- https://lccn.loc.gov/n85076958
- Person
- 1922-2001
McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Fernand Bonifay was one of the most important French songwriters of the 1950s and 1960s. He had Provençale forbearers but was born in the Paris in the 13th arrondissement. Drawn to art, he nevertheless studied the violin and drama. His first success in songwriting came in 1953, with “Les Carabiniers de Castille,” sung by Line Margy. That same year he wrote “Petit fleur,” a song put to the music of jazzman Sidney Bechet; this song has been interpreted by dozens of singing stars. Throughout the decade his songs were sung by Tino Rossi, Gilbert Bécaud, and Petula Clark and others. In 1957 his operetta, “Coquin de Printemps” ran for a year in Paris. In the 60s his success continued as he revised his style toward more exotic melodies of the “Yé-yé” period, as he wrote for singers like Dalida, Sacha Distel, Richard Anthony, and Johnny Halliday. In the IMDb he is credited for the lyrics of songs in the soundtracks of 21 films. During the 60s seven of his songs were among the top 15 in the French equivalent of the hit parade. He wrote around 2,500 songs in 30 years. During the 70s he was producer and host of television shows such as “Les Moineaux de Paris” and “Club des Jumeaux.” In 2013, for the 20th anniversary of his death, his cousin, Andrée Bonifay, had the idea of making a CD of his songs sung by young singers from the Var region where he spent his last years.
Bonney, T. G. (Thomas George), 1833-1923
Thomas George Bonney was an English professor, author, geologist, and president of the Geological Society of London. He was born on 27 July 1833 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England. Thomas was educated at Uppingham School and St John's College, Cambridge. From 1856 to 1861 he was a mathematical master at Westminster School, and he pursued geology only as a recreational activity, mainly in Alpine regions. From 1877 to 1901 he was a professor of geology in University College London. He became secretary and later president of the Geological Society of London (1884–1886). In 1878 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He wrote numerous articles and books on the topic of geology, e.g. The Story of Our Planet (1893). He died in Cambridge on 10 December 1923. Lake Bonney in Antarctica is named after him.
Bononcini, Giovanni, 1670-1747
Joseph Robin Bonwell was born on April 14, 1877, in Nebraska City, Nebraska.
He was an American businessman, editor, and naturalist. He attended business college in Nebraska City. He worked for Charles T. Lupton, a geologist who first surveyed northern Wyoming and western Montana. In 1906, he moved to Basin, Montana, where he served as the editor of "The Republican" newspaper for several years. Additionally, he was a justice of the peace for thirty years and served as a U.S. commissioner. Since the 1920s, he also operated a greenhouse.
In 1917, he married Esther Maria Brandt (1892–1974). He died on March 3, 1962, in Sheridan, Wyoming.