Jonathan Dassin Announces Biopic About His Father, Joe Dassin, Album Release, and Tour

As soon as he appears on the forecourt of the building housing our offices, the resemblance is striking... Same clear gaze, same gentle smile, Jonathan is without a doubt the son of Joe Dassin! Passing through the Côte d'Azur (after a triumphant reception at his last concert in Kazakhstan) to finalize the outlines of a biopic dedicated to the author of his days in Cannes, Jonathan Dassin takes the opportunity to meet some of his family here: "My mother Christine's parents, originally from Rouen, retired in Mandelieu," he rewinds. "That's why, since I was a child, I come here every year. I still have family here, since I also have an aunt and cousins ​​who live in the Estérel."

A double opus at the end of 2025

And Joe Dassin's eldest son, now 46, also recalls a concert in Drap: "It was in 2021, during the Top Solidaire show , organized for the victims. I did a duet with the singer Carla, a cover of Siffler sur la colline , taken from the tribute album to my father, released in 2020." But what Jonathan Dassin is most eager to announce to us is a major event in his career: the release of a new album, a double opus of 28 tracks, L'Étincelle , which should take place at the end of the year. "We recorded it in several locations. At Olivier Visconti's, a renowned musician, producer, arranger, and composer, winner of a Latin Grammy. We also collaborated with Nicolas Loconte, who is a magnificent producer. As well as with Sébastien Perronnet, Adam Vadel, in Los Angeles, who made Yseut's latest album, the most streamed of the moment. And it was finally magnified by Stéphane Nozak and Lionel Borée."

As for the title of L'Étincelle , it came to me in an obvious way: " I remembered a conversation with my grandfather Jules. We were talking about what I was doing, about the fact that it wasn't so easy to meet good people. He told me: don't worry. You'll need a spark and it will take off. This image has remained engraved." A double opus that will include as many of Jonathan's creations as covers of his father's hits, starting with L'Été indien , released on June 6, 1975, exactly 50 years ago!

Released on this occasion on all platforms in a modernized cover, which in no way distorts the original title. A title which was itself a cover of Africa , by Toto Cutugno, reworked by Claude Lemesle and Pierre Delanoé. The very latest version, meanwhile, reminds us how astonishing the vocal resemblance between Joe and Jonathan is as well. A competition, inviting Internet users to propose a cover, has also been launched, and will allow the winners to come on stage during the tour which will follow the release of L'Étincelle .

And for the record, it was Claude François who was initially offered Indian Summer . But Cloclo refused it.

In a twist of fate, for the second consecutive year, Jonathan Dassin has been invited to participate in the Claude François cruise from October 11 to 18, by his son, Claude François Junior, aboard the Costa Smeralda .

28 million euros for the biopic

As for the biopic dedicated to Joe Dassin, a project whose idea was born five years ago, and to which a budget of 28 million euros will be devoted, it will be directed by David Charhon ( Cyprien, De l'autre côté du périphérique, Le Dernier Mercenaire ) from a screenplay by his father-in-law Alain-Guy Aknin. This gives it a great legitimacy: " Alain-Guy Aknin was my father's biographer," reveals Jonathan Dassin . "He came to collect his confidences in our house in Feucherolles. I am thus assured that his image will not be tarnished. Many erroneous things have been written about him. Even if I did not know him very well [who died when Jonathan was only 23 months old, editor's note] what I know of him was told to me by my grandfather, my aunts and my mother. And what will emanate from this film will be his luminous, grandiose, star side."