SHAZAM

Mike Brant is an internationally popular Israeli singer of the early to mid-'70s who was especially successful in France, where his recording career began with the breakout success of his best-known song, "Laisse-moi T'aimer," in 1970. Born Moshe Brand on February 1, 1947, in a Jewish internment camp on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, he and his family settled in Haifa, Israel, within a year of his birth. His Jewish parents were Holocaust survivors who had fled Poland. In the 1960s he began performing as a vocalist and, in order to enhance his international marketability, billed himself Mike Brant. Though he spoke only Hebrew at the time, he sang phonetically in English, French, and other languages. Encouraged to emigrate to France by the French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, Brant arrived in Paris in 1969 and was referred to producer/songwriter Jean Renard, who had worked with Vartan and Johnny Hallyday. Written and produced by Renard, "Laisse-moi T'aimer" became Brant's breakout hit single in 1970 and remains his best-known song to this day. In the wake of "Laisse-moi T'aimer," Brant released a steady stream of hit singles including "Mais Dans la Lumière" and "Parce Que Je T'aime Plus Que Moi" in 1970; "À Corps Perdu" in 1971; "Qui Saura?," "C'est Ma Prière," and "Sans Amis" in 1972; "Rien Qu'une Larme," "Toi, Mon Enfant," "Tout Donné, Tout Repris," and "Viens Ce Soir" in 1973; "Serre les Poings et Bats-toi," "Qui Pourra Te Dire?," "C'est Comme Ça Que Je T'aime," and "Toutes les Couleurs" in 1974; and "Dis-lui" in 1975. His full-length album releases include Mike Brant (1970), L'Album d'Or (1972), Mike Brant 74 (1974), and Toutes les Couleurs (1974). On April 25, 1975, Brant died in Paris after reportedly throwing himself from the window of his hotel. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi