Jean Guidoni was born on May 3 1952 in Toulon, France. Of Corsican origin, he is a sailor's son.

In the sixties, he lived in Marseilles, where he had various jobs including hairdressing. During these years, he plunged into the tormented nightlife of the "hot" districts of the city. This obscure period provided unlimited inspiration. It was in Paris in the early seventies that he first began singing. Those first years were difficult and Jean Guidoni found it hard to make his mark.

In 1975, Jean Guidoni brought out his first single, "La Leçon d'Amour". But this was miles from his true feelings. Fortunately, he discovered the publishing house of the composer Michel Legrand that same year. The latter was interested in the young artist and while no artistic collaboration took place, their friendship led to a joint composition twenty years later. Guidoni also met the singer Marcel Rothel on this occasion, and he got him involved in "Paris Populi", a musical on the history of Paris between 1789 and 1944, to lyrics by Georges Coulonges and music by Francis Lemarque. Guidoni sang three songs in this.

One thing led to another and Guidoni met other interesting writers. In 1977 his first eponymous album, together with the single "le Têtard", came out. The lyrics were by Jacques Lanzmann, the favourite songwriter of Jacques Dutronc in the sixties. The name Guidoni began to be noticed and during the summer of 77 he accompanied Marie-Paule Belle and Serge Lama on tour.

However, Guidoni found the narrow world of show business, where compromise and hypocrisy are common, too constricting for him.

In 1978, he brought out a second LP, but without inspiration. Yet for the first time, some of his own compositions were on it, including "Nana" and "Il pleut sur Bali". But his heart was not in it.

However, one night in 1978, Guidoni went to a concert by the German singer Ingrid Caven at Pigall's. It was a revelation. The black atmosphere created by her singing, and the very "Twenties Berlin" repertoire revealed his true style to him. Many of Caven's songs were signed by the film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, her ex husband. Some were translated from the German and so Guidoni sought out the adapter, Pierre Philippe, who was a great connoisseur of this type of repertoire and translated Kurt Weill.

The meeting had the effect of a bombshell in Guidoni's artistic career. He knew then that he would be able to express his own truth and give true meaning to his work. In 1979 he appeared at the small Cabaret Riv'droite with Catherine Sauvage. It was his first experience in this new repertoire.

It was with Pierre Philippe that he fine-tuned the new repertoire. In November 1980, the public discovered or re-discovered Jean Guidoni at the Théâtre en Rond, Paris, for his first big Paris show. He appeared in a new light, very different from his appearance of the seventies. With white make up and black clothes, Guidoni finally revealed his true self, with his hurts and his fears. The songs, skilfully staged, gave out a scent of sex and death. He was acclaimed by the critics and the public, in a success which was not calculated in figures but in recognition. Guidoni found his true audience of fans who would not leave him. The sincerity and strength of his work were heard at last, and Guidoni became an important name in French song.

His success was sealed with his album "Je marche dans les villes", which was awarded the Prix de l'Académie Charles-Cros in March 1981. This is an annual prize for the best French work.

Following on from this success, Guidoni joined a large recording company. In autumn 1982, he staged a new show at the Bouffes du Nord theatre, again with Pierre Philippe. This time, he worked with the Argentine tango master Astor Piazzola. The latter's music, heavily laced with emotion, was perfectly suited to this show, "Crime Passionnel", which was an evocative name for the gloomy, feverish atmospheres created by his personal and artistic environment. Solitude, homosexuality, and despair combined in this show haunted by the painful ghosts of his existence. The eponymous album came out at the same time and remains one of the singer's most popular records.

There were more prizes. In 82, he received the Japanese trophy for the best French artist, the Edith Piaf Prize, and the Grand Prix of European records.

But decidedly, it was on stage that Guidoni was at his best. As early as 1983, he staged a new show, "Le rouge et le rose". This symphonic work, which was also his third album with Pierre Philippe, was presented at the Olympia for two weeks, again a huge success. But Guidoni's public was a select few, despite its steady fidelity. His repertoire, with its somewhat obscure, taboo atmosphere, did not attract the general public - on the contrary, it scared them.

