ArtistInfo

Francis Paudras

p, *1935 FR
Musician

Francis Paudras was a commercial artist, author, collector of jazz-related artifacts and patron of jazz musicians, including the pianist Bud Powell. He was born in 1935 and committed suicide on Nov. 26 1997 at his castle in Antigny, France. While in his early 20's, Mr. Paudras, an amateur pianist, became a keen follower of jazz in Paris. In the early 1960's, he befriended the ailing, alcoholic Bud Powell, one of the premier musicians of be-bop, who had gone to France with his wife, Altevia Edwards, and her son, Johnny. In 1963, with the help of the musician Johnny Griffin, Mr. Paudras checked Powell into a hospital, but by then Powell's custody was becoming a tug of war between his wife and Mr. Paudras. Powell's illness was diagnosed as tuberculosis, and for the next year Mr. Paudras was his caretaker. When Powell was booked for a six-week engagement at Birdland in Manhattan, in December 1964, Mr. Paudras was his advance man, creating a wave of publicity. The run opened to stunning reviews but quickly worsened as Powell slid back into drinking. Mr. Paudras stayed in New York for the entire run, missing the birth of his son. At the end of the engagement, Powell decided to remain in New York, where he died in 1966. Mr. Paudras later became a friend and supporter of other musicians, including Bill Evans and Jacky Terrasson. Though his devotion to Powell eventually turned into a personal disappointment, he memorialized the story in a book, ''La Danse des Infideles'' (1986). The story of his friendship with Powell was adapted by the director Bertrand Tavernier for the 1986 film ''Round Midnight,'' which starred Francois Cluzet as a character based on Mr. Paudras and Dexter Gordon as a composite portrait of Powell and Lester Young. Mr. Paudras was also co-author, with Chan Parker, of ''To Bird With Love,'' a book of photographs published in 1981. He also issued recordings of Powell and others through the years, including some he made privately in the early 60's. He is survived by two sons, Stephane and Lionel; a daughter, Cecelia; a sister, Noelle, and a granddaughter, Lea.

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