Adrien Lamy

A famous voice

Adrien Lamy, born on May 17, 1894, in Paris, was a versatile French artist, recognized as an actor, singer, and pioneer of radio. Coming from a family of artists—his grandfather was a theater director in Lyon and his father, Charles Lamy, was a lyric artist—he began his career in Parisian revues and operettas as early as 1915. Between 1923 and 1940, Lamy recorded more than 200 tracks for labels such as Columbia, Pathé, and Odéon. He stood out for his duets with artists like Joséphine Baker, particularly in the famous songs J’ai deux amours and Voulez-vous de la canne à sucre? His varied repertoire included operetta airs, popular songs, and children’s records. He is also known for being the narrator of the record telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a significant recording of the time, and he himself recorded a disc of songs from the film, contributing to the spread of this Disney masterpiece.

In parallel, Lamy had a career in cinema, appearing in films such as Les Sœurs Hortensias (1935), Prince des Six Jours (1936), and Le Petit Chose (1938). He was also one of the first actors to appear in Chiqué (1930), the first talking film shot in France, where he played an American character, marking an important milestone in the history of French cinema. His screen presence was defined by his warm voice and natural charisma. He was the French voice of Fred Astaire in The Gay Divorcee.

Passionate about radio, he became a radio amateur under the call sign F8IL in 1925 and played an active role in the founding of the French Broadcasting Network (Réseau des Émetteurs Français, REF), of which he became the general secretary. He was also one of the first to build a transmitter at home, contributing to the development of broadcasting in France.

On June 15, 1940, during World War II, Adrien Lamy was killed in Orléans in a German bombing raid. His body was found on July 2, 1940. His premature death deprived the French artistic scene of a precious talent.