Famous French People Edith Piaf © by Robert Shepherd
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Famous French People Edith Piaf © by Robert Shepherd Hello, this is Robert Shepherd and welcome to the Famous French series. Over the next few months, EnglishWaves will explore some of the most famous and inspirational French people from all walks of life. We start with Édith Piaf, the one-time cabaret singer who became widely-regarded as France's national diva. She was born in Paris on 19th December 1915 as Édith Giovanna Gassion. Although pronounced Édith in her native France, she was named after the World War I British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed for helping French soldiers escape from German captivity. Édith's mother, Annetta Giovanna Maillard, was an Italian cafe singer, who performed under the name “Line Marsa.” Her father, Louis-Alphonse Gassion, plied his trade as a street acrobat. Édith's early years were testing to say the least and she wasn't long into her youth when her parents abandoned her. It is thought she may have taken shelter with her maternal grandmother, who ran a brothel. Yet in 1929, at the tender age of 14, she re-united with her father and supported his street performances all over France. However, the re-unification did not last long and the young Édith set out on her own as a street singer in and around Paris. At the age of 17, she gave birth to a daughter named Marcelle, who sadly died of meningitis at the age of two. Édith's reputation as an artist continued to grow and in 1935, she was spotted by Louis Leplée, who owned the successful club Le Gerny off the Champs-Élysées. Her nickname, La Môme Piaf, was born and was inspired by her nervous energy and small stature - and it would stay with her for the rest of her life. Such was the impression the young Piaf made on Leplée, he ran a major publicity campaign promoting her opening night. She was popular enough to record two albums during that year. However, more bad luck came Piaf's way. Not only was Leplée murdered the following spring, she was investigated as an accomplice to the crime. Leplée's death meant Piaf had to shoulder more responsibility and so she adopted her stage name - Édith Piaf - permanently. The woman who entered the world during World War I became one of the most popular performers in France during World War II. Nevertheless, with her success came controversy. Her concerts for German servicemen did not go down well at home, although she later stated that she had been working for the French Resistance. To this day the veracity of this claim is unclear, yet Piaf was instrumental in helping numerous individuals escape Nazi persecution. By the time the war ended, Piaf's fame had spread across the globe. She toured Europe, South America and the United States. American audiences were initially put off by Piaf's demeanour and dark clothes, but she garnered glowing reviews and ultimately achieved enough of an audience to warrant two televised performances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Piaf also helped other artists get their careers off the ground. A young French-Armenian by the name of Charles Aznavour opened for Piaf at the Moulin Rouge. Piaf then advised him to pursue a career in singing. Of Piaf’s many ballads, “La Vie en Rose” is remembered as her signature song, while many associate her with "Non, je ne regrette rien". Édith Piaf died in 1963 and was buried in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris with a number of other famous faces from the arts. .