With the passing of Pierre Dudan at the age of 68 on February 5, 1984, France lost one of its most prolific songwriters. His approximately 1,500 tunes were covered by such artists as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon, Henri Salvador, and Stephane Grappelli in France, and Johnny Mathis and Lionel Hampton in the United States. Born in Switzerland on February 1, 1916, Dudan appeared in more than two dozen films, including The Lyons in Paris in 1955, A Touch of the Sun in 1956, and Roots of Heaven in 1958. He settled in Paris in 1963, performing frequently as a barroom pianist. Dudan reached his apex in 1977, receiving an Academy Charles-Cros award for his album Ballads, and an Academy of Montmartre's prize for poetic song. ~ Craig Harris