Guy Garcet, born on May 5, 1939, in Souvret, Belgium, passed away on March 30, 2002, in Balnain-Drumnadrochit, Scotland. He was the son of Maurice Garcet and Léa Godeau, and he had a daughter named Nathalie.

A self-taught singer-songwriter, Garcet pursued his early education at the Athénée du Centre (Athénée provincial Arthur Warocqué) in Morlanwelz, where he shared a classroom with André Trigaux, the former mayor of Courcelles, for three years. He continued his studies at the École normale secondaire in Nivelles before undertaking pilot training at the S.A.B.E.N.A. civil aviation school.

Garcet completed his military service in the naval force in 1958, which he later described as his worst memory; conversely, his fondest recollection was from his poetry class during his second year of Greek-Latin studies, particularly thanks to his French teacher, Monsieur Robert Joly.

He began his career as a commercial pilot with S.A.B.E.N.A., but was laid off in 1968 due to language policy changes. He subsequently transitioned to a managerial role at IBM, where he met and later married Hélène Morleghem.

Garcet started composing music around the age of 40, expressing that he sang primarily to "pass the time." Initially writing and performing his songs privately, he was inspired to share his work more widely after penning a song about his native region, the Pays noir. However, he faced challenges in promoting his music and struggled to gain interest in his songs.

To enhance his performance opportunities, he enrolled in "Arts et Vie," though he found the financial conditions challenging. Garcet had a preference for traditional French chanson, particularly admiring the work of Georges Brassens and the humor of Raymond Devos.

After spending his childhood and adolescence in Souvret, he later settled with his parents in the Collines region (Ath region), and subsequently lived at 14 Rue Saule Pendu in Buissenal before moving to Scotland, specifically to Balnain-Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness.

Although Garcet's singing career began after his forties, he performed at various cabarets and recorded several albums between 1988 and 1992. During his youth, he sang in the streets of Brussels, like many of his contemporaries, aspiring to a career in music, though his parents were not supportive of this ambition.

He later performed in regional cabarets in Mons and Ath and was featured on multiple radio programs, including Radio-Hainaut and several local stations. His first significant recital took place in Liège, invited by the association promoting French song, Les Amis de Bruno Brel, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with artists such as Philippe Anciaux, Jacques Hustin, and René Fourré.

Through this association, he performed at venues like "Eden Palace," "Les Forges," and "Le Cabaret des Hauteurs" in the Liège region, leading to performances throughout Wallonia. In 1986, Garcet self-produced his debut album, "Voilà que je chante," after saving enough funds, which followed a 45 RPM single featuring the songs "Au Pays des Collines" and "Que la vie est jolie." The ten tracks on the album were selected from songs he had written over 25 years.

In June 1987, "Voilà que je chante" was recognized as the week's 33 RPM record on a radio program. Encouraged by Jacques Vandewattyne, he performed in Ellezelles, where he was inducted into "L'ordre du Ramon" during the 1987 "Sabbat des sorcières."

From April 28 to May 2, 1988, Garcet performed at the singing café "La Tranche de l'Art" in Mons. In May 1988, he was a guest on the "Hainaut Matin" program on R.T.B.F. The royalties from "Voilà que je chante" allowed him to record a second album in 1989, titled "Venez goûter à ma chanson."

He continued to perform in various cabarets and held a concert on January 24, 1989, at the cultural center in Ath to showcase his second album, returning to perform there again on December 1 of the same year. He also sang at the harvest festival in La Hamaide on the first Sunday of August 1989.

After performing "Pays des Collines" in Ellezelles and on the Grand Place in Brussels at Vandewattyne's request, he was invited to sing on the Champs-Élysées during the welcome event for the Diable des Collines in Paris, attended by notable Belgian and French figures.

In 1992, Garcet retired and moved to Scotland with his wife. In Scotland, he wrote a manuscript titled "L'Année du Prince," about "Bonnie Prince Charlie" and the Battle of Culloden, which remained unpublished. He also wrote dialogues for music hall performers and returned to painting, focusing on the Scottish landscape he cherished, where he would eventually find his final resting place.

(1) René Fourré, born in 1939 in Lontzen, was a pianist, composer, and arranger who studied at the Liège Conservatory and collaborated with Garcet, Jacques Hustin, and Guy Lukowski, among others. He composed and recorded several songs.

(2) Jacques Vandewattyne, born on June 26, 1932, in Ellezelles, was a prominent figure in Belgian folk art and the creator of the "Sabbat des Sorcières" in Ellezelles, where he passed away on June 24, 1996, in Brussels.

Sources: Biographical questionnaires and interviews, articles, and bibliographic references.

Bibliography: - "Voilà qu’je chante… : 60 poèmes en chansons…" Ormeignies: Ed. d’Alcrena, 1990. 143 p. Limited edition of 500 copies. - "Devenir vieux," La Pensée wallonne, No. 142, p. 16.

Discography: - "Voilà que je chante" [Sound recording], music and lyrics by Guy Garcet; musical transcription by Pierre Deroubaix; arrangements by René Fourré. Buissenal: self-published, 1986. One 33 RPM record (17:19; 16:27). - "Au pays des collines" [Sound recording], Buissenal: self-published, 1987. One 45 RPM record. - "Venez goûter à ma chanson" [Sound recording], music and lyrics by Guy Garcet; arrangements by René Fourré; sound engineering by Luc Baiwir. Buissenal: self-published, 1988. One 33 RPM record (14:04; 16:83).