Hugues Aufray was born on August 18th, 1929 in Neuilly sur Seine, the chic Parisian suburb. He is the third child of Henry Auffray and Amielle de Caubios d'Andiran. He has two older brothers Jean-Paul and Francisco as well as a younger sister Pascale who attempted a career in cinema under the name Audret.

With the family fleeing the German occupation, the young Hugues found himself in a Dominican school in the Tarn, a department in the south of France, until 1945. This is where he would develop his love for nature and animals. His parents got divorced and he followed his father to Madrid and was enrolled in the French high school where he earned his baccalaureat. In 1948, he decided to go to Paris to try his luck at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, despite his father's advice. He would have liked to see his son study something more traditional. In fact Hugues Aufray dreamed of becoming a painter. But being that his financial means were limited, he couldn't continue in this direction and he was obliged to sing in the streets to meet his needs. In '49, he did his military service in the Alps in the mountain infantry.

During the next decade, the young man seemed to do things as they came along. In '51, he married Helene, a dancer by trade(with whom he would have two daughters) . For several years, he would sing in the Parisian bars and cabarets. He sang songs by Georges Brassens whom he held in great admiration as well as some bits from Latin-American folklore. He also played with the future members of Los Incas in a bar in the Latin Quarter.

Then in '59, his friends pushed him to participate in an amateur competition. This is how Huges Aufray won the contest organized by the radio station Europe n°1, "Les n°1 de demain" with "le Poinçonneur des Lilas" a song by an unknown composer at the time Serge Gainsbourg. It was a real hit. After that he signed a contract with Barclay records. A first 45rpm was recorded "Y'avait Fanny qui chantait".

He recorded a second single before accepting Maurice Chevalier's invitation to sing "Avril à Paris" at NEW YORK AU BAL. Hugues stayed longer than expected. He returned to Paris saying that he would return to the United States soon. After several shows at Chez Patachou and l'Echelle de Jacob, he headed off to New York. He met the famous group Peter, Paul and Mary and also met a yet unknown young writer/performer , Bob Dylan. Hugues Aufray felt very close to Dylan's music, played on accoustic guitar. After this episode, he returned to France with many songs adapted to French in his suitcases. This was the case with "Santiano", Hugues' first hit, released in '61. He became the specialist of "skiffle" a style of music played by American students on accoustic guitar and banjo .

Right in the middle of the yéyé period (French Sixties Music), Hugues Aufray managed to make a place for himself with his folk music style in the world of French pop music. In March 1963, he took part in the Eurovison song contest, strangely representing Luxembourg. He performed "Dès que le printemps revient", had great success but didn't win. He also opened for Johnny Hallyday at the Olympia in Paris. The following year, he shared the bill with Alain Bariere at the same place. He also played at the Bobino and set off on a tour of France, his concerts were always packed.

But Hugues Aufray maintained a very ambitious project and would soon undertake it, namely the adaptation of Bob Dylan's songs in French. For the realization of this album he was helped by Pierre Delance and Jean-Pierre Sabar. In '65, "Aufray chante Dylan" came out and had a real success with the French songs like "L'homme orchestre" or "la Fille du nord". The following year, he headlined at the Olympia for three weeks before heading out on tour.

An advocate of peace and anti-racism, he would sing at the Palais des Sports in Paris at the invitation of Harry Belafonte. He performed "les Crayons de couleur" for Martin Luther King. Hugues Aufray was a forerunner in concerts for worthy causes.

His songs were already starting to be sung in schools, an incontestable sign of his popularity among the young and the not so young. "Celine" started having success as early as '66 at the same time as "Stewball". Real sentiments such as his love of horses, of nature and friendship were such subjects of inspiration, revealing a pretty atypical personality in French show-biz, advocating being yourself. Never without his guitar, the newspapers presented him as the ideal big brother.

The public came again to applaud him at Bobino in Paris in December '67. Between tours and recitals that he did all during the year, he went to rest at his farm that he had just bought in the Ardeche. In '70, Hugues Aufray changed his style a little and released an album dedicated to his wife called "Avec amour". The public was a bit disoriented by this new direction of the artist that would only last a few songs and a rest period of one year. In '71, he set off on the road with a visit to Bobino. Two years later, he chose a cabaret for a return to Paris and performed at the Tête de l'Art in February. In the fall, he created a show with a very personalized ambiance called "Espace Vert" which he performed at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in September/October

But the years went by and the times changed. Hugues Aufray realized this and decided to retire from the business for a few months. In fact, he would spend several years far from the spotlight. He would farm his land, grow lavender and raise goats. So he stayed like this near his family, a quality of life that he deliberately chose.

He would make some appearances, a record in '76, a solo tour and a double album "Transatlantic" in '78, and an appearance at the Parisian cabaret Don Camillo for three months in '79. It wasn't until June '83 that he took up with a big venue again for two days, that of the Olympia in Paris. He even did a mini African tour which led him from Libreville(Gabon) to Kinshasa(Democratic Republic of Congo). In '85 Renaud,who was a fan from the beginning, asked him to participate in the campaign "Chanteurs sans frontières"(singers without borders) which would give its support to Ethiopia.

If he didn't have the success that he had had before, his popularity was still there. The media however neglected him. But being the pioneer ecologist that he was he knew how to diversify his activities: an equestrian group(les Cavaliers sans frontières) and a ranch in the Alps.

