The late 1950s saw the emergence of a new musical style from the United States: rock'n'roll. France was quick to follow suit, and many young artists embraced these wild rhythms, swaying frantically. Among the many stars of the era, Les Chaussettes Noires began their singing career in 1961. The group of five young men, led by their charismatic leader Eddy Mitchell, would establish themselves as the greatest French rock'n'roll band. Young Claude Moine, born in 1942, was passionate about rock'n'roll and cinema; he wanted to imitate Bill Haley, whom he had seen perform "Rock Around The Clock" in the film *Blackboard Jungle*. After a few encounters in the Trinité gang, including Jean Philippe Smet and Jacques Dutronc, behind the Opera, he gathered a few very inexperienced musicians. The group was initially called Les Cinq Rocks, but the radio station that scheduled them decided otherwise to satisfy a partnership with the sock brand Stemm. Les Cinq Rocks discovered on air that they were now called Les Chaussettes Noires. After phenomenal success, several recordings, and tours across France, Eddy decided to pursue a solo career. A few minor successes and a somewhat slow career led him to record in the United States. He recorded *Rocking in Nashville* in 1974 and continued to delight his audience with regular hits: "Pas de boogie woogie." "Sur la route de Memphis" (1976) and "La dernière séance" (1977), "Il ne rentre pas ce soir" (1978) "Tu peux préparer le café noir" (1979), "Couleur menthe à l'eau" (1980), "Pauvre baby doll" (1981), "Le cimetière des éléphants" (1982), "La Peau d'une autre" (1987), "Nashville ou Belleville" (1984), "Lèche-bottes Blues" (1989). He announced his last tour in October 2010, but the idea of "Les Vieilles Canailles" with Johnny Hallyday and Jacques Dutronc met with immense success, and new tours were organized for the trio between 2014 and 2017. In the meantime, Eddy continued to record and act in films, successfully, in *Coup de Torchon* and *Le bonheur est dans le pré*. While Les Chaussettes Noires had the favor of a young audience, Eddy Mitchell managed to expand his audience and develop a career that now spans seven decades. Eddy, affectionately nicknamed Schmoll, grew up with the French people; he has been a familiar figure for many, especially since the 1980s when he entered every home through television with "La dernière séance." Accustomed to adaptations, he writes most of his lyrics himself, which he embodies perfectly. Multi-talented, he evolved from singer to actor and shed the bad-boy image of his early days.
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