Véronique Sanson

Show & Culture

Véronique Sanson, a renowned singer-songwriter and musician born in Boulogne-Billancourt on April 24, 1949, has won over audiences with a pop and rock chanson style balancing swing and melancholy, with a unique vibrato that shaped her repertoire. With a tumultuous career often on the edge between laughter, anger, and tears, Véronique Sanson gave French chanson classics like "Besoin de personne," "Vancouver," "Chanson sur une drôle de vie," "Comme je l’imagine," and many others. Her 1970s albums Le Maudit or Vancouver, or Moi Le Venin in 1988 with the controversial song "Allah," left their mark on the French musical landscape. Later, periods of total silence alternated with carefully crafted albums such as D’un Papillon à Une Etoile (1999), Longue Distance (2004), and Plusieurs Lunes (2010). From 1973 to 1979, she was married to Stephen Stills of folk rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash, and together they had a son who also became a songwriter, Stephen Stills. In 2013, Véronique Sanson received a special Victoire de la musique award for her lifetime achievements. Named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1984, then an Officer in 2005, she received the Grande Médaille de la chanson from the Académie française in 2015. The following year saw her return with her fifteenth album Dignes, Dingues, Donc. In 2018, the album Duos Volatils showcased her repertoire with artists from different generations, including Alain Souchon, the Chedid family, Patrick Bruel, Bernard Lavilliers, Eddy Mitchell, Julien Doré, Vianney, and Zaz.