Guidoni nevertheless continued to succeed and in 1985, the album "Putains" took another step in the direction of what was sometimes felt to be provocation. This album, recorded with Bowie's musicians, and co-produced by Alain Bashung, was entirely devoted to prostitution. There were songs written with Bashung or the singer Sapho. The radios already played Guidoni fairly rarely, but now he was banned from them all except one or two. Then, after sharing the stage production, Guidoni and Pierre Philippe broke up.

In 1987, it was therefore Guidoni alone who brought out his album "Tigre de Porcelaine", all the songs of which were his own. More accessible and less provocative, this album was bought by a wider public. There were even some popular tracks like "Marseille" or "Tramway Terminus Nord". For the second time, Jean Guidoni won the Prix de l'Académie Charles-Cros.

As previously, Guidoni set up a show for the album. This time it was at the Bataclan, in 1988.

The following year he returned to his first stage, the Théâtre en Rond, since re-named l'Européen. He gave a series of shows with 2 pianos and a dancer. This very successful show was recorded in his first live album, "Concert 89".

In 1990, he reappeared with a new album, "Aux tourniquets des grands cafés". That year, he gave over 100 concerts in Europe and Canada. His success seemed assured, until he suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1991 he described this painful period in his work "Quelques jours de trop".

Jean Guidoni reappeared on the musical scene in 1991 with a show at the Auditorium des Halles in the heart of Paris. This show, perfected over several months, featured four modern dancers and Guidoni. The band contained only female musicians, except for the drummer. Little by little, Guidoni was ridding himself of his ghosts, and the repertoire and performances showed this. The sometimes narcissistic, morbid obscurity of the eighties was giving way to equilibrium at last. The singer's pet themes were still there, but his approach was more positive.

In March 91, Guidoni participated in a show at the Cirque d'Hiver, organised by the Gay magazine Gai-Pied. Guidoni has never denied his homosexuality: on the contrary, it is an important part of his inspiration and repertoire. As a relatively radical writer, he confronts the problems of society, which affect him, ranging from Aids to racism, unhappiness or poverty.

Still in 91, he gave a concert in Corsica, his birthplace, but which he knows little. This special, symbolic concert for Guidoni was organised by a group of women.

It was on the prestigious stage of the Paris Opera Garnier, dedicated to the ballet, that Jean Guidoni performed in "Les Rendez-Vous de Prévert et Kosma", created and directed by the choreographer Roland Petit. This show, a mixture of ballet, song and poetry, was a homage to the authors of the famous "Les Feuilles Mortes".

The following year a new album came out, "Cas particuliers". This, all the lyrics of which were by Guidoni and the music partly by Tomas Gubitsch, was interpreted by, amongst others, Janick Top or Serge Perathoner, studio regulars, and by the accordionist Philippe Servain. On the last track, "O Signore, Cosa C'e?", Guidoni invited his grandmother to sing this old Corsican song along with him. Finally, the show based on the album was produced at the Théâtre de la Ville. A few months later, Guidoni returned to the superb Opera stage for several more performances of the same concert.

In 1994, besides a trip to Brazil, Guidoni spent a good part of the year on tour.

95 was the year he met up again with Michel Legrand. The two men combined their talents on the album "Vertigo". Legrand wrote all the music, which was in perfect harmony with the recurring themes of Guidoni's repertoire: Aids, lies and intolerance. Finding that they worked well together, they decided to create a show for the following year.

It was therefore from 13 to 18 February 1996 that the Legrand/Guidoni pair went on stage at the Casino de Paris for a show called "Comment faire partie de l'orchestre" (how to belong to the orchestra). The result was acclaimed by the critics and received the Victoire de la Musique award for the best show in 1996.

That same year, Guidoni gave a few concerts at the Manufacture des Oeillets, a converted factory in the Paris suburbs.

