Editing Jacques Brel (section)

===1960–1967===
[[File:TV-uitzending Domino Jacques Brel tijdens de opname in Amsterdam, Marcanti, Bestanddeelnr 914-8399.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Jacques Brel, 1963]]
In January 1960, Brel's new impresario, Charles Marouani, organised a series of international concert tours for the singer that would take him from the French provinces to the then [[Soviet Union]], the Middle East, Canada, and the United States. From 19 to 24 March, he appeared at the [[Ancienne Belgique]] in Brussels. On 19 October, he performed at [[Shepheard's Hotel]] in [[Cairo]]. The year's concert tours brought him international recognition and popularity.<ref name="rfi"/><ref name="jacquesbrel2"/> His appearances initiated the first United States release of a Jacques Brel recording, ''American Début'', released on [[Columbia Records]]. It was a compilation of previously released Philips tracks.<ref name="ruhlmann"/>

In January 1961, Brel made a triumphant return to the Bobino. By now, the accordionist Jean Corti had joined his touring group. Between 22 February and 12 April, he recorded his fifth album for Philips simply titled ''[[5 (Jacques Brel album)|No. 5]]'', which introduced the future Brel classics "Marieke" and "Le Moribond" (The dying man).<ref name="rfi"/> In March he toured Canada again. In [[Montreal]] he met French actress and singer [[Clairette Oddera]] at her club on the Rue Saint-Jacques. They would become good friends. While in Montreal, he appeared with [[Raymond Devos]] at La Comédie Canadienne.<ref name="jacquesbrel1"/> In May Brel performed at the [[Kurhaus of Scheveningen]] in [[The Hague]] in the [[Netherlands]]. From 12 to 29 October, he returned to the [[Olympia (Paris)|Olympia music hall]] in Paris with star billing, after [[Marlene Dietrich]] cancelled at the last minute. Many critics point to these inspired performances as the turning point in his career. The audiences responded with rapturous applause and the critics proclaimed him as the new star of French [[chanson]].<ref name="rfi"/>

In March 1962, Brel left Philips Records and signed a five-year contract with [[Barclay Records]]. The contract was to be renewed in 1967 for another six years. His first album release for his new label was a live album, ''[[Olympia 1961]]'', recorded the previous year.<ref name="ruhlmann"/> On 6 March, he recorded his first song for Barclay, "Le plat Pays" (The flat country). During the second week of March, he recorded the remaining tracks for his sixth studio album, ''[[Les Bourgeois]]'' (The bourgeois). In addition to the title song and "Le plat Pays", the new album contained the future Brel classics "Madeleine", "Les Biches" (The does), and "La Statue" (The statue).<ref name="jacquesbrel3"/> In October, Brel set up his own music publishing company, Arlequin, which was soon renamed Éditions Musicales Pouchenel. Brel's wife Miche was appointed company director.<ref name="rfi"/> In November he recorded "Les Bigotes", "Quand Maman reviendra" (When mother returns), "Les Filles et les chiens" (Girls and dogs), and "La Parlote" (The gossip) as singles.<ref name="jacquesbrel2"/>

[[File:TV-uitzending Domino Jacques Brel tijdens de opname in Amsterdam, Marcanti, Bestanddeelnr 914-8400.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.35|Jacques Brel, 1963]]
In April 1963, Brel performed again at the Bobino in Paris. In July he headlined at the Casino in Knokke for the fifth Coupe d'Europe de Tour de Chant. During this engagement, he performed the classic "[[Mathilde (song)|Mathilde]]" for the first time.<ref name="jacquesbrel2"/> He also returned for another triumphant engagement at the Olympia in Paris, performing with [[Isabelle Aubret]], who was the support act. Once again, his performance was a critical and artistic success, with the audience leaping up from their seats in a standing ovation following his emotional rendering of "[[Amsterdam (Jacques Brel song)|Amsterdam]]".<ref name="jacquesbrel2"/>

