Hugues Aufray
Hugues Jean Marie Auffray (French pronunciation: [yɡ ʒɑ̃ maʁi ofʁɛ]; born 18 August 1929), better known as Hugues Aufray, is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for French-language covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Aufray knew Dylan and his work from his time in New York City, as well as from record shops, and his translations capture the rawness of the original songs.
Also recorded as Hugues Jean Marie Auffray · Hugues Auffray
Hugues Aufray

Georges Seguin (Okki) · Hugues Aufray 20091009 Aix-en-Provence 013.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Born
- 1929.
- Nationality
- France.
- Occupation
- singer, songwriter, singer-songwriter, chansonnier, composer and musician.
- Fields
- chanson, folk music, ballade and skiffle.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Hugues Jean Marie Auffray (French pronunciation: [yɡ ʒɑ̃ maʁi ofʁɛ]; born 18 August 1929), better known as Hugues Aufray, is a French singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for French-language covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Aufray knew Dylan and his work from his time in New York City, as well as from record shops, and his translations capture the rawness of the original songs.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Hugues Aufray (born 1929) is a French chansonnier, composer and musician, among other activities. The chansonnier was born Hugues Jean-Marie Auffray in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Hugues Aufray studied at Lycée Français de Madrid.
Genres include ballade, chanson and folk music, among others. Languages used include French. The chansonnier received Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, Knight of the Legion of Honour and Victory of honor.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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technical hold · checked 25 September 2026
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
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Authority files
museum · 9ec13aa9-43e9-4a86-95be-d2b5c188dd20 · wikidata · Q50034 · wikipedia · Hugues Aufray
In this article
Early life
Early life
His most famous original songs are "Santiano", "Céline", "Stewball" and "Hasta Luego".
Aufray was born to Henry Auffray, an industrialist, and Amyelle de Caubios d'Andiran (1898–1992), a musician and second cousin of the French author François Mauriac (respectively by their maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother). His sister was actress Pascale Audret (1936–2000) and his niece is actress Julie Dreyfus. Once Aufray's parents divorced, the family left Paris for Sorèze (Tarn - Occitania), where he was raised by his mother. During the war, in 1941-1945 he studied at the Dominican College in Sorèze. In 1945, Aufray joined his father in Madrid, living there for three years. He attended the Lycée Français de Madrid in Madrid, and graduated with his baccalauréat. He then returned to France to start singing in Spanish.
Career
Career
Aufray first began writing songs for French singers. After finishing second in a singing competition, he signed a record deal in 1959 with Eddie Barclay. From there, he went on to co-write and arrange many songs, drawing influence from folk, blues and rock. While supporting Peter, Paul and Mary in New York in 1962, he struck up a friendship with Bob Dylan, who would then visit him in Paris in 1964. Aufray translated many of Dylan's songs into French: their appearance on his 1965 album Aufray chante Dylan helped form the tastes of the new French generation. Aufray represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, performing "Dès que le printemps revient" and finishing fourth. In 1966, he sang Les Crayons de Couleur in support of Martin Luther King Jr. at an anti-racism benefit. In 1984, he sang a duet with Bob Dylan at a concert in Grenoble, and performed with him in Paris as well. In 2022, he received a special prize celebrating his whole musical career, during the 63rd International Congress of the Société des Poètes et Artistes de France (Spaf), which was organized that year in Sorèze.
Main EPs and singles
Main EPs and singles
Le poinçonneur des Lilas; Mes petites odalisques / Y'avait Fanny (Qui chantait); Nous avions vingt ans (1959) La complainte de Mackie; Le jugement dernier / La flotte américaine; Nuit d'hiver (1959) Nuit et jour (Liebelei); Trois hommes / San Miguel; Madeleine (1961) Tucumcari; Ses baisers me grisaient / La femme du Liberia; Monsieur le soleil (1961) Santiano; Notre rivière / Georgia; Mille rayons (1961) J'entends siffler le train; Les deux frères / Loin de toi; L'enfant do (1962) Je reviens (Les portes de Saint-Malo); Là-haut / C'est pas la peine; Oui tu verras (1963) Tout le long du chemin (Singing the Blues); 4 vents (Four Strong Winds) / N'y pense plus (Don't Think Twice, It's All Right); Allez allez mon troupeau (Ally, Ally Exen Free) (1964) À bientôt nous deux; Le bonheur n'est-il pas fait pour moi? / Guidez mes pas; Dès que le printemps revient (1964) Debout les gars; Nous avions beaucoup dansé / Pends-moi; Ja-da (1964) Le rossignol anglais; Personne ne sait / Le coeur gros; Tu sens bon la terre (1965) Dou-wakadou; On est les rois (King of the Road) / Les remords et les regrets; Bambou (1965) L'homme-orchestre; Je croyais / Laisse-moi petite fille; Les yeux fermés (1965) L'épervier / Le joueur de pipeau (1966) Les crayons de couleur / Les tourterelles (1966) Céline; Les mercenaires / Stewball; Le bon Dieu s'ennuyait (1966) De velours noir; C'est tout bon / Petit frère; Près du coeur les blessures (1967) Je n'en reviens pas; Chloé / Voilà mes conditions; Vidita (1967) Des jonquilles aux derniers lilas; L'infidèle / Le château du hibou; Au clocher de Rouen (1968) La nuit est belle; Le port de Tacoma / Le petit âne gris; Chanson de la mariée (1968) Un mur, un ruisseau, un jardin et des fleurs; Un marin c'est bien / Je ne suis plus maître chez moi; Pauvre Benoît (1969) Vous ma lady / Adieu (1972) Ton premier chagrin d'amour / Jolie Fanny (1974) Cauchemar locomoteur / Le moral à zéro (1975) C'est plus fort que moi, j'y crois (part 1) / C'est plus fort que moi, j'y crois (part 2) (1976) Dernières vacances / Ballade entre chien et loup (1977) Émilie Émilia / Loin vers Mexico (1979) Bye bye Moorea Tahiti / Ma soeur la pauvresse (1983) Dieu que c'est dur d'être modeste / Y'a toujours un train (1984) Petit homme / L'enfant sauvage (1984)

Hugues Aufray live at Aix-en-Provence (France) for the French song festival 2009.
Georges Seguin (Okki)

Hugues Aufray live at Aix-en-Provence (France) for the French song festival 2009.
Georges Seguin (Okki)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q50034: Hugues Aufray
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Hugues Aufray”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Hugues Aufray et la protest song en France, La chanson politique en Europe, 2008
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2008
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Hugues Aufray
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ian Bell, Once Upon a Time (London 2013) p. 215
- 2.Calvet, Louis-Jean. Cent ans de chansons française. Archipel. 2006.
- 3.« Biographie d'Hugues Aufray », RFI Musique
- 4.Hugues Auffray. roglo.eu.
- 5.Annuaire de Sorèze
- 6."Biographie résumée ." Hugues Aufray Official Website. Retrieved on 23 September 2015. "1945-1948 : Au lycée français de Madrid (Espagne), il passe son baccalauréat"
- 7.Emission Du côté de chez Dave du 6 mars 2015
- 8.« Discours de Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres : remise des insignes de commandeur dans l'ordre des arts et des lettres à Hugues Aufray », Ministère de la culture, 10 octobre 2006.
- 9.Ian Bell, Once Upon a Time (London 2013) p. 335
- 10.C. Heylin, Behind the Shades (London 2011) p. 157
- 11.Site personnel bjorner
- 12.Ian Bell, Once Upon a Time (London 2013) p. 215n
- 13.Le Petit Journal du Tarn-et-Garonne 04/10/2022
- 14.La Dépêche du Midi, édition du Tarn, 08/10/2022
- 15.Le Petit Journal du Lot 25/10/2022
- 16.Official website of the Société des Poètes et Artistes de France délégation Occitanie
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
VerifiedInstitutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Hugues AufrayMetaBrainz Foundation
Verifiedreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q50034: Hugues AufrayWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
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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