Born in Nice, France. He moved to Marseilles as a young man and discovered jazz; he met Claude Goaty, a singer of popular songs in the 1950s, and followed her to Paris, discovered Montmartre and settled there. This is where he met the men and women who were to produce the musical works of his future. He composed his first song with Bernard Dimey, and it would be followed by 100 or so others. After a short period with the orchestra of Michel Magne, he became Edith Piaf's accompanist and then one of her composers. Then he met Pierre Barouh, who introduced him to Claude Lelouch. He gained worldwide fame as a result of his melodious score for Lelouche's A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966). He subsequently composed successful scores for more than 100 French and international films and won an Oscar® for the music of LOVE STORY (1970). He is also a prolific composer of over 600 pop songs. An avid tennis player, he has been married for over 30 years and is the father of three children.  Music Scoring Awards (Best Original Score) 1970: LOVE STORY 1 nomination, 1 Award