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Claude Barzotti, do you know him? This charming Belgian singer, born Francesco Barzotti on July 23, 1953, in the small town of Châtelineau, Belgium. He was about 1.75m tall, a discreet figure for a man who became an essential voice.
Frankly, his story is a mix of Italy and Belgium. His childhood was divided between these two worlds, between Sicily and Belgium – somewhat like a back and forth between his roots and his adopted country. This is what shaped his public identity, that little “Rital” side he embraced with his hits.
You have surely hummed his songs in the 80s-90s. He moved hearts with songs like Le Rital, Madame, and Je ne t’écrirai plus. He had that slightly raspy timbre, that raw emotion that grabbed you by the guts without warning.
Indeed, Claude never truly left the public, even if his last days were marked by illness, which he faced with courage until his death in 2023. In the meantime, he had chosen to put music aside in 2020, aware that life was playing a bad trick on him.
Claude Barzotti, a Belgian singer of Italian origin with lasting success
Francesco Barzotti, known as Claude Barzotti, was a funny mix. Born into an Italian family settled in Belgium, he spent part of his childhood in Italy, near Pesaro on the Adriatic coast. That’s where he started music, with accordion and guitar, before returning to Belgium at the age of nine.
He therefore had this dual culture that showed through in his songs, a real bridge between two worlds. Who knows, that may have given him that extra soul. He died in 2023, in Court-Saint-Étienne, at 69, suffering from pancreatic cancer. But until the end, he was a passionate artist, attached to his homeland.
Before fame, the path wasn’t straightforward. Barzotti was a mason, bike mechanic, even a music teacher. Can you imagine? The guy who could have stayed in the shadows, and yet he found the spotlight thanks to his songs, started from age 20 with the famous “Madame”.
Ah, and a funny little detail: he was a member of the table tennis club “la Palette Stéphanoise”, where he was even champion with his team in 1974. A sporty singer, who would have thought?
Claude Barzotti’s major hits ✨ his songs that marked their era
The guy didn’t mess around. In 1983, his hit Le Rital exploded, staying number 1 in sales in France for 7 weeks! This song is a bit his ID card, this gift he gave an entire generation. He liked to remind that, at first, “rital” was an insult, but thanks to him, this word lost its pejorative side.
Then “Je ne t’écrirai plus”, in 1984, which earned him a gold record, with over 500,000 sales. For a guy who started in dance halls, that’s quite a trajectory. Not to mention “Madame”, written at age 20 when he was tinkering as a mechanic, a modest song that still touches people.
In the 90s, he continued with Aime-moi, proof he never really drifted away from people’s hearts. Want to listen? There’s even a special playlist with all his greatest hits to dive back into that atmosphere here.
He also lent his pen to Dalida, for “La pensione bianca” in 1984. A guy who knew how to write for himself but also for others. The career is pretty packed, with records, tours, moments of glory.
A rich career but marked by personal struggles
Life wasn’t always easy for Barzotti. He had to undergo the removal of a kidney in 1975 following health problems. Imagine physically, it can’t be simple. And then there was the struggle against alcohol, that shadow that followed him since his 30s, and that he had difficulty taming.
In 2020, it was the end. Claude announced he was stopping everything, suffering from serious health issues linked to alcohol and his liver. The guy had tasted life and its excesses, and was paying dearly. But until the end, he remained attached to music, he loved it, he had that raw talent, that palpable emotion.
Despite everything, he kept a strong bond with his fans and the public – he participated in several tours for the “Âge tendre” shows, where he shared the stage with other legends from the 80s. It reminds us that his heart always beat for the stage.
The private life of Claude Barzotti: family, passions and commitments
Claude was also a family man. He had two daughters, Vanessa born in 1974 and Sarah, born in 1990. Two bursts of his life, whom he cherished away from the spotlight. If you’re looking for tabloid gossip, forget it. He preferred to prioritize music and his loved ones.
His discreet side offstage allowed him to cultivate his passions otherwise, including table tennis, as an active member — yes, la Palette Stéphanoise still remembers him. He was a simple guy, attached to his Italian roots and his Belgian country. A true mix that gave him that unique charm.
He was also involved in causes, notably the fight against cancer, a personal and shared battle. This visible vulnerability is also what makes his journey so touching.
Want to know more about this exceptional artist? Visit his official biography, it’s a fascinating dive into the life of a man who marked several generations.
Recent projects and musical legacy of Claude Barzotti 🎶
Last album in 2019, Un homme, which keeps that emotional and sincere DNA. You feel that time does not erase passions nor wounds. Of course, the pandemic and its troubles disrupted his career, forcing the cancellation of many concerts in 2020, which is why he made the difficult decision to stop.
Impossible to forget his appearance on the Parisian stage at the Olympia in 2009 with “Je reviens d’un voyage”. A strong moment, captured on a live album that still gives chills. You can (re)discover it easily thanks to this video excerpt. A performance that shows how much he still knew how to reach his audience.
In short, Claude Barzotti leaves behind a cherished legacy, a love story with popular Francophone music, both tender and melancholic. His songs still resonate, proof that this Belgian singer of Italian descent succeeded in his bet: to transcend time.
- 🌟 1983: Number 1 with Le Rital, his emblematic song
- 🎵 Over 500,000 copies sold of Je ne t’écrirai plus
- 💕 Two daughters, Vanessa and Sarah, pillars of his life
- 🛑 Career stopped in 2020 due to illness
- 🎤 Participation in the Âge tendre tour from 2008 to 2020
Who was Claude Barzotti?
Claude Barzotti, whose real name was Francesco Barzotti, was a Belgian-Italian singer born in 1953, famous for his hits in the 1980s like Le Rital and Madame.
Why was Claude Barzotti nicknamed ‘Le Rital’?
This nickname comes from his hit ‘Le Rital’, which proudly evokes his Italian origins and helped popularize this often pejorative term.
When did Claude Barzotti stop his career?
He ended his career in 2020, mainly due to serious health problems related to cancer and alcoholism.
What are Claude Barzotti’s must-listen hits?
His biggest hits remain ‘Le Rital’, ‘Madame’, ‘Je ne t’écrirai plus’, and ‘Aime-moi’.
How to discover Claude Barzotti’s music today?
You can listen to his greatest hits on streaming platforms and find live videos, like on this playlist or this concert at the Olympia.