The year 1964 brought a mix of personal tragedies and professional triumphs. On 8 January, Brel's father, Romain, died of bronchial pneumonia. Only two months later, on 7 March, his mother, Élisabeth (nicknamed Mouky), also died. At the same time, he was given the Gold Medal of Brussels from the Tourist Information Bureau and won a prize from the Société d'Auteurs Belge/Belgische Auteurs Maatschappij ([[SABAM]]). He was also awarded the French Academy's Grand Prix du Disque. He continued his ambitious touring schedule. By the end of the year, he released a new live album, ''[[Olympia 1964]]''.<ref name="rfi"/> That year, he discovered a new passion, aviation. After taking flying lessons with Paul Lepanse, he purchased a small plane.<ref name="jacquesbrel4"/> In the United States, his audience was growing. American poet and singer [[Rod McKuen]] began translating Brel's songs into English, and the [[Kingston Trio]] recorded one of his English versions on their ''Time to Think'' album, "[[Seasons in the Sun]]", based on Brel's "Le Moribond" (The dying man).<ref name="ruhlmann"/>

In 1965 [[Reprise Records]] licensed tracks from Barclay for a United States album titled ''Jacques Brel''.<ref name="ruhlmann"/> On 25 March, he performed at the [[Kurhaus of Scheveningen]] in the [[Netherlands]]. In October he completed a successful five-week tour of the [[Soviet Union]], which included a week's engagement at the Estrada Theatre in Moscow. On 6 November, he was back in France, recording the songs "Fernand", "Les Désespérés" (The despaired), and "[[Ces gens-là (song)|Ces gens-là]]" (These people) for Barclay. On 4 December, he appeared at the prestigious [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City. His performance was received with high public and critical acclaim.<ref name="rfi"/>

[[File:TV-uitzending Domino Jacques Brel tijdens de opname in Amsterdam, Marcanti, Bestanddeelnr 914-8402.jpg|thumb|Jacques Brel, 1963]]
By 1966 Brel had grown increasingly weary of his grueling concert schedules. In April he toured [[Djibouti]], Madagascar, [[Réunion|Reunion Island]], and [[Mauritius]]. On 21 August, while on tour in [[Vittel]], he revealed to his musicians his decision to retire from touring.<ref name="jacquesbrel4"/> In subsequent public statements, Brel stated that he had nothing more to give to the music world and that he wanted to devote more time to other projects.<ref name="rfi"/> In October 1966, he gave a series of farewell concerts at the Olympia in Paris. Thousands of devoted fans flocked to see these final performances, which took place over the course of three weeks. On 1 November, he gave his final concert at the Olympia. After a highly emotional and stunning performance, the audience's standing ovations prompted him to return to the stage seven times for his final bows.<ref name="rfi"/> He spent the next six months fulfilling his concert commitments. On 15 November, he gave his farewell performance at the [[Palais des Beaux-Arts]] in Brussels. Later that month, he gave his final UK performance at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in London. During these last months of his world tour, many of his close friends, including [[Charles Aznavour]], urged him to reconsider his decision to retire from singing, but he was adamant about his decision.<ref name="rfi"/> On 4 December, he returned to [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City and gave inspired performances before enthusiastic fans. By then, several English recordings of his songs were on the charts, including [[Damita Jo DeBlanc|Damita Jo]]'s "If You Go Away" (based on "Ne me quitte pas"), [[Judy Collins]]' "The Dove" (based on "La Colombe"), and [[Glenn Yarbrough]]'s "The Women" (based on "Les Biches").<ref name="ruhlmann"/>

In January 1967, Brel finished recording songs for a new studio album, ''[[Jacques Brel 67]]'', which was released later in the year. The album included "Mon Enfance" (My childhood), "Fils de..." (Sons of...), "Les bonbons 67" (The candies 67), and "La Chanson des vieux amants" (Song of the old lovers).<ref name="jacquesbrel3"/> In late January, he returned to [[Carnegie Hall]] and gave one final performance. While in New York, he went to see ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'', a musical based on [[Miguel de Cervantes]]' novel ''[[Don Quixote]]'', at the [[ANTA Washington Square Theatre]] in [[Greenwich Village]]. Moved by the experience, he began planning a French language production of the musical for Europe. He returned to France in the spring and, on 16 May 1967, he gave his final concert performance in [[Roubaix]] in northern France.<ref name="rfi"/><ref name="ruhlmann"/> Toward the end of the year, with vague plans of sailing around the world, Brel purchased a yacht.<ref name="jacquesbrel4"/>