André Hornez

Biography

Born in Lens in 1905, André Hornez developed a passion for architecture and writing. He finally chose writing. He began his career as secretary of Saint-Granier. For him, he writes books magazines and operettas. The author is also hired by Paramount Pictures in Hollywood to write screenplays. His first songs are composed by Paul Misraki and performed by Ray Ventura. As for Ray Ventura, they collaborate with lyricist for many years. Among the best-known songs from this collaboration, we must mention "Ca vaut mieux que d'attraper la Scarlatine" (1936), "Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être Heureux ?" (1937), "Comme tout le Monde" (1938), "Tiens, tiens, tiens" (1939), "Dans mon Coeur" (1940), "Maria de Bahia" (1946) and "La mi-août" (1950). In 1936, the song "Tant qu'il y aura des Étoiles", performed by Tino Rossi, became a classic of French song. In the late 1930s, André Hornez also written for Rina Ketty ("Sérénade sans Espoir", 1939) and Johnny Hess ("Je suis Swing", 1939). Screenwriter for film, he wrote a number of film lyrics like "Avec son Tralala" sung by Suzy Delair in Jenny Lamour (1947). His songs are performed by Yves Montand ("Moi j'm'en fous", "Du Soleil plein la Tête"), Lucienne Delyle ("Mon Coeur Attendait", 1951), André Claveau ("Malgré Tout", 1951), Lucien Jeunesse ("Si la Brise", 1952) or Line Renaud ("Ni pourquoi ni comment", 1950). In 1947, he collaborated for the first time with the composer Henri Betti for him to write the lyrics of "C'est si bon" as Henri Betti just composed. This song became a worldwide hit with the interpretation of Louis Armstrong in 1950. André Hornez married in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine) in 1963 with the dancer Gisèle Fréry, met during the operetta "Baratin" in "L'Européen" in 1949. It is in this same operetta his usual composer Henri Betti met his future wife Françoise Engels who was also a dancer.