Patrick Lemaître, deputy treasurer

He made his first appearance in the world of the arts at eight and a half, as an extra in Henri Verneuil’s film Le grand chef, alongside Fernandel, and soon took off on a fine career as a child actor, e.g. at the "Théâtre Marigny" in Le vélo devant la porte with Roger Hanin, and at the "Théâtre de la Madeleine" in Les Glorieuses by André Roussin, with Pierre Dux.

At the age of ten he was given one of the main roles in the television series, Le trésor des treize maisons, with the famous clown, Achille Zavatta. Next Claude Santelli noticed him, giving him the role of Tortillard in Les Mystères de Paris by Eugène Sue, directed by Marcel Cravenne. Then came a series of roles for the "Théâtre de la jeunesse", the highlight being the character of Gavroche in 1962, which he played again one year later for the episode presented as a tribute to Jean Valjean.

In films, he played Flipot in Merveilleuse Angélique with Michèle Mercier, and appeared a number of times in the legendary series Vidocq, Les saintes chéries and Les cinq dernières minutes. Then, after Meurtre par la bande (one of the last episodes where Raymond Souplex plays the famous Commissioner Bourrel) Patrick gave up acting. Why ? For music, of course!

He was twelve years old when his godfather, the author Fernand Bonifay, gave him his first electric guitar, a red and white “Ohio”, just like Johnny Hallyday’s ! His mother, Michèle Patrick, herself an imaginative singer, gave him a Garen amplifier that had the walls in Montmartre shaking!
Patrick met Julien Mastro who taught him guitar and music theory. After the “Chaussettes Noires”, “Fantômes”, “Shadows” and others, he fell, as almost everyone had, for the music of the Beatles. By the age of fourteen, he had started composing his first songs, while shooting a film with the actor René Dary who provided some lyrics. A few years later, after dances and galas accompanying friends, he set off on the “Avèze” tour organized by Roland Manoury, traveling through provincial France (Auvergne, Lozère, Corrèze and Cantal) accompanying Deprince, Vaissade and Jean Segurel. When he returned to Paris, Jacky Noguez took him on as guitarist/singer/front man for his group.
In the meantime, one of his old friends from actors’ school had just been given a role in a new musical comedy programmed for the Théâtre de la Porte St Martin — Hair. It was 1969, and the friend was Gérard Palaprat. Together they embarked on a highly successful adventure that would last four years. The first great hit was Fais-moi un signe, to lyrics by Jean-Pierre Lang; then, in 1973, Pour la fin du monde sold more than a million copies, crowning their partnership.

Patrick spent some time attempting to launch his career as a singer, but it proved less satisfying.
He also co-authored works with some great names, including, of course, his famous father, Jacques (Lemaître) Demarny; together they wrote songs for Enrico Macias (La marelle, Deux femmes à Dublin), Daniel Guichard (Je n'ai pas le cœur à sourire and C'est pas facile d'aimer) and for Nicole Rieu (La maison de sable).
Patrick, ever witty, describes himself as a “chameleon” in the world of song, and loves writing for singers as different as Johnny Hallyday (Comme si je devais mourir demain), Carlos (Papayou, T'as l'bonjour d'Albert, L'amour ça rend beau lé lé), Philippe Lavil (La chica de Cuba), Eddy Mitchell (La peau d'une autre), Céline Dion (Les chemins de ma maison, Billy), Catherine Bardin (Si tu savais), Fabienne Thibeault (Mes amours, mes amis), Nicole Croisille (Fané, fini, foutu, Si l'on pouvait choisir sa vie, L'amour d'une femme, Je t'aimais), and Nicole Rieu (Vas-y). There’s also Bashung, Sabrina Lory, Dave, Gérard Lenorman, Rika Zaraï, Richard Anthony, and the latest for Sheila (Danse and Toutes ces vies).

Soundtrack for the film Les rires et les larmes du maillot jaune, celebrating the centenary of the "Tour de France".

Patrick has also written for theater productions, including Vive Henri IV by Jean Anouilh, and Lucienne et le boucher by Marcel Aymé, and has composed television signature tunes for various series (Intrigues, Côté cœur, and Loft Story), and for variety, quiz and entertainment shows (Tous à la une, Les jeux de 20 heures, Vidéogags, Les mariés de l'A2, L'Arche d'or, Y'a pire ailleurs, Les affaires sont les affaires, Les Mandrakes d'Or, Attention, magie, La maxi tête, Au-delà de l'écran - Le plus grand bêtisier du monde - En attendant la suite, and more).

Another area of interest for Patrick is his profession, and he devotes a great deal of time to defending this cause, in particular collective administration, always endeavoring to do so with his natural good spirits.

Permanent member since 1978 (first joined Sacem in 1969).
Vice-president of the Sacem Board of Directors: 1999-2000
Treasurer: 2003-2004
Deputy Treasurer: 1998-1999, 2002-2003
Board member since 1997
President of the Program Committee: 1992-1993; Member: 1991-1994
Secretary of the Pop/Variety Committee: 1984-1985; Member: 1981-1984 and 1989-1991
SDRM Board member: 1994-1997
Member of the committee for the administration of mechanical reproduction rights: 1994-1997
Board Member of the companies (SCI) managing property assets: Neuilly, La Villette and Chateaudun
Board member of the Sacem mutual insurance society
Member of the “Comité du Coeur” solidarity committee
Member of SNAC union board: 1983-2003, and of the steering committee of the pop/variety group: 1982-2003
Vice-President of UNAC: 2003-2004
Treasurer of UNAC: 2001-2003
Board member of the association for song, pop/variety and jazz (“Fonds de Soutien aux Variétés”): 1990-1997.