Dick Rivers
Hervé Forneri (24 April 1945 – 24 April 2019), known professionally as Dick Rivers, was a French singer and actor who began performing in the early 1960s. He was an important figure in introducing rock and roll music in France. He was an admirer of Elvis Presley, who influenced both his singing and looks.
Also recorded as Hervé Forneri
Dick Rivers

Michaël Bemelmans · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Dick Rivers
- Birth Name
- Hervé Forneri
- Born
- 24 April 1945
- Birthplace
- Nice, France
- Died
- 24 April 2019
- Place of death
- Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
- Occupation
- Singer
- Full name
- Hervé Émile Forneri.
- Nationality
- France
- Fields
- country music · rock music · rock and roll · chanson
- Languages
- French
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Documentary summary
Hervé Forneri (24 April 1945 – 24 April 2019), known professionally as Dick Rivers, was a French singer and actor who began performing in the early 1960s. He was an important figure in introducing rock and roll music in France. He was an admirer of Elvis Presley, who influenced both his singing and looks.
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q2750246 · wikipedia · Dick Rivers
In this article
Biography
Biography
His stage name came from the character, Deke Rivers, that Presley played in his second film, Loving You (1957).

Séance de dédicace d'après concert, crédit photo:Bemelmans Michaël.
Michaël Bemelmans
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Dick Rivers • Birth Name — Hervé Forneri • Born — 24 April 1945 • Birthplace — Nice, France • Died — 24 April 2019 • Place of death — Neuilly-sur-Seine, France • Genre — Rock and roll • Occupation — Singer • Past Member Of — Les Chats Sauvages
Biography
Biography
Rivers was born in Nice, France. He started his music career in 1960 as the lead singer of the band Les Chats Sauvages, cutting his first record on his fifteenth birthday. In 1961, the British music magazine NME reported that a Rivers concert with his group Les Chats Sauvages at the Palais des Sports de Paris, whilst headlining with Vince Taylor, had turned into a full-scale riot. Rivers left Les Chats Sauvages in 1962 to pursue a solo career. His last album, Rivers, was released in 2014. He died in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 2019, from cancer, on his 74th birthday.
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Dick Rivers was recorded at birth as Hervé Émile Forneri. He also worked under the name Dick Rivers. The authorities additionally record the heading Hervé Forneri. His recorded language was French.
Identity
Identity
Dick Rivers is recorded as singer, composer, actor and musician.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2019
Dick Rivers died at Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Nice.
Birth place
Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Death place
Selected discography
• 1964 Rien que toi • 1971 Bye Bye Lily • 1971 Dick n'Roll • 1972 The Rock Machine • 1974 Rock & roll star • 1976 Mississippi River's • 1994 Very Dick (compilation album) • 1995 Plein Soleil • 1996 AuthenDick (live album) • 1998 Vivre comme ça... entre la terre et l'amour • 2001 Amoureux de vous
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q2750246: Dick RiversWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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