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Mireille Mathieu
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===Career in the 20th century (1967–2000)=== [[File:Mireille Mathieu Hamburg 1971 001.jpg|thumb|Mathieu performing in Hamburg, Germany, 1971]] Although the popularity of Mathieu's genre has declined, given the domination of [[rock and roll]] and the global lack of interest in non-English popular music during her most profitable years, she has remained a popular artist in France and Europe. Many thousands of fans have met her before and after performances for autographs and to wish her well over the years, and the common refrain is how well she treats her fans. She easily interacts with the public. While the Mathieu sisters are quite wealthy, they have also made their songwriters extremely wealthy. Most of the record profits go to the authors, whereas Mathieu had to tour and perform concerts live and on television.<ref name="rfi">{{Cite web|title=Biography: Mireille Mathieu|url=http://www.rfimusique.com/siteEn/biographie/biographie_6096.asp|publisher=RFI Musique|access-date=22 September 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911202144/http://www.rfimusique.com/siteEn/biographie/biographie_6096.asp|archive-date=11 September 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> While on tour in February 1968, Mathieu was involved in a car accident in which she fractured one of her [[vertebrae]]; the injury incapacitated her for three months.<ref>{{Cite news|title=From the Music Capitals of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57|access-date=24 September 2010|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=30 March 1968}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Miss Mathieu to Give First Concert Since Auto Mishap|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52|access-date=24 September 2010|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=13 April 1968}}</ref> She writes in her book that they received a note which said, "we will get you next time", but it was not proven to be anything other than an accident.<ref name="autobiography" /><ref>{{Cite news|title=Mireille Mathieu 'New Piaf,' Breaks the gate in Brussels|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HSgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53|access-date=25 September 2010|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=25 March 1967}}</ref> In 1971, Barclay was unable to meet the demand for records. Stark then made a contract with [[Philips Records]] to issue all the singles and EPs, resulting in a million-dollar lawsuit from Barclay for breach of contract. Barclay's contract was scheduled to run until 1972.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Barclay Sues Mathieu Mgr over Pact|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SUUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA57|access-date=26 September 2010|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=3 April 1971}}</ref> In 1972, Mathieu toured Canada and produced a live album. Stark had his first heart attack while making arrangements for this concert.<ref name="biography" /> In 1974, Mathieu formed her own publishing company, Abilene Music. Today, this company is involved in the publishing and printing of music material.<ref name="abilene music">{{Cite web|title=Abilene Music|url=http://www.societe.com/societe/abilene-music-302454095.html|access-date=29 January 2014|publisher=Societe.com|date=24 October 1974}}</ref> In 1983, Mathieu established another publishing company, Abilene Disc. This company is used to publish her recordings and is managed by her sisters Monique and Christiane.<ref name="abilene disc">{{Cite web|title=Abilene Disc|url=http://www.societe.com/societe/abilene-disc-326300340.html|access-date=29 January 2014|publisher=Societe.com|date=28 February 1983}}</ref> In 1985, Mathieu joined [[Plácido Domingo]] in performing a children's show called ''The Tales of Cri-Cri.'' This television special featured puppets along with fifty years of traditional Mexican songs, producing popular versions in Spanish, French, and English.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Cri-Cri (kree-kree) To Make World Television Debut in Musical Special|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT57|access-date=25 September 2010|newspaper=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=26 January 1985}}</ref> Mathieu's father, Roger, died this same year.<ref name="autobiography" /> In 1986, Mathieu returned to Paris with tremendous concerts at the Palais des Congrès (more than 100,000 spectators in one month, sold-out concerts). She then performed in China, with a French television crew from TF1 filming ''Mireille Mathieu in China''. In her autobiography, she states that she was the first Western performer to give a concert in the city, but this was in error, as at least two other Western performances preceded hers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NYUnAQAAIAAJ|title=International Who's Who in Popular Music 2008|date=7 October 2008|publisher=Taylor & Francis Group|isbn=9781857434545|via=Google Books}}</ref> In 1988, [[W. Kordes' Söhne]], a German rose-breeding company, introduced the Mireille Mathieu Rose to match her favorite lipstick color. Mathieu also published her autobiography with co-author {{ill|Jacqueline Cartier|fr|Jacqueline Cartier}}. The title is ''Oui je crois'', meaning "Yes, I Believe", which is taken from the lyrics of ''Mon crédo,'' her first recording. The book was viewed as a final chapter in her career, and Stark was also exhausted and overweight by this time.