July 12, 1963 - Singer Charles Trenet (pictured) was arrested last night at his country residence near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on charges involving homosexuality. He was charged with corrupting the morals of four young men under the age of 21. Mr. Trenet’s chauffeur claimed the singer was using him as a pimp. Mr. Trenet, who is 50 years old, has been internationally known since the late 1930s for a number of hit songs, most of which he composed himself. During World War II, Mr. Trenet, like many other French artists of the time, chose to entertain the occupying German forces rather than sacrifice his career. The wave of official trials that followed the liberation of France and the fall of the collaborationist Vichy Regime examined whether Trenet was guilty of collaboration with the enemy, but the inquiry resulted in a mere reprimand with no legal consequences. After the end of hostilities, he moved to the United States where he lived for a few years and where he quickly became a success.
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