Cerrone (FR)

About

Also known as: Cerone, Jean-Marc Cerrone, Marc Cerrone, Mark Cerrone

Cerrone has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, which is a striking number for a French disco producer who started out as a drummer. His 1976 debut single "Love in C Minor" sold three million copies and hit the top three in the charts, but it was "Supernature" the following year that really cemented his reputation, merging full symphonic orchestration with synthesisers and shifting eight million copies on its own. The lyrics, penned by Lene Lovich, spin a sci fi tale about mutant creatures rebelling against their human creators. At the 1978 Billboard Disco Forum he walked away with six awards, including Disco Artist of the Year. His reach goes well beyond the dancefloor. He staged a rock opera at Tokyo harbour in 1991 to an audience of over 800,000 people, and in 1992 his musical Dreamtime ran for 140 shows on Broadway at the Ed Sullivan Theater. He has collaborated with Nile Rodgers, Laura Branigan, and La Toya Jackson, while acts like the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Bob Sinclar have sampled his work. "Supernature" got a fresh moment of global attention when it featured in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.