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FERRE GRIGNARD

Ferre Grignard (March 13, 1939 – August 8, 1982) was a Belgian skiffle-singer from Antwerp who surprised the world in 1965 with his international hits "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing" and "My Crucified Jesus".

Biography
He renounced his middle-class origin and at the end of the 1950's he went to the Antwerp art academy. He was unsuccessful as a painter, but he could play the guitar and sing the blues and his performances in “De Muze”, a famous Antwerp jazz café, made him well-known in the Antwerp artists world. The young generation accepted him as the first Belgian protest singer, because his hippie-like appearance and the contents of his songs.

In 1965 he performed at the first "Jazz-festival" at Bilzen. He was discovered by Hans Kusters (the same man who has the record company HKM that's now producing the music of the Belgian band “Clouseau”). His "Ring Ring, I've Got To Sing" and "My Crucified Jesus" conquered the world with their mixture of skiffle, folk-song and blues music. In 1966 he even performed at the Paris Olympia.

After the ensuing international success, things started to go wrong. He went to live in a mansion, where he made music, painted and partied with the 20 friends who lived with him. He also refused to fill in his tax-forms, so after a while all royalties went directly to taxes. He neglected his career and was soon forgotten by his fans. A comeback in the seventies failed. He died in Antwerp of throat cancer in 1982. At that time he was living on an attic without heating, surrounded with empty bottles.

Ferre Grignard lies buried at “Het Schoonselhof”, among many of Antwerp's most important citizens. –

Discography
Albums


 * Ring Ring (Fontana, 1966)
 * Captain Disaster (Barclay, 1968)
 * I Warned You (Philips, 1978)

Compilations


 * Het Beste Van (Master Serie) - (Philips/Polygram, 1997)

Singles


 * Ring Ring / We Want War (Philips, 1966)
 * My Crucified Jesus / She's Gone (Philips, 1966)
 * Hash Bamboo Shuffle 1702 / Drunken Sailor (Philips, 1966)
 * A Worried Man / Maureen (Philips, 1966)
 * La Si Do / Yellow You Yellow Me (Barclay, 1967)
 * Close Your Noses ... If / Old Joe Jack (Barclay, 1967)
 * Captain Disaster / Tell Me Now (Barclay, 1968)
 * Yama, Yama, Hey / I Don't Have a Dance (Barclay, 1969)
 * Knockin' Me Down / When I'm Down (Philips, 1973)
 * I Warned You / All Right (Philips, 1978)
 * Railroad Bill / Maybe Tomorrow (Fontana)
 * Lazy John / She's Back (Motors)