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Jacques Brel

Artistically active from the 1950s through the '70s, Belgian-born singer-songwriter Jacques Brel is best known in France, but he has also achieved a vast cult fan base in the United States for his poetic cynicism and lyrics, which vary from nihilistic and melancholy to witty and biting. Brel's most popular (and most reinterpreted) song is "Ne Me Quitte Pas (If You Go Away)"; his work is often striking for being romantic without sentimentality. Brel's star remains large thanks in part to the oft-revived Broadway play/revue first staged in 1968, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS.