Enrico Macias

French singer and songwriter with hebrew origins, born December 11, 1938 in Constantine (that time in French Algeria). His father was the violinist in [a=Cheikh Raymond]’s band.

Studied guitar with [a=Cheikh Raymond] (father of Suzie, Macias’s future wife). In 1956, Macias left Algeria for France. At age 23, he settled in Paris and began his musical career. At first, appeared in cafes and small clubs, gaining many fans, in 1962, he made his first record. Enrico became, in a few years, one of the top singers in France.

His friends named him Enrico, which grew to become his stage name. According to [i]jewishjournal.com[/i], his real name is Gaston Guernsey.