Henri Decker born 14 February 1920

Henri Decker (February 14, 1920 - November 3, 2002) was a versatile French singer, songwriter, guitarist, publisher and producer. 

Born Henri Léon Decker in Le Havre, Seine-Inférieure (now Seine-Maritime), France. He studied singing and guitar, before arriving in Paris after the war in the hope of pursuing a career in song. He began his artistic life singing in various Parisian venues. 

By 1947 he had his first recording issued for Columbia, “J'ai perdu mon amour” and became a prolific recording artist into the 1960’s. Possessing an astonishing capacity for musical integration, Herni Decker was in demand by several conductors, including Paul Durand, Fernand Warms, Louis Ledrich and Michel Emer, a star of Polydor Records. At the same time whist on tour, he met a certain Jacqueline François, a singer, with whom he later marry. When Jacqueline François performed abroad, he did not hesitate to join her. His fame thus became international. 

                        Here's "Jealousie" from above album.

                                   

He recorded many sides with the orchestras of Andre Popp and Jack Elliott under the name of Unico Milti & His Four Voices, by multi-tracking his voice four times. Decker also participated in the production of the very first LP pressed by Philips at the Louviers factory on 21st September 1957: He wrote songs for himself and other artists, and many of his songs were picked up by other artists, such as Dalida. Some of his songs were written under the name Bagheera in the 1960’s.

As a talented actor he appeared in several television series including “La joie de vivre” (1952), “Toute la chanson” (1960) and “La chance aux chansons” (1984). Decker was married three times. His spouses included Liliana Basaldella, Jacqueline François, and Ginette Poirot. 

He passed away on November 3, 2002, in Paris, France, leaving behind a legacy of artistic endeavors and memorable performances. Henri Decker’s multifaceted career enriched the world of entertainment, and his contribution continues to be appreciated with a large part of his discography which can now be found on all platforms. 

(Information regarding this prolific French recording artist is extremely scarce, and after hours of searching and using Google translations of various snippets of information, this is all I could muster. If anyone can help broaden this little biography then please do.)