<ref name="rfi" /> [[Pierre Delanoë]] wrote a passionate song about Joan of Arc titled ''La Demoiselle d'Orléans'' for Mathieu. The final lyric reads: "When I think of all I have given France... and she has forgotten me." She used her fists to punch the air while singing the song.<ref name="biography" />[[File:Mirelle Mathieu (Kordes 1988).JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|Mireille Mathieu rose]] In response to accusations of being docile, Mathieu writes in her autobiography that she and Stark understood each other. She wanted to be a singer, and he was tired of people who merely sought fame. They were both hard workers, and he kept her schedule filled with lucrative contracts. She also notes that she was forbidden to read the press; however, having peeked at some of it, she was content to follow that rule. Stark, of course, had a heavy hand in manipulating the press. Mathieu recounts that her mother was often surprised to read on the front page that she was engaged to someone famous or was going to star in a movie directed by a well-known director. Her guiding principle was simply to sing and ensure that her family never returned to the tenements of ''Croix des Oiseaux''.<ref name="autobiography" /> Many photographs and films from the early years depict life around Stark's villa in Roquefort-la-Bédoule (south of France). The villa, also named ''La Bédoule'', provided an escape from Paris for everyone to relax. The home supported Stark's telephone addiction, boasting 28 telephones, with each car also equipped with a phone. Mathieu lived here with her aunt Irène, and her siblings would often visit. The pool was designed to be shallow all around and deep in the center, as Mathieu had a fear of drowning and never learned to swim. The property was sold following Stark's divorce.<ref name="biography">Bonini, Emmanuel. ''La véritable Mireille Mathieu''. Paris: Pygmalion, 2005.</ref> In 1989, President [[François Mitterrand]] invited Mathieu to sing a tribute to General [[Charles de Gaulle]].<ref name="rfi" /> Stark died that same year after suffering his second heart attack. Divorced and estranged from his family, Stark was entombed in the mausoleum of Mathieu in Avignon. Upon Stark's death, many remarked that no one could replace him, a sentiment that proved true; however, by that time, the entertainment press had also matured.<ref name="biography"/> Stark left behind a legal "bloody mess." It took Mathieu and her lawyers years to settle and process his estate. "I was severely depressed, but I got out without needing analysis." The most controversial event of Mathieu's career, according to the media at the time, occurred when she took over Stark's office and ended her business relationship with Nadine Joubert. In an interview for ''Paris Match'' in 2002, Mathieu stated, "I realized that people I trusted stole my money, so I fired everyone!" Mathieu's sister Monique stepped in to become her business manager. Stark wanted Pascal Auriat to succeed him, but Auriat died three months before Stark. Mathieu performed again at the Palais des Congrès in November and December 1990 with a special two-hour concert without intermission, featuring a new haircut reminiscent of Louise Brooks and a very simple black dress created by French couturier Pierre Cardin. Unfortunately, this was during the First Gulf War, resulting in fewer spectators than in 1986, and some performances had to be canceled due to insufficient ticket sales. In 1993, she attempted a comeback with two albums devoted to her idol, Édith Piaf: ''Mireille Mathieu chante Piaf'' in French and ''Unter dem Himmel von Paris'' in German. She sold 100,000 copies of the French album, which was also available in the United States. In November 1995, she recorded the new album ''Vous lui direz...'', produced by Michel Jourdan for East West. The album featured new songs from a variety of authors, including Maxime Leforestier, who wrote "À la moitié de la distance" for Mathieu. She adapted this album into the German version ''In meinem Traum,'' which included two mini-CDs. In 1998, she performed at the Olympia in Paris and released a compilation titled ''Son grand numéro'' with the new record label EMI. This compilation included a cover of Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart", translated into French as "Reste avec moi". In 1999, Mathieu released another German album, ''Alles nur ein Spiel,'' featuring several modern songs with a techno sound, including "C'est ça l'amour" and "Wenn die Sehnsucht erwacht."
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