Sponsors
Books (Text)
eSheet (pdf file)
eTracks sound files
Sponsors
Free Services
Books (Text)
Statistics
Sponsors
Share
Link to share - cut and paste:
http://accordions.com/news.aspx?d=12-Jul-2013&lang=en&s=7418
http://accordions.com/news.aspx?d=12-Jul-2013&lang=en&s=7418
12-Jul-2013
A Hero to Many, André Verchuren (1920-2013), Chantilly – Franceby Rob Howard |
 Recording Star, Knight of the Legion of Honour, Popular Accordionist and Musician - A hero to many.Veteran French accordionist André Verchuren, born on December 28th 1920 in Neuilly-sous-Clermont, Oise, France, died in Chantilly (Oise) on July 10th 2013 at the age of 92. The son of an accordionist, Verchuren began playing the accordion aged 4, and was soon playing at dances with his father Raymond. Few accordionists anywhere could match Verchuren for longevity of playing career. Verchuren first played in public in 1927, by the early 1930s he was performing in bal musettes, ginguettes and cafes in Paris, and was still playing until quite recently. During the 1930s, Verchuren entered and won some competitions, including a contest in Brussels in 1934 which saw him crowned World Champion by King Leopold 111, of Belgium. In 2007 he celebrated his 80 years of performances, with an anniversary concert at the Olympia in Paris. During World War Two Verchuren was a member of the Resistance. In July 1944 he was arrested by the Gestapo, tortured, and was one of 2566 crammed on a train heading for Dachau concentration camp. Such was the heat and squalid conditions, only 1630 survived the journey. Verchuren was later awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour, the Military Medal, and the Cross of Volunteer Resistance Fighters for his wartime activities. After liberation, Verchuren returned to Paris to and resume his playing career, which really took off in the late 1940s and 50s, though it took him a couple of years to fully regain flexibility in his hands. Andre Verchuren, an entertainer and showman par excellence, was hugely influential to generations of accordionists in France and elsewhere. Although usually associated with the musette genre, he was also a fine player of classical and Latin American music. He became immensely popular though his many personal, radio and TV appearances, and also his record and DVD sales. In the post-war years Verchuren – years ahead of his time – opened his own recording studio, and became a prolific recording artist, selling 50 million records. Verchuren also played the accordion in several movies, and his autobiography, ‘Mon Accordéon Et Moi’, was published in 1967. Verchuren’s wife died in a car accident in 1974. He is survived by his sons Harry Williams and Andre Verchuren Junior, both excellent accordionists. The former is named in honour of Harry Williams, an RAF pilot shot down in the war who was befriended by Andre. |