[1][2][3] He had his first big hit in France in 1972 with "La Tendresse", a song originally written by Patricia Carli for Mireille Mathieu, and made his first appearance at the Olympia that year, supporting Matthieu.

Establishing himself in the early 1970s as a popular performer of chansons and ballads, he had his biggest success in 1974 with "Mon Vieux", a song composed ten years earlier by Jean Ferrat with lyrics originally by Michèle Senlis but modified by Guichard.

He continued to have success in France through the 1970s and 1980s, with a sequence of hits including "Je viens pas te parler d’amour", "Chanson pour Anna" (dedicated to Anne Frank), and "Le Gitan".

He also organized a series of concerts to raise funds for cancer research, involving such musicians as Michel Delpech, Salvatore Adamo and Richard Cocciante.

He toured the country regularly in his motor home to perform in concerts and at music festivals, and attracted criticism on one occasion for appearing at a show in support of the Front National.