Christophe Maé

French folk-pop singer Christophe Maé first earned widespread notice as an actor, co-starring in the smash stage musical Le Roi Soleil. Born October 16, 1975, in Carpentras, Maé was the son of an amateur jazz musician. He began studying violin at age six, and a decade later added guitar and harmonica (the latter in tribute to Stevie Wonder, an enormous influence over his subsequent musical direction). After several years playing clubs and cabarets in the south of France, Maé relocated to Paris, where he came to the attention of producer Dove Attia. Cast as Monsieur, the brother of Le Roi Soleil's title character, he joined the production in late 2005 and immediately vaulted to national fame. The success of the musical forced Maé to temporarily mothball his solo career, but upon exiting Le Roi Soleil in the spring of 2007 he issued his debut LP, Mon Paradis. Produced by Volodia, the album became a big hit, selling over one million copies, thanks in part to its breakout single "On S'Attache." In 2008, Maé released a double acoustic album, Comme à la Maison, which included a handful of hit singles from his debut such as "On S'Attache" and "Parce qu'on Sait Jamais" in a stripped-back fashion. Also featured was a medley of songs by Bob Marley -- an artist who heavily influenced Maé’s songwriting -- which was sung alongside contemporary William Baldé. In 2010, Maé released his highly anticipated second record, titled On Trace la Route. Predictably, it went straight to number one in France, and also charted high in Switzerland and Greece. Two years later, while On Trace la Route was still in the French charts and had received a diamond certification for its French sales, Maé began work on his third album, Je Veux du Bonheur. He produced the sessions himself, with help from Volodia (just like On Trace la Route). Je Veux du Bonheur was released in June 2013, and spent several weeks at number one in France. Two years later, it had equaled the success of its predecessor, becoming his second diamond album in France. Fourth album L'Attrape-rêves appeared in 2016, and easily hit number one both in France and Belgium, driven by the success of his biggest single in years, the Top Ten "Il Est où le Bonheur." ~ Jason Ankeny