Active for just a few years in the heyday of music hall, the Charles et Johnny duo consists of singer Charles Trenet and his pianist Johnny Hess. Born in Narbonne on May 18, 1913, Charles Trenet moved to Paris in 1930, playing tap-dancing for the cinema before writing his first songs for his father-in-law Benno Vigny's film Bariole. At the same time, duets became fashionable with the success of Pills et Tabet ("Couchés dans le foin") and Gilles et Julien. He decided to form one with Swiss pianist Johnny Hess, whom he had met in 1932 at the College Inn jazz club in Montparnasse. Born in Engelberg on December 31, 1915, John Laurence Andréas dit "Johnny" Hess had a passion for American swing jazz. Their association as a duo and as songwriters for other artists proved fruitful. Charles and Johnny perform at Le Boeuf sur le Toit and meet Jean Sablon, for whom they write "Vous qui passez sans me voir". They wrote "Monsieur Saint-Pierre " for Édith Piaf and "Les Jours sans ma belle" for Tino Rossi. The duet, presented at the Palace, won the patronage of Joséphine Baker, who offered them a contract. Between 1933 and 1937, Charles and Johnny performed a number of hits, including "Sur le Yang Tsé-Kiang", "Sous le lit de Lily", "Dans le lit d'Aline", "L'Hôtel Borgne", "J'ai sauté la barrière, hop là" and "Tout est au duc". In October 1936, Charles Trenet's military service put an end to the duo. Johnny Hess, to whom we owe the expression "zazou" as in the songs "Ils sont zazous" and "Je suis swing" (1938), opened a cabaret, Jimmy's, where Henri Salvador made his debut. He died on November 14, 1983 at the age of 67, and his former compère on February 19, 2001 at the age of 87.
