Celebrity Smurf
Axelle Red
AXELLE RED: Key Dates
1968: Axelle is born in Hasselt, a town in Flemish-speaking Belgium. Her childhood is filled with music of all kinds, from Mozart to American soul.
1985: Mick Ronson, a producer known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Lou Reed and Morissey, happens upon a cassette recorded by Axelle. Bowled over by her voice, he immediately heads off to Hasselt, where he meets up with her. At the time, however, the British labels were producing a more manufactured sound…exactly what Axelle wanted to avoid.
1986: Axelle gets down to work: she practices her singing while taking courses in music, theatre, cinema and law. She can now act, operate a camera or defend a cause – so her law degree definitely still comes in handy!
1989: Axelle meets composer-lyricist duo Daniel and Richard Seff. They invite her to perform Kennedy Boulevard, which she turns into a major hit. Kennedy Boulevard becomes her first single and her first platinum single in Belgium.
1990: Release of her second single, Aretha et Moi, a tribute to Axelle’s idol, Aretha "Lady Soul" Franklin. Axelle signs an international recording contract with Virgin Records the following year.
1993: Release of her first album, SANS PLUS ATTENDRE. Axelle writes five songs and takes her first steps as a lyricist. Building on ten years of hopes and dreams, Axelle enjoys a string of major hits: Elle Danse Seule, Sensualité, Je t’Attends and Le Monde Tourne Mal. The album is certified quintuple-platinum in Belgium, and sells more than 500,000 copies in France. Axelle reveals her talent for transforming her albums into stunning stage performances, displaying an authority and spontaneity that goes on to earn her a huge – and ultimately very loyal – fan base.
1995: Axelle gives an incredible performance at the legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam.
1996: Release of her second album, A TATONS. The album represents a dream come true for Axelle, who co-writes all of the songs and plays a major role in producing the album at a studio in Nashville. It includes performances from a host of legendary musicians, each offering an incredible wealth of experience, such as Isaac Hayes (visionary composer and sound magician on Shaft), Steve Cropper (Otis Redding’s long-time partner and accomplished guitarist with the Blues Brothers), Lester Snell (Issac’s brilliant, eclectic arranger) and Roger Hawkins (who has drummed with everyone from Traffic to Eric Clapton and Aretha Franklin). The songs A Tâtons and Ma Prière are the first singles from the album. The media are for once unanimous in their praise, sealing her reputation as a leading figure on the music scene.
1997: A Quoi Ça Sert, one of the most poignant tracks from A TATONS, is chosen by director Alain Corneau as the soundtrack for his film, Le Cousin. Axelle becomes a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
1998: Axelle and Youssou N’Dour launch the football world cup with a performance of La Cour Des Grands at the Stade de France in front of billions of television viewers. The single Rester Femme moves audiences across the world, and more than 1 million copies of A TATONS have sold to date. Axelle creates and produces from scratch a concert dedicated to soul and R&B sounds, inviting her heros, Isaac Hayes, Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore, Eddie Floyd, Percy Sledge and Ann Peebles to join her in a series of incredible performances in Antwerp and Paris.
1999: Axelle is presented with a Victoire de la Musique award for Female Artist of the Year in February. Releases TOUJOURS MOI, a new album featuring the singles Ce Matin and Bimbo à Moi and the hit Parce Que C’est Toi. Written and produced entirely by Axelle, this third album is currently certified double-platinum in France.
2000: At last! After more than 400 concerts since the start of her career, Axelle brings out her first live album – ALIVE – plus a companion DVD.
2002: Release of her fourth album, FACE A/FACE B, a reference to “fast and slow” vinyl singles from 1960s (Side A featured a fast track for dancing, while Side B was devoted to a slower tune). The album is co-produced with Al Stone (producer of Jamiroquai, Bjork and many others). Axelle explores a series of hard-hitting subjects in her songs, including extremism, globalization, anti-personnel mines, child soliders and drugs.
2003: Axelle puts together a three-CD long-box set, AXELLE RED, full of previously unreleased tracks in Flemish, Spanish, English and French, featuring everything from vocals-plus-piano songs to duets with Charles Aznavour, Tom Barman from Belgian band dEUS, Stephan Eicher, Arno and the legendary Dutch vocalist Ramses Shaffy. Axelle teams up with Renaud to perform the incredible Manhattan Kaboul, which goes on to become the Song of the Year. She receives an award for Best Supporting Actress at the New York Film Festival for her debut role in the film ELLECTRA, produced by auteur Rudolphe Mestdagh.
2004: Release of Axelle’s first “best of” album, FRENCH SOUL, which features two previously unreleased tracks, I Have a Dream/J'ai Fait un Rêve, a tribute to Martin Luther King, and You Make My Day/Je Pense à Toi. Axelle produces the videos accompanying the two tracks, and also releases a companion DVD that features the album’s videos plus footage of an intimate concert at Paris’ Bataclan concert hall with her loyal band of musicians from Memphis, who feature on her next album as well.
2005: During a European summit, Axelle lodges an official request with President Barroso of the European Commission to increase the budget in aid of developing countries. In May, Kofi Annan thanks Axelle in Geneva for her humanitarian work with a number of NGOs. Axelle takes part in the Live 8 concert in Paris.
2006: In September, Axelle is made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, one France’s most prestigious arts awards, and releases her fifth studio album, JARDIN SECRET. As with her other albums, Axelle will perform JARDIN SECRET live onstage in 2007 as part of a major concert tour.
UNICEF
