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Jacques Morali
(July 4, 1947 - November 16, 1991) France - U.S.A.

Jacques Morali

Songwriter and producer

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Jacques was the leader of the French disco sound. He started his career in music in a record shop in the Orly airport and eventually became a writer and right hand for Hervé Vilard, Michèle Torr and Cristophe. By meeting Liz Taylor's and Cher's hairdresser he became familiar with Philadelphia International Records and immediately fell in love with disco in the early 1970's. So he moved to the States and literally landed at Sigma Sound Studios.

1975 was the beginning of his partnership with Henri Belolo, owner of the Scorpio Record label in Paris. While in New York, Jacques attended a costume ball at "Les Mouches," a gay disco in Greenwich Village. As he gazed around the room, he was impressed by all the "macho male stereotypes" portrayed by the party guests.

The idea came to him: Why not put together a group of singers and dancers, each one playing a different gay fantasy figure? At the beginning Henry Belolo was not involved in this project, but when he saw that Morali had succedeed in signing a licensing deal with Casablanca Records (one of the most famous disco labels), Belolo decided to become a partner in this project. The Village People were born.

Jacques worked with professional musicians and was fascinated by their skills. His music was characterized by simple arrangements and catchy melodies that could easily be remembered by everybody. He became a recording studio die-hard and between 1974 and 1982 he recorded some 65+ albums. Sigma Sound Studios even reserved a room just for him.

One of the disco-era's most financially and commercially succesful producers Jacques led a very full lifestyle. This lifestyle led to his contracting the AIDS virus during the mid-1980's. As the hits dried up and musical styles changed reports had Jacques becoming a bitter and ailing recluse.

The disease claimed his life at the young age of 44 - he died in New York, of Aids-related complications. Because Morali hated his mother so much, when he knew being HIV-positive he married his lover's mother to make sure his mother did not claim his estate.

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