Sheila

An idol of the yé-yé era, singer Sheila extended her hit-filled career into French variety in the 1970s, then into disco, only to enjoy a resurgence of interest in the 2010s. Born into modest circumstances in Créteil on August 16, 1945, Annie Chancel sang in an amateur group, Les Guitares Brothers, before being spotted by producer Claude Carrère, who commissioned her to record French versions of Anglo-Saxon hits such as Tommy Roe's "Sheila" (1962), which earned her her nickname. A yé-yé idol with the appearance of a well-behaved teenager, Sheila had a string of number-one hits until 1965 with "L'École est finie","Pendant les vacances" and "Vous les copains, je ne vous oublierai jamais", the adaptation "Bang-Bang" and "L'Heure de la sortie". In 1968, the symbolic title "Petite fille de français moyen" marked the start of a shift towards variety, which saw Sheila remain at the pinnacle of popularity with songs like "Les Rois mages " (1971) and "Laisse les gondoles à Venise" (1973), a duet with her husband Ringo. Converted to disco with the hit "Love Me Baby" (1977), credited to S.B. Devotion, the singer was accompanied by the group Chic on the album King of the World (1980), from which the international hit "Spacer" was taken. Returning to French chanson, Sheila continued to record, but without the same success. She appeared in Raoul Ruiz's film L'Île au trésor (1985) and revisited her career in Le Meilleur de Sheila (1998), featuring new versions of her songs, between two returns to the Olympia in Paris. The album Seulement Pour Toi (2002) was followed by the tours Âge tendre and Têtes de bois (2009-2010), and the mature albums Solide (2012) and Venue d'Ailleurs (2021). In 2018, Sheila was promoted to Commandeur de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres.