In mid-1953, Clay mounted a national tour, with then-unknown Jacques Brel as his opening act. His debut single, the Aznavour-penned Le Noye Assassine, soon anticipated the release of a self-titled LP, and in the years to follow he enjoyed a series of hits including Si Vous M'Aviez Connu, Nous Avons Toujours Habite Cette Maison, and Au Volant de Ma Valse. After appearing at the acrobatic Valentin in #French Cancan, Clay co-starred in 1956's #Notre Dame de Paris. As his celebrity grew, he headlined Paris' famed Olympia Theater in 1957, and the following year made his U.S. film debut as a French club entertainer in the feature adaptation of the stage comedy +Bell, Book and Candle. With Les Poinçonneur des Lilas, Clay was one of the first singers to dip into the Gainsbourg songbook, beginning a collaboration that continued off and on for years to come. He also recorded everything from Hello, Dolly! to Mes Universités, a self-penned response to the French student rebellion of 1968. Although he continued recording and touring, Clay focused largely on film and television in the decades to follow, appearing in more than 80 features in all. He died of heart failure on December 13, 2007. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi