Jo Carlier

at the Trumpet 

Jealousy

(written by Jacob Gade)

b/w

Trumpet Flowers

(written by Roland Thyssen)

Born in a rather modest environment on September 4, 1930 in Bois-de-Breux near Liège, Jo Carlier became interested in music from the age of six by studying music theory. It must be said that two of his uncles are professional musicians and that young Jo is fascinated by their universe. At ten he played the trombone and, three years later, he entered the Conservatory to learn the trumpet. Upon liberation, he already formed an orchestra with fellow musicians. Then, during his military service, he again founded a “band” which animates soldiers’ recreational evenings. Then, he directed a large group entertaining the fine evenings of the great Liège hotels of the 1950s. In 1960, he set up his own musical group which had 22 members. As such, he participated in many Belgian television shows where he accompanied, in particular, Marcel Amont. In 1964, he was one of the creators of the Festival de la Chanson Française de Spa which, until the early 1980s, welcomed dozens of artists and discovered singers such as Francis Cabrel, Maxime Leforestier, Serge Lama, Robert Charlebois and Alain Souchon. Several times during this decade, Jo Carlier was also the conductor who distinguished himself during the performance of Belgian French-speaking candidates for the Eurovision Song Contest, like in the only Belgian victory of this competition when the very young Liégeoise Sandra Kim wins with “J’aime la vie” in Bergen (Norway) in 1986. Jo died on April 25 2001 and is buried in the Bure cemetery in Grivegnée (Liège).