulzy's single flops were now behind him - indeed, from this moment on almost every single he put out rocketed straight to the n°1 spot! The French public did not appear to be able to get enough of Voulzy's catchy melodic pop (which was, as we have said, greatly influenced by the sophisticated harmonies of 60's groups such as the Beatles).

In 1978 Voulzy's friend and songwriting partner, Alain Souchon, released his second album entitled "Toto 30 ans". And, since it looked as if Voulzy and Souchon were set on doing everything together from now on, later that same year the pair celebrated the joint birth of their sons, Julien Voulzy and Pierre Souchon!  

Meanwhile Voulzy, a renowned perfectionist, continued working away in the studio, honing the songs on his debut album like a master craftsman. His debut album, entitled "le Cœur grenadine" would finally be released in 1979 - a full ten years after Voulzy signed his original recording contract! The title track from the album soon shot to the top of the singles charts, closely followed by a second best-selling extract, "Karin Redinger". It looked like Voulzy's winning formula - Anglo-Saxon style melodies and ridiculously catchy chorus lines - had struck again!  

As soon as he scored a hit Voulzy would retire to his studio once again. The singer would become a practical recluse while working, locking himself away for weeks on end and insisting that studio technicians record take upon take until his melody sounded just right. And thus it was that Laurent Voulzy acquired the reputation of being the slowest songwriter in French music history - but, it seemed, he was also the surest. It may have taken Voulzy a year to put a single out, but when he did it seemed guaranteed to soar to the top of the French charts!  

In 1980 Alain Souchon performed a series of concerts at the Olympia - the most prestigious music venue in Paris - and invited his old friend and songwriting partner to appear on stage with him. Voulzy, a shy and retiring singer who had never actually performed a live concert himself, agreed to put in a brief appearance. This was one of the rare chances French music fans got to see Voulzy and Souchon singing on stage together and the pair brought the house down when they launched into two brand new duets.  

Later that same year, Voulzy rocketed back to the top of the charts with a new single entitled "Surfin Jack" (another tribute to the Beach Boys!) Then, in 1981, he scored another enormous hit with "Idéal simplifié". After that it was back to the studio to put the finishing touches to his second album, "Bopper en larmes" (which was finally released four years after his first album "le Cœur grenadine"!) Needless to say, Voulzy's magic formula worked once again and his new singles - "Bopper en larmes" and "Liebe" - were soon, inevitably, invading the airwaves and making their way to the top of the charts.  

However, while Voulzy appeared to have become a permanent fixture on the French airwaves, he was a much less regular performer on the concert circuit. The singer, who was naturally shy and retiring, was not eager to perform in concert and fans' patience was often stretched to the limits as they waited for Voulzy's next public appearance. In 1983 Voulzy gave one of his rare concert appearances in Guadeloupe, visiting his parents' homeland for the first time when he performed a concert in aid of a handicapped children's charity.  

In 1984 Voulzy returned to the studio to record a duet entitled "Désir Désir" with French actress Véronique Jeannot. Needless to say the single proved to be another hit - but on nothing like the same scale as "Belle-Ile-en-Mer", the single Voulzy released the following year. "Belle-Ile-en-Mer" was, quite simply, a phenomenal success. Not only did the single smash all kinds of sales records in its rapid rise to the top of the charts, but it also went down in French music history as one of the industry's favourite songs of all time. Indeed, several times over the next few years, "Belle-Ile-en-Mer" was included in the list of the French public's 20 Favourite Songs of the Last Two Decades. And in 1990 a jury of 3,000 music industry professionals elected "Belle-Ile-en-Mer" as the Best French Song of the 1980's!  

In 1985 Voulzy also rejoined his old friend and songwriting partner, Alain Souchon, to begin writing material for Souchon's forthcoming album, "C'est comme vous voulez". The pair would escape the hustle and bustle of city life in Paris when they were writing, setting off to the countryside in Brittany or the beaches of Saint-Tropez where they locked themselves away in a house with no telephone so that nothing could disturb them while they worked. This radical approach certainly seemed to produce results - in the course of their songwriting collaboration nearly every one of Voulzy and Souchon's releases scored an automatic hit!  

In 1986 Voulzy was back at the top of the charts with a single entitled "les Nuits sans Kim Wilde". (This tribute to the British pop diva actually featured an extract of Ms. Wilde's own vocals on the recording). Two years later, Voulzy followed the single with another chart-topping ballad entitled "le Soleil donne".  

Voulzy was back in the media spotlight in 1989 with a new album entitled "Belle-Ile-en-Mer". This compilation included all of the singer's greatest hits (which, for the most part, had previously been available only in single form) So, needless to say, the album proved an enormous hits with Voulzy fans up and down the country! Later that same year Voulzy's alter ego, Alain Souchon, also released a successful new album.  

Voulzy's third album, "Caché derrière", was finally released in June 1992 (almost ten years after his last studio album "Bopper en larmes"!) Voulzy fans went wild with excitement, rushing out to buy the string of single releases from the album - "Carib Islander", "le Rêve du pêcheur" and "le Pouvoir des fleurs". Voulzy's album also received rave reviews from the critics and in December of that year the Sacem (the French Music Copyright Association) awarded Voulzy its 'Grand Prix de la Chanson française'.  

In February 1993 Voulzy triumphed again, carrying off the award for Best Album of the Year at the prestigious 'Victoires de la Musique' awards. Following this phenomenal success, Voulzy finally gave in to pressure from his fans and performed his first major concert in Paris, bringing the house down at the Casino de Paris (in March). Fans turned out in force during the entire three-week run and Voulzy's subsequent tour proved such a success that he was forced to appear at a bigger venue (Le Zénith) when he performed his grand finale in Paris in December.  