He came back in '90 with a new album assembling sixteen of his greatest hits that he re-recorded, also celebrating thrity years in the business. The following year, in November, he took over the Olympia with eleven musicians and performed no less than thirty songs, a demonstration of his career gone by. In September '92 his pasion for horses led him to create an equestrian show for the Ecole Nationale d'Equitation with some fifty children, actors and riders. This took place during the annual Grand Gala of the Cadre Noir of Saumur(the Loire Valley).

Return to music in '93 with the release of two albums, the first "Route 91" was a live album recorded at the Olympia, the second "Little troubadour" was an original record with fourteen tracks recorded with the Chorale des Cherubins de Sarcelles. Once more, Hugues Aufray worked with children, priding himself in passing on having written songs that they could easily sing. The following year was consacrated to two tours in Europe with France of course and Canada. A "best of" came out and quickly became a gold record.

If at the beginning of the Sixties, Hugues Aufray undoubtedly enabled the French public to discover the very young American musician Bob Dylan, a lot of time has gone by since then, a little less than forty years . Dylan has become a worldwide star and Hugues has met him several times besides. And he is still passionate about the music and the personality of the American. In '95, he released "Aufray Trans Dylan", an album gathering 26 adaptations of Dylan. Renaud took part in the recording of the song "Au coeur de mon pays" (Heartland). For the adaptation of the lyrics, Hugues didn't ask for anyone's help. It was he himself who wrote them. Immediately afterwards, he prepared a show with these songs at the Casino de Paris where he performed in February '96. He then set out on tour which took him to the summer music festival the Francofolies in La Rochelle in July '97. In October, a live album from the Casino de Paris hit the market.

In April '97, he had an interlude presenting an equestrian and musical show in Brussels with Mario Luraschi and the troupe from Disneyland of Paris "La Conquete de l'Ouest".

At the age of 70, he recorded a new album with Celtic and Hispanic tones, "Chacun sa mer" which came out in March '99. In this record Hugues Aufray took themes which are dear to him like peace, the great causes and the sea.

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres(1985), Officier des Arts et des Lettres(1997) but also Chevalier du Merite Agricole(1994), the man is decorated regularly, integrating the French cultural and musical background with the discretion that one has recognized in him over the years. He has even given his name to several schools in France, proof of his constant popularity since the Sixties. Because you must admit, even if his most recent songs haven't met with great success, Hugues Aufray's personality knew how to seduce a large public, from children to the elderly.

He also went on giving many concerts. In 2002 he penned the lyrics of "Si c'était à refaire" for Johnny Hallyday’s album. In March 2003, his friend and rider Mario Lurashi invited him to take part in a big party focusing on the Far West that took place in Bercy.

On the road, always

He toured in Saint Denis de la Reunion in February, in France and in Hong Kong (on the 5th of May 2002, for the Presidential night).

In March 2003, he took part in a "far west" evening at Paris Bercy, organised by his friend the rider Mario Lurashi. Johnny Hallyday invited Hugues Aufray on stage as part of his summer tour. The singer also took part in some concerts for charity like the Fete de la Montagne in Palaiseau in September, in aid of A Chacun son Everest and Etoile des Neiges. He returned to the Czek Republic 30 years after his first ever concert there. Hugues Aufray ended his year on the 30th of December with a duo with Ait Menguelet on the Paris Bercy stage as the closing event for the year of Algeria in France.

2004. Still on the road, especially in Brittany, where he is always warmly welcomed by audiences, Hugues Aufray performed in the famous festival Les Vieilles Charrues on the 25th of July, followed by the Hortensias festival in Perros-Guirec on the 7th of August.

Hugues Aufray has always admitted that he owes a great debt to Felix Leclerc, the French Canadian star who, at the start of his career, inspired him to sing in French. At the beginning of 2005, Aufray paid tribute to Leclerc, bringing out an album of cover versions of the Quebecois star's songs. The 16-track album, entitled "Hugues Aufray chante Félix Leclerc", included such classics as "Moi mes souliers", "Le petit bonheur" and "J'ai deux montagnes à traverser."

In February 2005, Aufray took to the stage, performing at the Théâtre du Gymnase in Paris (10 - 20 February 2005). His show, which included part of Félix Leclerc's repertoire, proved a big hit with the French public. During the summer, Aufray performed a number of concerts and appeared at the Paleo Festival in Nyon. In September 2005, Aufray went on to perform two dates at the legendary Olympia in Paris (19 and 20 September). Simultaneously, he brought out "Plus LIVE que jamais", a live album and DVD of a concert recorded at Le Gymnase a few months earlier.

He was back for two special performances on 6 & 7 June 2006 at the Petit Journal Montparnasse in Paris, inviting the audience to join him in a voyage of North American sounds.

A few months later, in September 2007, Hugues Aufray brought out a new album called “Hugh!” The cover featured the singer dressed as an Indian chief. Against a folk atmosphere, a few facts on the artist’s life emerged. 

From 19 to 21 October, he performed at Olympia and then set off on a French tour.

Back in the sixties, it was Hugues Aufray who discovered Bob Dylan at the Gerdes Folk City in New York, the club that began the American star’s career. Nearly 50 years on, the Frenchman played a new homage to Dylan with his record of French duet adaptations, called “New Yorker”. The album came out in October 2009. Some prestigious partners lent a hand to Aufray on the album, including Johnny Hallyday, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Laurent Voulzy, Arno and Francis Cabrel.

The unflagging vocalist Hugues Aufray, who has notched up 80 years on the calendar, set off once more to travel French, Belgian and Swiss roads at the end of September. On 6 and 7 November, he was at the Grand Rex in Paris.

December 2009