Born on July 31: Jakie Quartz—When a single hit defines an entire career

Born Jacqueline Cuchet, the singer of“Mise au point” was born in 1955 in Paris.

Jakie Quartz, however, spent most of her childhood in Brittany before returning to Paris to train in singing, dancing, and theater. She enjoyed her first successes in the early 1980s, notably thanks to a television show where she was invited by actress Annie Girardot. It was thanks to this unexpected boost that doors began to open for her, leading her to meet Manu Katché, a producer also known for his work as a drummer alongside Peter Gabriel.

Her first single, “Histoire éphémère,” was released quietly in 1981, followed two years later by “Mise au point,” a hit that spread far beyond France’s borders to captivate much of Europe. The catchy chorus, blending disco-rock and electronic sounds, eventually sold over a million copies and still generates more than 8 million streams on Spotify today!

At times following in the footsteps of Jeanne Mas, she went on to release several albums in the 1980s that were always tinged with romanticism, such as—with a touch of humor—“Alerte à la blonde!” or “Vivre ailleurs” (1986) and “À la vie, à l’amour”(1987), all of which enjoyed some success.

Her fourth album, released in 1988 and titled “Emotion au pluriel”—which marked an attempt to reunite with the same creative team from her early days—failed to resonate with the public. Deemed too daring, even controversial, her single “Non, mais qu’est-ce que tu crois!” was even boycotted by radio stations.

Like many artists of her generation, she now regularly participates in joint tours with a strong nostalgic flavor, such as “Totalement 80,” and for the occasion even recorded a brand-new song, “Eldorado rêveur,” in October 2024—her first in five years!

Photo: Jakie Quartz on an RTBf TV set in Brussels (Belgium), September 6, 1983