Robert Jean-François Joseph Pascal Lapointe, professionally known as Boby Lapointe, was a renowned French actor and singer, celebrated for his witty texts, alliterations, and clever wordplay.
Born on April 16, 1922, in Pézenas, Hérault département, southern France, Lapointe was an exceptional student, preparing for the entrance exam to the prestigious Centrale (engineering school) and Sup-Aero at Montpellier. However, his academic pursuits were interrupted in 1942 when he was conscripted into the Youth Building Projects, and subsequently sent to Linz, Austria, in 1943 for compulsory work service.
In 1943, Lapointe escaped and found employment as a diver in La Ciotat, a suburb of Marseille, in 1944. Two years later, in 1946, he married Colette Maclaud, with whom he had two children, Ticha (born 1948) and Jacky (1950).
Lapointe's literary career began in 1951 with the publication of his first work, Les douze chants d'un imbecile. He subsequently relocated to Paris, where he opened a fashion and baby clothes shop, while continuing to write and produce plays. Later, he transitioned to becoming a TV aerial fitter and began his singing career.
His rise to fame was accelerated when the renowned actor Bourvil sang Lapointe's song Aragon et Castille in the 1954 film Poisson d'avril. In 1960, film director François Truffaut offered him a part in Tirez sur le Pianiste, in which he sang Framboise, accompanied by Charles Aznavour on piano. This marked the beginning of a successful career, during which Lapointe performed at prominent venues throughout France. His charismatic personality led him to form lasting friendships with notable figures such as Anne Sylvestre, Raymond Devos, Jacques Brel, and Georges Brassens.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, Lapointe was also a mathematician, and in 1971, he developed the bibi-binary system, also known as the système Bibi in French.
Source: Wikipedia article "Boby Lapointe" in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
