Jean Michel Jarre

Michel Jarre live at the Forbidden City in Beijing
(China) 10/10/2004

It was in 1983 when I first listened to the music of Jean Michel Jarre. The first CD that I bought was “Concerts in China” which was actually a double CD package.

J.M Jarre is the son of the legendary Maurice Jarre, a famous composer of film music. He is also
the grand son of André Jarre, was one of the inventors of the first audio mixing consoles that was used by Radio Lyon and he was also involved in one of the first portable phonographs after World War II, the Tepazz which he gave to Jarre as a present.

In October 1981, Jarre was the first Western pop-artist who was granted permission to give concerts in the People’s Republic of China. These concerts were the first to feature the Laser harp, one of Jarre’s signature electronic instruments (see photo above).

J.M Jarre’s Guinness Book of Records

1979 – Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever on the Place de la Concorde in Paris in 1979. This concert attracted 1 million people, which was Jarre’s first entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the largest crowd at an outdoor concert.

1990 – On July 14, 1990 Jarre broke his own record in the Guinness Book of Records again with a concert at La Defense, Paris where 2.5 million people watched Jarre light up the Parisian business district.

1987 – New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever (Rendez-Vous Houston).

1997 – New Guinness Book of Records entry for the biggest concert ever with 3.5 million watching at Moscow’s 850th anniversary. On September 6, 1997, Jarre played in Moscow. The Moscow State University was used as the backdrop for a spectacular display of image projections, skytrackers and fireworks. This was Jarre’s fourth record and entry into the Guinness record book for the largest free concert audience ever.

An asteroid, “4422 Jarre“, has been named in honor of him.

“But if you try a little kindness then you’ll overlook the
blindness of the narrow minded people on the narrow minded street.”