Eric Joyeux was born in 1947 in Guadeloupe on the island called “les Saintes”.
His father was Henri Samson, a sailor man, and his mother, Irène Joyeux.
As they were not married and not living together, people called him “the bastard”.
So, at 17 he decided to escape to Marseilles, working on the docks, and then on a boat, going around the world for 5 years.
One day, a friend suggested he should become an artist. His first speciality being the striptease.
Then for 10 years he danced in cabaret and disco’s all around Europe with Elisabeth, his beloved friend.
It is in 1981 that he decided to learn how to play the guitare and composed his first song “Mademoiselle Babette”.
His artist name became “Joyeux”, and later (in 1987) adding an element of satirical nobility, “de Cocotier”
In 1982 he created his own cabaret in Marseille, La Payotte, where I first met him.
I remember making the cover photo of his 4th record called Pina Colada Coco Loco.
Obviously he wanted to pose nude, arching in such a way that he was able to balance a cocktail glass on his buttock.
A real self-made man, he never stopped composing, writing poetry and songs, sculpting, loving and dancing.
I called two weeks ago after nearly 10 years without speaking. We talked for nearly an hour.
In the background I could hear some Bip.. Bip..Bip…
So, naturally I asked him what was this noise? Laughing, he answered that he had recently suffered a heart attack.