Olivia Ruiz

Folk-punk chanteuse Olivia Ruiz vaulted to stardom in her native France with the 2003 release of her debut LP, J'aime Pas l'Amour. Born January 1, 1980, in Carcassonne, she was the daughter of musician Didier Blanc, making her professional debut at 12 with the Médiévales troupe and at 15 co-founding the rock group Five. After earning a degree in communications from the University of Montpellier, Ruiz auditioned for the inaugural series of the French television amateur showcase Star Academy. Despite leaning more toward indie rock than mainstream pop, she nevertheless advanced to the semifinals. Ruiz issued her debut single, "Paris," in mid-2002. J'aime Pas l'Amour, which enlisted contributions from French alt-rock stars including Weepers Circus, Nery, and Philippe Prohom, followed more than a year later, selling more than 50,000 copies. The subject of the 2003 television documentary Olivia Ruiz, Star'activiste, she toured until mid-2005, finally issuing her sophomore album, La Femme Chocolat, at year's end. The lead single, "J'traîne des Pieds," proved a blockbuster hit, and the LP was named Album of the Year at the annual Victoires de la Musique honors.