Bailly, Charly

Composer, singer and pianist Charly Bailly was born in Macon, France, and wrote supposedly his first song at age eight. He is known for such early songs as “Le vagabonde de rêve” (1949), Menace de Mort” (1950) and “La femme orchidée” (1952), and for his soundtrack for the 1950 crime film “Le furet” (the ferret). His career took off when he teamed up with André Varel, whom he had met in North Africa during World War II; calling themselves “Varel et Bailly” they created songs for such famous singers as Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf. The two became co-directors of “Les Chanteurs de Paris,” a group of 7 young graduates of the Université de Paris, and before that, members of “Les petits chanteurs de Paris.” Varel was the lyricist and Bailly the composer and pianist. In 1956/1957 they made their American debut with great success, performing for four weeks in the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and making guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Garry Moore Show. During their 1959 North American tour they were booked for 65 concerts in 13 weeks, many at college campuses. They began a schedule of American tours during the winter, French tours during the spring, and summers spent at a chateau in Chartres with other musicians, artists and friends, some from Montreal and Vancouver. During his lifetime, Bailly wrote or co-wrote over a hundred songs.