Dick Annegarn

Dick Annegarn, a Dutch-born singer and songwriter who works in French, launched his recording career in the early 1970s and maintained an intermittent presence across subsequent decades. Born May 6, 1952, in The Hague, Netherlands, he spent his formative years in Brussels before settling in Paris. His debut full-length solo album, Sacré Géranium, arrived on Polydor in 1974 and contained the widely recognized song “Bruxelles.” Three further Polydor releases followed in quick succession: Je Te Vois later that year, Mireille in 1975, and Anticyclone in 1976. The double live album De Ce Spectacle Ici Sur Terre, issued in 1978, marked his final Polydor project; afterward he stepped away from the industry, expressing frustration with its commercial pressures. Sporadic 1980s releases on other labels—Ferraillages (1980), Citoyen (1981), 140 BXL (1984), and Frère? (1986)—received comparatively modest attention. The 1990s proved more fruitful once he moved to the Warner subsidiary Tôt ou Tard, following three final albums on Nocturne: Ullegarra (1990), Chansons Fleuves (1990), and InéDick (1992). His first Tôt ou Tard album, Approche-Toi (1997), ended a five-year gap and signaled a significant resurgence. Later Tôt ou Tard releases—Adieu Verdure (1999), Au Cirque d’Hiver (2000), Un’ Ombre (2002), Plouc (2005), and Soleil du Soir (2008)—likewise drew favorable critical response. In the wake of this renewed activity, several compilations appeared, among them the 2000 Polydor retrospective Le Meilleur de Dick Annegarn, the 2006 tribute album Le Grand Diner Tribute à Dick Annegarn, and the 2007 triple-disc box set Les Années Nocturnes devoted to his Nocturne period.