The encounter with Cocteau marked me profoundly. Our brief meeting was a determining moment in my career. It must have brought me some luck, because the next year I appeared at the Olympia Theater (the greatest musical hall in Paris) with Edith Piaf. Edith herself was very impressed by the immense possibilities of the Ondioline. From her I learned many "tricks of the trade" having to do with show business and song arrangement. She gave me money to buy studio time which allowed me to record on magnetic tape a few pieces that were a showcase for the Ondioline. She even decided herself which pieces I should record to obtain maximum effect. She was impeccable-very demanding of results. When she had decided that the tape was "almost perfect," she told me, "Now you must mail this to a person I'm going to give you the name and address to in New York. I will write him as well to let him know of your forthcoming correspondence. You'll see; he will answer you." It was impossible to debate with Edith; one always had to do as she decreed! Three weeks later I received an envelope from America. There was no note enclosed-only a round-trip plane ticket with an open return date, plus one word written (with big felttip pen) on the envelope: "COME!" And thus began the fairy tale...

In March 1960 I arrived in New York with a little traveling suitcase in one hand and my faithful Ondioline in the other. My sponsor met me at the airport. I will never forget this man-also one of the magicians presiding over my career. He was the first to offer me such an opportunity to express myself; by his financing he gave me a chance to live. His name was Carroll Bratman and he directed Carroll Music Service, which rented musical instruments to recording studios, theaters, music halls and TV studios. He had a lot of business contacts and influence in the music world-all of which he shared with me. I feel an immense gratitude for his generosity and his heart.

New York-this was a dream come true for me, an unknown Frenchman! At the risk of failure I had to conquer this new continent, this land of opportunity. I had faith in myself, feeling rash (or foolhardy) because I felt protected by the good fairies and magicians I had met in France. And when one is 30, one still has the soul of an adventurer-one needs to take chances.

I was fascinated by New York, this great metropolis though which sooner or later all the giants of music and show business pass. I spoke English, but I myself had a lot of difficulty undestanding what people were trying to say to me. I admit humbly, that I was often afraid. But the warmth and kindness of Carroll and his staff reassured me, and soon I managed to find a niche for myself. Apparently people liked the "Frenchie" with his accent and his European sense of humor. Because I was a Frenchman I had to pass a few administrative hurdles before I could legally be employed. I needed resident alien (green card) status; I also needed a Musician's Union card (NY Local 802), and with a wave of his magic wand Carroll arranged that, too. Finally I had gotten a break-now it was up to me to prove what I could do. And this is one of the things I appreciate most about the United States: people will give a chance to an artist if he can prove what he can do-if he's original and creative. Whereas in France the spirit is more narrow-minded, distrustful, conservative, reserved, and often envious or jealous. Thanks to my new friends and my rapid progress in learning the American language (especially the slang, which made people laugh), I was soon ready to face new challanges. Carroll has now left us, but I pledge his eternal gratitude.

My first appearance on American TV was on the Jack Parr Show. Thanks to my accent, a little humor and the novelty of the Ondioline, I managed to surprise the audience and make them laugh-the show was a hit! Then followed radio appearances-the Arthur Godfrey Show was a big success. Later cam more TV appearances, on the Gary Moore Show, "I've Got a Secret!", Captain Kangaroo, Johnny Carson, Michael Douglas, and others.

When I left France I had intended to remain only a few weeks in New York. But it took 6 months to obtain a resident alien card, so I stayed! During this time Carroll sponsored me totally, paying for my living expenses at the Bristol Hotel on West 48th Street and even giving me a salary as a sales rep for the Ondioline. But he did even more. In his building, he had set up an experiemental recording studio completely equipped with everything I had ever dreamed of: tape recorders, various musical instruments, all the electronic keyboards existing at the time (Allen, RMI, Hammond, Martin, etc). I felt like I was living in a dream-a real fairy tale. On top of my own experimental research, I was doing demonstrations of the Ondioline from france and they were selling well; Georges Jenny was ecstatic-and me too! Little by little I was becoming accustomed to the American way of life, and getting better and better at American slang.