In 1994 Voulzy's old friend and songwriting partner, Alain Souchon, was back at the top of the charts with a new album entitled "C'est déjà ça". But '94 also proved to be a very important year for Voulzy and Souchon Junior. Echoing their fathers' relationship, Julien Voulzy and Pierre Souchon had become close friends in their childhood and the young teenagers soon went on to form their own group, les Cherche Midi. The duo - whose style was remarkably similar to their fathers' melodic pop sound - released their first album in '94 and it went on to sell reasonably well.  

The following year Laurent and Julien Voulzy teamed up with Alain and Pierre Souchon to record a song for a benefit album produced on behalf of the children's' AIDS charity Sol En Si (Solidarité Enfants Sida). The song was written by the hot new French songwriting duo - Voulzy and Souchon Junior! 1995 also saw the release of Laurent Voulzy's new live album "Voulzy Tour", recorded at the Casino de Paris. This exceptional double album featured an amazing version of "Rockcollection" which lasted a full 18 minutes!  

While Voulzy fans up and down the country eagerly await the release of a new studio album, the singer has been increasingly turning his attention to charity work. After taking part in the Sol En Si project, Laurent Voulzy has become a regular fixture at benefit gigs, performing concerts on behalf of several well-known charities including Les Restaurants du Cœur. 

Before going back to the studio, Laurent Voulzy put the finishing touches to his personal recording studio located by the River Marne, in a house that the singer had renovated. It was only two years later that the studio was completed at last. Meanwhile Voulzy had undertaken to work on his friend Alain Souchon's next album entitled "Aux ras des pâquerettes".

Once both Souchon's album and the recording studio were over with, Voulzy was able to settle in his new workplace and concentrate on his own record. As usual the perfectionist artist took ages, crafting and honing each of his tracks before recording them one at a time in the studio. All in all, the production of "Avril" lasted no less than three years. Voulzy produced it himself and it was finally released in November 2001 on BMG. A pop album, "Avril" does not vary much in tone from the singer's former productions and offers many melancholic touches. The lyrics deal with various themes. "Mary Quant", a track dedicated to the British fashion designer and inventor of the mini-skirt, is rather light in tone, whereas 'Jesus' is a more serious song. Another track, "Amélie Colbert" features a Creole biguine, taking the hearer on a trip to the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe, where the singer was born. On this track, Voulzy was accompanied by the talented Caribbean piano-player, Mario Canonge. "I want you", the last track on the album, is a 13-minute-long nostalgic duet with Alain Souchon on which the two friends pay a tribute to the Beatles. The album spawn a first single, "Une héroïne", which focuses on the life of a young single woman. 

In 2002, Laurent Voulzy scooped up a Victoire de la Musique (the French equivalent of the Brit Awards) for Best Pop Album of the Year. The album, ‘Avril’ sold 650,000 copies. Travelling around the country to promote it, Laurent Voulzy was met everywhere with enormous success. After a stopover in Bruxelles on October 15th and Paris on 22th, Laurent took a slight break to welcome the birth of this third child in May 2002.

Hitting the road again in 2003, Voulzy resumed his tour (which included appearances at a host of summer music festivals up and down the country such as "Solidays" and the "Fête de la musique.") Two years later, Voulzy, now aged 55, sat back on his laurels as his first greatest hits album arrived in record stores. The double CD "Saisons" featured no less than thirty old chart-toppers (taken from the singer’s last five albums). Besides all-time classics such as "Rockollection" and "Belle-Ile-en-Mer", "Saisons" also included a new song entitled "Là où je vais."

Later that year, Laurent Voulzy was called upon to write material for "Histoires naturelles", the new album by French pop idol Nolwenn. He ended up contributing half a dozen tracks to the album.

Voulzy kicked off 2006 with a busy schedule, going into the studio to record a series of covers for his new album. These included reworkings of his favourite hits such as Les Chats sauvages' "Derniers baisers", The Doors' classic "Light My Fire" and "Duel au soleil", originally recorded by French pop king Etienne Daho. Voulzy's new album, "La Septième vague", featuring 17 covers, was released on 26 June just in time for the summer vacation. Voulzy admitted he had principally sought to please himself in his selection, the highlight of which had been recording his own take on the Simon & Garfunkel classic "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" with his long-time friend and songwriting partner Alain Souchon.

"La Septième vague" proved to be a huge commercial hit, the 17-track album going on to sell around 900,000 copies. Consequently, Laurent Voulzy spent most of 2007 on the road, presenting the songs he described as "the perfect holiday soundtrack" to fans. His tour included two stints at the legendary Olympia, in Paris (11 -16 May and then again, in the autumn of that year, 3 & 4 October).

Voulzy has always been conscious that he owes much of his current fame to his first hit single "Rockollection." The song, which mixed personal reminiscences of his adolescence with a medley of famous '60s hits, rocketed to the top of the charts across Europe, selling over 4 million copies. The singer decided to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the song which rocketed him to overnight fame by recording a new version of "Rockollection" updated with snippets from chart hits post-1977. Teaming up on this occasion with his old friend, Alain Souchon, Voulzy wrote a series of other new songs and soon found he had enough material to record a new album. Apart from the new version of "Rockollection", this new album (entitled "Recollection") included another nostalgic pop ballad entitled "Jelly Bean." Chosen as the first single release from "Recollection", "Jelly Bean" found Voulzy looking back on his childhood years when, by his own admission, he spent a significant amount of time posing around in front of the mirror, fantasising about becoming a pop star.

July 2008