Patrick Juvet: Biography of a Swiss Disco Icon
Patrick Juvet (Montreux, August 21, 1950 – Barcelona, c. April 1, 2021) was a Swiss model, singer-songwriter, and musician, best known for his hit records in Europe and, in particular, for his contribution to the international disco scene in the 1970s.
Born and raised in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland, to Robert and Janine Juvet, along with his brother Daniel and sister Nancy, Patrick Juvet showed an early interest in music, fueled by his father's work selling radios and televisions. He began studying piano at the age of seven and later developed a passion for the music of The Beatles.
In 1968, at just 18 years old, Juvet moved to Paris with little means. Encouraged by a friend, he pursued a modeling career in Düsseldorf, Germany, for about two years, before returning to Paris in 1970.
His life changed in Saint-Tropez, where he met French record producer Eddie Barclay, who gave him the opportunity to record his first single in 1971. Subsequently, Juvet wrote "Le Lundi au soleil", made famous by Claude François. Juvet's talent blossomed further through his collaboration with French composer and musician Jean-Michel Jarre, with whom he created the album "Love" in 1973. In the same year, he represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Je vais me marier, Marie", finishing in 12th place.
In 1977, the collaboration with Jarre led to the creation of the French-language album "Paris by Night", which featured the hit "Où sont les femmes?". But it was in 1978 that Juvet achieved international success, thanks to his partnership with disco producers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo (the same producers behind Village People and The Ritchie Family). This collaboration produced the hits "Got a Feeling" and, most notably, "I Love America", which climbed the charts in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, also reaching the top ten of the US disco chart.
In 1978, "Où sont les femmes?" was re-recorded in English under the title "Where Is My Woman?" and included on Juvet's English-language debut album, released in the United States by Casablanca Records. The lyricist for the project was Victor Willis, the original lead singer of the Village People.
Juvet also composed the soundtrack for David Hamilton's arthouse film, "Laura", featuring disco musicians Marc Chantereau and Slim Pezin (from Voyage) and bassist Jannick Top. Although the "Laura" soundtrack was never released on CD and never distributed in the United States, it still sold 650,000 copies.
With the decline of disco music in the early 1980s, Juvet returned to the French music scene in 1982 with the album "Rêves immoraux". While it sold decently, the album did not match Juvet's previous commercial success. A period of financial and personal decline followed, with Juvet suffering from periods of depression and alcoholism and moving from continental Europe to London, then to Los Angeles, and finally, in the latter half of the 1980s, back to Switzerland.
In 1991, Juvet returned to Paris and to his singer-songwriter roots with the album "Solitudes". The record featured more personal and emotional songs, with contributions from Francophone artists such as Françoise Hardy, Luc Plamondon, and Marc Lavoine.
In 2005, Juvet published his autobiography "Les bleus au cœur: Souvenirs", in which he recounted his career and his bisexuality.
Patrick Juvet was found lifeless in his Barcelona apartment on April 1, 2021, at the age of 70. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Patrick Juvet is remembered as an eclectic artist, capable of ranging from pop to disco, with an innate talent for songwriting and an iconic image that made him a prominent figure in the European and international music scene.
