“Clo-Clo”

(b. February 1, 1939, Ismailia, Egypt, d.  March 11, 1978, Paris)

The French singer who did the most to popularize rock and roll music in France was Claude Francois. His career can be compared to that of Elvis Presley in America. His accidental death in 1978 sent shock waves through the Gallic music world and even inspired a number of female fans to attempt suicide in order to join him in the next world. Two of them succeeded…On March 11, 1978 – Claude was at his Paris apartment at #46 Boulevard Exelmans, with an American girlfriend named Kathleen, and a French secretary. In the afternoon he took a shower in preparation for a trip to the recording studio. After finishing his shower, he noticed that the light bulb in the socket hanging over the shower was burned out. With his feet in the water, he reached up to change it, and was instantly electrocuted.  Efforts to revive him failed. He was pronounced dead at 3:30pm.