Mike Brant

Childhood

Mike Brant's parents were from Poland. His mother, Bronia Rosenberg, originally from Łódź, was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. His father, Fishel Brand, from Biłgoraj, had been a resistance fighter during World War II, and was 20 years his wife's senior. His parents married following the war, and they applied to emigrate to Mandatory Palestine, but were initially denied permission. They attempted to reach Mandate Palestine by sea on an Aliyah Bet ship, and were sent to a British internment camp for illegal Jewish immigrants at Famagusta, on the island of Cyprus. Mike was born in Cyprus, on February 1, 1947. In September 1947, the family emigrated to Palestine after being included in a quota for Jewish immigration to Israel as the new nation was established in 1948, and they arrived in Haifa, settling in a kibbutz in Galilee. Mike Brant did not start speaking until six years of age, and very soon told his family and friends that when he grew up he'd be "a star... or a tramp!" At the age of 11 he joined his school choir.

Musical career

When he was 17, Moshe Brand joined his brother's band, "The Chocolates", as lead singer. The band started at parties and cafés in Haifa and Tel Aviv, Israel, and moved on to nightclubs in hotels. Brant sang in English and French, although he spoke only Hebrew. In 1965, he changed his name from Moshe to Mike because it sounded more international. He was discovered by the Israeli impresario Yonatan Karmon, who signed him for a tour around the United States and South Africa that lasted almost a year.

In May 1969, Brant performed at the Baccara club at the Hilton Hotel in Tehran, Iran. A young French singer, Sylvie Vartan, also on the bill, was impressed and urged him to come to Paris. Brant arrived on July 9, 1969. It took ten days to find Vartan but eventually she introduced him to the producer Jean Renard, who had turned Johnny Hallyday into a star. Under Renard's guidance, he changed his surname from Brand to Brant, and recorded his biggest hit, "Laisse-moi t'aimer" ("Let Me Love You"). The song was a success at the Midem music festival in January 1970. "Laisse-moi t'aimer" sold 50,000 copies in two weeks.

Success

Brant represented France in a radio contest broadcast all over Europe and in Israel. His song, sponsored by Radio Luxembourg, was "Mais dans la lumière" ("But In the Light"). He won. He continued to release hits: "Qui saura" ("Who Knows"), "L'amour c'est ça, l'amour c'est toi" (written by Paul Korda/Robert Talar), "C’est ma prière" ("That's My Prayer"), "Un grand bonheur" ("A Great Joy") and "Parce que je t'aime plus que moi" ("Because I Love You More Than Myself"). His first album, "Disque d'Or" ("Gold Record") sold millions. Brant took a song written and composed by his friend Mike Tchaban/Tashban "Why do I love you? Why do I need you?" but French radio stations would not air it because it was in English. Brant returned to Israel soon afterward.

In February 1971, Brant was injured in a road accident. Although he suffered minor injuries, it received media attention. That year, he gave concerts in Israel, and performed a new song Erev Tov (Good Evening), written together with Nachum Heiman and some collaboration with Moshe/Michael Tchaban's melodic subject of some musical composition. During his concert tour in Israel, he was accompanied by Israeli singer Yaffa Yarkoni. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, he performed in Israel for front-line soldiers.

Suicide attempts and death

By 1973, he was giving 250 concerts a year, some attended by 6,000–10,000 people. This went on for two years. He suffered from depression and loneliness, and from the Second Generation Syndrome (family history of the Holocaust), and would alternate, sometimes enjoying life and at other times slipping back into depression. On November 22, 1974, he attempted suicide, jumping out the window of his manager's hotel room in Geneva. He suffered fractures but survived. He cut the number of performances and concentrated on another album, Dis-lui ("Tell Her", French version of "Feeling"). In January 1975, he released two singles, "Qui pourra lui dire" and "Elle a gardé ses yeux d'enfants" (written by Richard Seff and Michel Jourdan).

On April 25, 1975, the day his new album was released, Brant leapt to his death from an apartment located at 6 Rue Erlanger in Paris. He was 28.

Mike Brant was buried in Haifa.

In popular culture

Mike Brant has been sampled by rapper Havoc of the group Mobb Deep, for his track "Live It Up". It was sampled also by RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. Rapper Eminem sampled Brant's song "Mais dans la lumière" in his track "Crack a Bottle" released by him, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

Comedian Dany Boon lampooned Mike Brant in his show Waïka by singing his song "Laisse moi t'aimer" suspended by a rope.

Reportages and documentaries

Books and biographies about Mike Brant

(by chronological order)

Amaury Vassili chante Mike Brant (album)

On 27 October 2014, the French singer Amaury Vassili released a tribute album to Mike Brant entitled Amaury Vassili chante Mike Brant (meaning Amaury Vassili sings Mike Brant). The album was set to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Mike Brant's death in 1975.

The album in Warner Music entered at number 8 in SNEP French Albums Chart in its first week of release. It also charted at number 17 on the Belgian French (Wallonia) Ultratop Albums Chart. The album was in two formats: An ordinary album and a Collectors Edition that included a number of instrumental arrangements of Mike Brant songs. Very notably the album contains "Où que tu sois" that was composed by Brant but never released by him.

Albums

(Selective)

Singles