Claude Francois was running a bath in his home in Paris when he noticed a crooked lightbulb above him.
He stood up and with wet hands tried to straighten the bulb.
Claude Francois was one of France’s biggest singers. (Getty)
Francois was electrocuted by the shock and died instantly. He was 39.
The singer had just recorded a television special hours before his death.
French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing described him as “the French equivalent of the Beatles”.
On the day of his funeral, his latest single, Alexandrie Alexandra, was released by the record company.
While it may have been seen as a cynical ploy, that was already the scheduled release date.Â
It was a huge hit, topping the French charts and selling 1.6 million copies.
Francois had sold more than 20 million records during his lifetime.
Many of his hits had been songs recorded by English-language artists translated into French.
Among his hits were translations of The Bee Gees‘ Massachusetts and Peter Allen’s I Go To Rio.
But his most lasting song in global memory is one which was rewritten into English.
Comme d’habitude was a slow-moving 1968 ballad about the love fading from a relationship.
The song was a major hit in France, and a for-hire songwriter in London was tasked with translating it into English.
The songwriter, a young David Bowie, recorded a demo of his translation named Even a Fool Learns to Love.
David Bowie in 1968. (Supplied)
But it was not formally recorded. He later used the lyrics in part for his later hit Life on Mars?
Soon afterwards, Canadian singer Paul Anka heard the song on the radio while in France and rewrote Francois’ lyrics.
His own English-language version, penned specifically for Frank Sinatra, was on a completely different topic.
Recorded later in the year, My Way became Sinatra’s signature song.
‘My Way’ was a major hit for Frank Sinatra. (Getty)