Gilbert Becaud studied piano at the conservatories in Toulon and Nice. He then began to compose and sing chansons, eventually achieving the sort of fame that
Elvis enjoyed in the U.S. His compositional style fuses jazz elements with the traditional French chanson style.
Becaud wrote 150 chansons, the most popular of which is Le jour o -- la pluie viendra (1957). He has also had some success with larger genres, such as cantatas, operas, and music for film.