<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/france" rel="" target="" title="France"><span>France</span></a><span>'s biggest pop stars died from a freak accident while having a bath on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" rel="" target="" title="March 11, 1978"><span>March 11, 1978</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Claude Francois was running a bath in his home in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/paris-top-world-city-euromonitor-international-survey/cdb5fe81-bc17-45f5-b2da-acf7f546a1da" rel="" target="" title="Paris"><span>Paris</span></a><span> when he noticed a crooked lightbulb above him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He stood up and with wet hands tried to straighten the bulb.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-8-what-happened-on-this-day/7f0ab619-7783-4557-b863-837e706951c9"><strong><span>Expensive coat led police to immense drug operation</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Francois was electrocuted by the shock and died instantly. He was 39.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The singer had just recorded a television special hours before his death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing described him as "the French equivalent of the Beatles".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-11-what-happened-on-this-day-claude-francois/d813231a-713a-40d7-84f2-31b31aca6ebb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the day of his funeral, his latest single, </span><em><span>Alexandrie Alexandra</span></em><span>, was released by the record company.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While it may have been seen as a cynical ploy, that was already the scheduled release date. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was a huge hit, topping the French charts and selling 1.6 million copies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Francois had sold more than 20 million records during his lifetime.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many of his hits had been songs recorded by English-language artists translated into French.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Among his hits were translations of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/gibb-to-unveil-qld-bee-gees-tributes/020c53b6-a718-42ad-a303-66089913b0c0" rel="" target="" title="The Bee Gees"><span>The Bee Gees</span></a><span>' </span><em><span>Massachusetts</span></em><span> and Peter Allen's </span><em><span>I Go To Rio</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But his most lasting song in global memory is one which was rewritten into English.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Comme d'habitude</span></em><span> was a slow-moving 1968 ballad about the love fading from a relationship.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The song was a major hit in France, and a for-hire songwriter in London was tasked with translating it into English.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The songwriter, a young </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/entertainment/legendary-musician-david-bowie-dies-aged-69/fb6fe066-90be-4db7-8ba2-c1b5e476963d" rel="" target="" title="David Bowie"><span>David Bowie</span></a><span>, recorded a demo of his translation named </span><em><span>Even a Fool Learns to Love</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-march-4-what-happened-on-this-day-nosferatu/8fe0b05e-517d-461d-bdb3-3f847f1dff1b"><strong><span>Judge orders destruction of one of the best horror films ever made</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But it was not formally recorded. He later used the lyrics in part for his later hit </span><em><span>Life on Mars?</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Soon afterwards, Canadian singer Paul Anka heard the song on the radio while in France and rewrote Francois' lyrics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His own English-language version, penned specifically for </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-november-27-what-happened-on-this-day-frank-sinatra-arrest/508c524f-c62f-4d52-8025-abb39fcc0a8d" rel="" target="" title="Frank Sinatra"><span>Frank Sinatra</span></a><span>, was on a completely different topic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Recorded later in the year, </span><em><span>My Way</span></em><span> became Sinatra's signature song.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-25-what-happened-on-this-day-zyzzyx-road/a4c4cbcd-5d42-4ecd-8625-cb9343c93178"><strong><span>Only six people saw the biggest flop of all time</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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