Jean Guidoni was now in his twentieth year since his first album. To celebrate, he brought out a compilation of 18 recorded tracks, 4 of which were new. It was well received by the public, and its success was confirmed by several concerts in March 97 at the theatre where he had started his career, l'Européen, formerly the Théâtre en Rond. Accompanied by a pianist, Gérard Daguerre, who usually performed alongside Barbara, and Mahut on percussion, Guidoni went for strict sobriety.

In 98, Guidoni performed in festivals, including the Paléo festival, in Nyon, Switzerland. He also appeared in the concert in support of Radio Libertaire, an anarchist radio on the FM band in the Paris area.

But the highlight of '98 was the long-awaited renewal of the association between Guidoni and his favourite songwriter Pierre Philippe. Philippe set to work writing a show for Guidoni - the singer's first since 1985! Philippe's new work revolved around two main themes: topical social problems and more personal issues relating to Guidoni's character. Guidoni made a major comeback with this new show, performing at the Sylvia Monfort Théâtre in Paris (April 6 - May 9 1999). The poetic new show, for which Guidoni himself wrote the music, included songs written by Juliette, François Hadji-Lazaro, Jean-Claude Vannier and Romain Didier.

Eighteen years after he had created his show "Crime passionnel", Guidoni revived his classic at the Cabaret Sauvage in Paris, playing to packed audiences between November 28th and December 23rd. Besides being the cornerstone of Guidoni's repertoire, "Crime passionel" goes down in French music history as one of the most important collaborations between Guidoni and Pierre Philippe.

During the winter of 2002, Guidoni took a temporary break from his music career to concentrate on writing an autobiographical novel, "Chanter n'est pas jouer" (published the following year). Meanwhile, juggling his writing activities with rehearsals, the multi-talented artist began to get a series of new songs together for a concert at the Théâtre Sylvia-Montfort in Paris in July 2003.

These new songs would feature on Guidoni's new album, "Trapèze," released in October 2004. Produced by Edith Fambuena (ex-member of French duo Les Valentins), the material on "Trapèze" tended to be on the dark, sombre side, with lyrics written by Guidoni himself coupled with contributions from French novelists Marie Nimier and Jean Rouaud and a young songwriter by the name of Leo Arthaud. As for the musical arrangements on the new album, these were left in the capable hands of Daniel Lavoie, Edith Fambuena and Annika Grill. (Christophe Mali from popular French rock'n'pop band Tryo also contributed a song, "Thé de chine.") "Trapèze" marked a radical change of image for Guidoni. Its minimalist black-and-white cover showed a simple portrait of the artist in profile – a million miles from the high heels and fishnet tights he had pranced on stage with in the past!

Guidoni flew out to Lebanon later that year to perform songs from his new album in Beirut. This concert (organised as part of "Génération Musiques," a special show put on by the "Association française d'action artistique"), was followed by a French tour which kicked off in Rezé on 14 and 15 October and included a date at L'Européen in Paris on 18 October 2004.

Guidoni returned to Paris for another memorable concert on 30 June 2006. On his new tour he was accompanied by the talented multi-instrumentalist Nicolas Deutsch (already renowned for his work with the likes of Emilie Simon and Thomas Fersen). Deutsch not only accompanied Guidoni live, but also orchestrated his songs for the stage. And this collaboration would result in a series of new songs for Guidoni's next album.

During the summer of 2005, Guidoni began work on the lyrics for his new album, Deutsch setting them to music. At a later date, a number of other artists became involved in the album (also produced by Deutsch), Dominique A writing "Gloaca maxima", Philippe Katerine "Un arbre en Normandie", Jeanne Cherhal "Comme un autre" and Mathias Malzieu (from the group Dionysos) "Oh loup!" Working with this group of songwriters and composers from the new generation appeared to give Guidoni, with 30 years' career behind him, a new lease of life, opening him up to other musical universes. His new album, "La pointe rouge", was released in April 2007.

In May 2007, Jean Guidoni performed a series of concerts at La Boule Noire, a small intimate venue in Paris (22 – 26 May 2007).

May 2007