Paul Daubry

Paul Daubry was born on 4 November 1871 in Le Mans (France). The family belonged to the aristocracy and his father was a officier in the army. Paul Daubry learned the piano from an early age and showed great talent. Nevertheless it was the wish of the father that Paul Daubry should opt for a military career. But Paul Daubry rejected this wish and enrolled at the Paris conservatory and studied piano. In addition he also took lessons in acting with Charles Pety (declamation) and Francois Got.
After his studies Paul Daubry started a promising career as an actor, performing with Dumaine, Taillade and Lacressonniere at the Theatre des Bouffes-du-Nord. But then his father died and he had to financially support his mother and so needed a better paid job. He then focused on his piano playing and became an accompanist at the Divan-Japonais. As a result many singers asked Paul Daubry for songs and he started to compose chansons. He was so prolific that he started to write own texts and perform as a singer himself. Paul Daubry got successful with his chansons and performances and became a member of the Cabaret de la Butte and later of Les Decadents under Jules Jouy. In this position he focused on political and satirical songs and was cited several times to the police station for his texts. In 1893 his chanson "Les presidences de Casimir" bothered the president Casimir Perier so much, that he closed the cabaret Les Decadents for several weeks. Since 1895 Paul Daubry was a member of the Quat'z'Arts until 1900 but performed in all the other famous Parisian cabarets as well.
Paul Daubry died on 21 May 1933 in Paris (France).