About Aimé Duval: French Composer (1918 – 1984)
Aimee Duval (better known by name Father Duvall), (30 June 1918 – 30 April 1984), was a Jesuit French priest, singer-songwriter and guitarist who was very successful in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Lucien Duval was born in Le Val-d’Ajol in the Vosges and was baptized in Plombières. After a few years of primary school, he attended a Jesuit college in Brussels in 1920, already with the desire to become a priest. During this time, he wrote his first chanson. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1936 to study Catholic theology. On July 24, 1944, he was ordained a priest in Enghien (Belgium). He initially worked as a French teacher in Reims until he was able to devote himself fully to music.
A few years after he was ordained, Duvall began writing songs and first showing them in bars and cafés. Soon he was invited to give a concert. His tours took him all over Europe: he gave 3000 concerts in 45 countries. His concert in (West) Berlin was attended by 30,000 people. Prime Minister Konrad Adenauer gave him a guitar “to thank him for the joy he brings to young people”. In 1965, Père Duval became the first priest to sing “Behind the Iron Curtain”: he gave a free concert in Warsaw. He also performs in the United States.
His first record was released in 1956. By 1961, he had sold more than one million records. He released a total of 14 albums.
The pressures of touring and composing made him suffer from a rapidly escalating alcohol disorder. In February 1969, he attempted suicide and was rescued for alcohol detoxification in Versailles. He fought for addiction to be seen as a disease. That same year, he relapsed. Since then, he has regularly attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. To help his countrymen, he dictated his drug addiction during the long journey and published it as a book shortly before his death: L’enfant qui jouait avec la lune – “Children Playing with the Moon” – (ISBN 9782706707391). The book became a bestseller, signed only by the author’s name: Lucien; as a subtitle is his self-description: Chanteur, Jésuite, Alcoolique.
On April 30, 1984, Aimee Duvall died after a concert in Metz and was buried in Nancy.
musical work
He showed his chansons himself and accompanied them with his guitar (that’s why he was called “God’s Guitarist” in France). Georges Brassens admired him so much that he was mentioned in his song Les Trompettes de la renommée [fr]. Pére Duval was one of the pioneers of the Neues Geistliches Lied.Catholic theologian Carl Rana rates Aimee Duvall’s poetry and writing a song from the heart.
singer
some songs:
- every night
- Rue des Longues Haies
- À Bilbao
- Parla Major
- J’ai joué de la flûte
- Les Faces de carême (Ris ou pleure, fais quelque chose…)
- The beauty waiting for the world
- Le Seigneur reviendra
- lord, my friend
- Pourquoi viens-tu si tard ?
- L’Espérance More
- La P’tite Tête
- Comme un soldat
- dance
- old testament
- Carmine
- Marie-Theresa
books, records
- Lucien (pseudonym: this is his second name), L’Enfant qui jouait avec la luneMulhouse, 1983.
- Paul Tihon: Le Père Duval ou la chanson fraternelleBrussels, 1960.
- Ignacio Ecaniz: Passion and Glory (vol.4)Anand (India), Sahitya Prakash, Gujarat, 2000, pp. 236-243.
- Integral 1956-1961 : coffret 4 CD, Monthabor Music2014-2016
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