Peggy March was just 14 when she released "I Will Follow Him," a very catchy song that finds her crushing hard on a guy, willing to follow him to the ends of the earth because she's convinced he's her destiny. This was the golden age of girl groups and young female singers like March. The songs were targeted to a teenage audience and typically about a guy. When "I Will Follow Him" went to #1 on April 27, 1963, it took over from "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons.
March was 15 plus a month and 13 days old when the song hit #1, making her the youngest female singer ever to top the Hot 100 (Brenda Lee was six months older when she went to #1 with "I'm Sorry"). Born Margaret Battavio, she took the stage name March after the month she was born. Her producers christened her "little" because she was about 4'10" at the time. Her follow-up singles were just minor hits, but March dropped the "little" and evolved to become an actress and songwriter. She co-wrote "When The Rain Begins To Fall" by Jermaine Jackson and "Manuel Goodbye" by Audrey Landers, which both did well in Europe.
"I Will Follow Him" was originally a French song called "Chariot" composed by two famous French musicians, Paul Mauriat and Frank Pourcel (Mauriat under the pseudonym Del Roma, Pourcel as J.W. Stole). Petula Clark recorded it and her version was released in 1962. For the English translation March recorded, the music was adapted by Arthur Altman ("American Beauty Rose," "Don't Gild The Lily Lily") and lyrics were added by Norman Gimbel ("Bluesette," "Girl From Ipanema," "Killing Me Softly With His Song").
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