Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean Marcel Leroy (20 January 1929 – 4 November 2016), better known as Jean-Jacques Perrey (French: [pɛʁɛ]), was a French electronic music performer, composer, producer, and promoter. He is considered a pioneer of pop electronica.[1] Perrey partnered with composer-performer Gershon Kingsley to form the electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, who issued some of the first commercial recordings featuring the Moog synthesizer. Perrey was also one of the first to promote, perform, and record with the Ondioline, developed by Georges Jenny.
Jean-Jacques Perrey
Jean Marcel Leroy
20 January 1929
Amiens, France
4 November 2016 (aged 87)
Lausanne, Switzerland
- Composer
- arranger
- performer
- recording artist
- music producer
- Synthesizer
- piano
- Ondioline
- Moog synthesizer
- accordion
1951–2014
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Jean Marcel Leroy was born in Amiens,[2] in the north of France.[3] He was given his first instrument, an accordion, at age 4 on Christmas Eve, 1933.[4] He learned to play piano[5] and studied music at a conservatory for two months,[6] during which he and several classmates formed a jazz band, which performed at the school and at public venues. However, the school's director warned the students that they could either "continue playing jazz or continue your studies".[5] Perrey was expelled from the conservatory for violating a prohibition against students performing in public;[6] he later graduated from the Lycée d'Amiens. He studied medicine in Paris for four years, and planned to pursue scientific research.[4] He was an avid reader of science fiction, in particular the works of Isaac Asimov, Aldous Huxley, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Bradbury,[6] and took occasional work as an accordionist.[7]
Start of music career[edit]
In 1950, while enrolled in medical school, Perrey heard inventor Georges Jenny playing and promoting his homemade Ondioline on a French radio show.[8][9] "With the audacity of youth [Perrey] phoned the radio station and requested Georges Jenny's telephone number, which he was duly given," wrote music historian Mark Brend. "Perrey then phoned Jenny himself, saying he liked the sound of the Ondioline but couldn't afford to buy one."[10] Perrey offered to promote the instrument if Jenny would give him one for free.[11] After a visit to the inventor's workshop, Perrey was loaned an Ondioline. For six months Perrey practiced playing the Ondioline with his right hand while simultaneously playing piano with his left.[12] Jenny was so impressed with Perrey's proficiency, he offered him a job as a salesman and product demonstrator.[13] After earning substantial commissions on sales made during a trip to Sweden (during which he performed on TV), Perrey quit medical school and devoted his career to electronic music.[12]
In 1951, singer/composer Charles Trenet heard about the Ondioline and requested a demonstration of the instrument by Perrey, who at the time was traveling to promote the new device. Trenet was so impressed[14] that he hired Perrey for the recording session for the song "L'Âme des poètes" ("The Soul of Poets").[12] At a second session, Perrey played Ondioline on three more Trenet songs; the guitarist on two of those later tracks was Django Reinhardt.[8] "L'Âme des poètes" became an international commercial success, and Perrey was asked to accompany Trenet on stage.[15] "My collaboration with [Trenet] lasted a year," said Perrey, "during which I was able to meet other great artists and singers such as Yves Montand and Jacques Brel. I made my debut on radio and French television, not only as an accompanist of great singing stars, but also performing my own musical act."[4] Perrey began to travel extensively, first in France and then abroad to attend international music fairs. Eventually he developed a cabaret act, "Around the World in 80 Ways", which was a showcase for the Ondioline's versatility. Perrey explained: