By Mike Lécuyer 
An essential figure of French blues, Paul Personne carved out his own unique path, far from trends and easy formulas. From his early days in amateur bands in the Yvelines region to national recognition, he established a distinctive style: blues sung in French, driven by sharp guitar riffs and an unwavering sincerity. Mike Lécuyer dedicates two episodes of his show Portrait to him.
🎧 Listen to part one
PORTRAIT-17-PAUL PERSONNE, part 1 – Mike Lécuyer
Early days between rock and survival
Paul Personne, born René-Paul Roux, was born on December 27, 1949 in Argenteuil near Paris. He grew up between Houilles and Les Mureaux in a modest environment where music entered his life through the radio and a father who played harmonica as an amateur. In high school, he multiplied his experiences as a drummer, his first instrument, in various amateur bands.
At 17, he earned a vocational diploma in mechanical engineering but ultimately chose music instead. In 1969, he recorded his first 45 rpm single with the band L’Origine. Several projects followed, including La Folle Entreprise, an ambitious and unusual fifteen-piece group that came to an end after a single release.
After moving to a farm in the Toulouse region, he abandoned drums for guitar, an instrument better suited to his expression as a songwriter and singer deeply influenced by British blues.
He wrote two songs for a single by singer Linda Keel in 1976, then in 1977 composed Fly Away and Some Lovin’ for his new band Bracos Band. Alain Lahana became their manager and the band turned professional with many concerts, although record success still remained elusive.
The turning point: from English to French
At the end of the 1970s, with the group Backstage, he recorded two albums sung in English with the help of harmonica player Benoît Blue Boy.
Convinced of the need to express himself differently, he returned to writing in French and permanently adopted the name Paul Personne.
His name is Personne, Paul Personne…
These new compositions became his first self-titled album, Paul Personne, released in 1982 on Epic under the direction of Bobby Buno.
Two six-track mini-albums revealed a more assertive style and songs that would become staples of his concerts: Exclusif in 1983 with Comme Un Étranger and Ça Va Rouler, followed by Barjo-Land in 1984 featuring the title track.
A personal tragedy, the loss of his daughter in 1984, deeply marked the artist. His music gained new intensity and gravity. Years later, he would face another intimate loss with the death of his wife Gloria, a discreet but essential presence in both his personal and artistic life.
The album 24/24 was released in 1985, followed by three nights at the Olympia in 1986. But it was with La Chance in 1989 that Paul Personne truly reached another level.
The public response, particularly in Quebec, confirmed that his French-language blues resonated deeply with French-speaking audiences.
On stage, he established himself as a musician entirely driven by music itself. The live album La Route de la Chance stands as proof, as does his marathon 1991 Olympia concert featuring prestigious guests such as Jacques Higelin, Jean-Louis Aubert and Les Innocents. He also received the Bus d’Acier award, one of French rock’s major honors.
🎧 Listen to part two
Part two podcast coming soon …
The affirmation of a style
With Rêve sidéral d’un naïf idéal, recorded at the legendary Miraval Studio in the south of France, Paul Personne affirmed a more mature and personal identity. For the first time in his career, he entrusted production duties to English producer Ian Taylor, known for his work with Gary Moore and Bob Dylan.
Around him, his close circle remained present: Boris Bergman wrote several lyrics, Christian Dupont also joined the adventure, along with most of the musicians from the 1993 tour.
The golden age
After a remarkable appearance at the Olympia and a long tour called Le Loco Tour, Paul returned in 1996 with Instantanés. Once again recorded at Miraval Studio under the guidance of Ian Taylor, the album extended the artistic momentum of its predecessor. Harmonica player Vincent Bucher enriched the sound, while close collaborators such as Boris Bergman, Jean-Louis Aubert, Richard Bohringer and Christian Dupont contributed to the lyrics. Instantanés also became a gold record.
On stage, Paul Personne fully revealed himself. Quiet and reserved in everyday life, he transformed the moment he plugged in his guitar. The tour led to the live album Route 97, recorded at the Olympia in April 1997.
Renewal
In 2000, Paul Personne opened a new chapter with Patchwork électrique. After composing dozens of songs, he selected fourteen written with Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine, Boris Bergman and Luc Baranger.
The musician made an unprecedented choice by bringing Anglo-Saxon musicians into his band. The evolution modernized his sound even further without ever betraying his blues roots. Still produced by Ian Taylor and recorded at Miraval, the album also marked the return of a stronger rock energy. That same year, SACEM awarded him the Prix Raoul Breton, honoring his work as a songwriter and composer.
Two albums, two atmospheres
In 2003, Paul Personne surprised his audience with an ambitious project: two complementary albums recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris. The first, Demain… il f’ra beau !, favored acoustic colors and folk-blues atmospheres. The second, Coup d’blues, released six months later, proved more electric and edgy.
The 2003-2004 tour introduced a new face alongside Paul: his son Jérémy Lacoste, a young guitarist already showing remarkable promise.
In November 2004, the first official live DVD by Paul Personne was released, recorded at the Vieilles Charrues festival in Carhaix. Beyond the concert itself, the DVD featured documentaries, interviews and music videos, offering an intimate dive into the musician’s universe. He extended the adventure with an unusual tour organized by his manager Alain Lahana, notably stopping in Montreal and Reunion Island. The experience resulted in the double album Il était une fois la route.
Encounters and friendships
In March 2007, Paul Personne took over La Cigale in Paris for two special evenings: one acoustic, the other electric. Around him gravitated many prestigious guests including Calvin Russell, Stephan Eicher, Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine, Beverly Jo Scott, Hugues Aufray and Jean-Louis Aubert.
That same year, Johnny Hallyday asked him to write several songs for a blues album project. Even though the proposed songs were ultimately not selected, Paul still participated in the album Le Cœur d’un homme. From his collaboration with Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine emerged another project: Amicalement Blues. A warm and sincere record followed by an Olympia concert and a summer festival tour in 2008.
The À l’Ouest spirit
With the Norman trio A l’Ouest, he recorded the albums À l’Ouest – Face A and À l’Ouest – Face B in 2011, followed by Puzzle 14 in 2014, recorded inside a barn converted into a studio.
On stage, the magic still operated. Electric Rendez-vous, released in 2015, reminded audiences how much Paul Personne belongs to that rare category of musicians who reach their full dimension in front of a crowd.
A bluesman true to himself
Never quite where people expect him, Paul Personne continued exploring new directions. During a break in guitarist Jean-Félix Lalanne’s Autour de la guitare tour, he recorded Lost in Paris Blues Band with the American musicians from the tour and Beverly Jo Scott. The project’s particularity: it contained only Anglo-Saxon covers.
The final album recorded with the trio A l’Ouest, Funambule (ou tentative de survie en milieu hostile), was released in 2019. As usual, Paul supported the release with a major tour, abruptly interrupted in March 2020 by the Covid pandemic.
Then came the time for French covers with Dédicaces – My spéciales personnelles covers, a double project released in 2023 in which he paid tribute to artists close to his heart: Téléphone, Polnareff, Souchon, Nougaro, Mitchell, Hallyday, Higelin and many others.
Fifteen years after the original release of À l’Ouest – Face A and Face B, the records were reissued in 2025 with an additional DVD featuring a concert in Cléon, Normandy.
For more than fifty years, Paul Personne has followed his own path far from trends and compromises. Quiet and respected, he established one undeniable truth: blues can be lived and sung in French without losing its soul.
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