Google celebrates Jacques Brel on the search homepage

Global search engine giant Google has placed the illustration of Jacques Brel on its homepage! As noted by Google, the 15 November Doodle was illustrated by Toulouse-based guest artist Antoine Maillard and it celebrates Belgian singer and songwriter Jacques Brel.

Google explains the reason for featuring Brel on its homepage today – “On this day in 1966, Brel graced the stage one last time to deliver an emotional farewell performance at the “Palais des Beaux-Arts” in his hometown of Brussels.” Google also shares following remarks about Brel:

Jacques Romain Georges Brel was born on April 8, 1929 in the Belgian capital of Brussels. Part of a wealthy family, he expressed interest in writing stories and poems during his teen years before eventually settling into a job with the family business. Unsatisfied with this work, Brel joined a youth charity organization where he began to sing in small venues and recorded his first single before moving to Paris, where he soon rose to stardom.

Brel’s second album, “Quand on n’a que l’amour” (“If We Only Have Love,” 1957), was a hit and its title track won the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros award. He continued to release a string of hit singles, confirming his celebrity status throughout Europe, and embarked on exhaustive tours until his voluntary retirement from concert performances in 1967. While in New York on his final tour, Brel was inspired to act and thus, he found a new creative outlet. One of his most notable films, “Le Far West,” (“Far West,” 1973) was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival’s most prestigious award: the Palme d’Or. Not only was Brel the star of the film, he was also the co-writer and director.

A Google Doodle is a special, temporary and sometimes surprising change of the Google logo on their homepage. The goal is to commemorate holidays, events, achievements and to celebrate notable artists, scientists and other historical figures.

To read the full story and a special guest artist Q&A with Antoine Maillard, the author of today’s Doodle, visit the dedicated Google page about Celebrating Jacques Brel.