Loulou Gasté
Louis "Loulou" Gasté was a French composer of songs. He composed more than 1000 songs, including "Battling Joe" and "For You". The song "For You" was popularised internationally as "Feelings" and has been covered almost 1200 times.
Career
Louis Gasté was born in Paris on 18 March 1908. In his fifty-year career, he composed over 1000 songs, ten of which were internationally successful. In 1929, he played in Ray Ventura's orchestra, and composed several pieces for him."Pour Toi" / "Feelings" / "Dis-Lui" dispute
In September 1956, Gasté composed "Pour Toi" with lyrics by Albert Simonin and his wife Marie-Hélène Bourquin, for the singer Darío Moreno, who sang it in the film Le Feu aux Poudres. It was first released by Line Renaud, and was reinterpreted in France and internationally by various other singers.In 1974, Morris Albert sang it in English and was credited as the original author of "Feelings", launched in São Paulo by Augusta Do Brazil. In 1975, Mike Brant brought it back to France under the title "Dis-Lui".
In 1976, "Feelings" was a worldwide success and was recorded by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Julio Eglesias, and others.
In 1977, Gasté discovered the song was one of his melodies, and sued Morris Albert. On 22 December 1988, a court found in favour of Gasté, and he won recognition as the sole creator of the song, gaining seven-eighths of all royalties, with Albert receiving the remainder for his lyrics contribution.
Personal life and death
Gasté discovered and helped launched the career of French singer and actress Line Renaud in 1945. They married in 1950.He died at home, at Rueil-Malmaison, close to Paris on 8 January 1995.
Selected compositions
- 1941: "Avec son Ukulélé"
- 1941: "Le Chant du Gardian"
- 1943: "Elle Etait Swing"
- 1943: "L'âme au Diable"
- 1943: "Sainte-Madeleine"
- 1944: "Domingo"
- 1945: "Le Petit Chaperon Rouge"
- 1945: "Quand un Cow-boy"
- 1945: "Le Rythme Américain"
- 1945: "Ce n'était pas Original"
- 1945: "Le Porte Bonheur, Chica Chica"
- 1945: "Un Oiseau Chante"
- 1945: "Luna Park"
- 1945: "Battling Jo"
- 1947: "Au Chili"
- 1958: "Mon Coeur au Portugal"