Francis Lai | Artist

Francis Albert Lai was a French film score composer born 1932 in Nice, France. In his twenties, Lai left home and went to Paris, where he became part of the Montmarte music scene. After a short period with the orchestra of Michel Magne, Lai became accompanist for Edith Piaf and also one of her composers. In 1965 he met filmmaker Claude Lelouch and was hired to write the score for the film A Man and a Woman. Released in 1966, the film was a major international success, earning a number of Academy Awards. The young Lai received a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Original Score". This initial success brought more opportunities to work for the film industry both in his native France, where he continued to work with Lelouch on scores to films such as Vivre pour vivre (1967), Un homme qui me plaît (1969), Le voyou (1970) and La bonne année (1973), as well as in the UK and the USA. One critic described his music for Bilitis as "light to the point of almost not being there... Lai uses synthesizers, acoustic guitars, and a truckload of strings to weave the perfect setting." Over the course of his career he released 74 albums and won the 1970 Oscar for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film "Love Story". Standout albums include Un homme et une femme, Vivre pour vivre, 13 jours en France, Hello-Goodbye and Bilitis.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Francis_Lai

Featured Albums: Francis Lai

Related Artists: Edith Piaf