This timeline attempts to trace every known fact and source in detail, an invitation to gather information and evidence relating to Eddie, and particularly Nicole, since few details of her own biography are known.

The desire to shed light on Nicole Barclay’s role in the history and development of Barclay Records dates back to the years of Lido Musique’s existence as a record shop, a period of apprenticeship in which I had the immense privilege of working alongside Marcel Romano on a day to day basis.

Marcel readily talked about the past (although he always showed great curiosity for the present). I was intrigued by the fact that the name of Nicole Barclay was often mentioned, either when listening to records or when someone came in with questions for us. As far as I was concerned, the Barclay era was synonymous with Eddie, and I learned to know Nicole thanks to Philippe Weil, one of her faithful friends, and musicians I met, from René Urtreger to Joe Castro. The latter’s desk carried a treasure: a wonderful photograph of Nicole in the company of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington at the Mars Club.

And then there was Eddie himself: his biography entitled Que la fête continue devotes a very moving chapter to his wife that carries the title “Le Blues de Nicole.” Its words, better than any other source, show Nicole’s importance to the construction of Barclay.

Daniel Richard


With very special thanks to:

Thérèse Chasseguet, for her contribution and unwavering enthusiasm,
(Barclay: Une Histoire de Haute Fidélité 1945-1984. Paris: Riveneuve, 2017).

Michael Dregni, for his contribution and his generosity,
(Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend. New York: Oxford, 2004).

Anne Legrand, for her contribution and her propensity for making things easier,
(Charles Delaunay et le jazz en France dans les années 30 et 40. Paris: Éditions du Layeur, 2009). François Lê Xuân for everything and for the proofreading.


English translation by Martin Davies, my buddy.