Angele Durand

Born Angèle Caroline Liliane Josette Marie-José DeGeest in Antwerp, Belgium on October 23, 1925, the singer and actress is better known by her stage name Angèle Durand. She began her career singing in cabarets and bars at the age of 15. She became the vocalist in American jazz trumpeter Rex Stewart’s group. Over time, her reputation grew, and she began to tour Europe with artists like Maurice Chevalier, Zarah Leander, Edith Piaf, Joséphine Baker, Liselotte Malkowsky, Peter Kreuder, René Carol, Rudi Schuricke and Erwin Lehn. In 1950, she released her hit version of "C'est si bon," a song previously recorded by Yves Montand and Jean Sablon. Angèle Durand came to prominence in Germany the following year when she met producer – and future husband - Nils Nobach. With Nils’ production skills, her recordings were more sophisticated and mature. In 1954, she scored three big hits "Der Student von Paris,” "Chihuahu," and "Sailor’s Boogie.” Further hits included "C'est magnifique" (1956), "Mélodie d'amour" (1957), and "Merci Paris" (1959). While enjoying her singing career, she also began a career as an actress and appeared in more than ten films between 1953 (Captain Bay-Bay) and 1976 (I'm an Antistar) before turning to theater and television. However, she never turned her back on music and continued to release singles and albums. Angèle Durand died on December 22, 2001, at the age of 76.