Édith Piaf
Biography
Édith Giovanna Gassion, who would later become famously known as Édith Piaf, was born in Paris, France, on December 19, 1915. Her early life was marked by instability and hardship. Abandoned by her mother, a café singer, she was initially cared for by her maternal grandmother before living with her paternal grandmother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. As a child, she suffered from a period of blindness due to meningitis but eventually recovered her sight. At 14, she joined her father, a street acrobat, and began singing publicly during their performances.
The Rise of "The Little Sparrow"
In 1935, Piaf's life took a dramatic turn when she was discovered by Louis Leplée, a cabaret owner in Paris. It was Leplée who gave her the stage name "La Môme Piaf" ("The Little Sparrow"), a reference to her small stature. Under his guidance, she began performing in his nightclub, which led to her first record deal. Her career started to gain significant momentum in the late 1930s, and she became a massive star in the Paris music halls. During World War II and the German occupation of France, her fame continued to grow as she performed in various nightclubs and even for German officers, a position she reportedly used to help Jewish friends escape persecution.
International Stardom and Iconic Songs
After the war, Piaf's fame became international. She wrote her signature song, "La Vie en rose," in 1945, which became a global hit and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Her powerful, emotional voice and dramatic performance style captivated audiences worldwide, leading to tours across Europe, the United States, and South America. She made eight appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, a testament to her popularity in America. Other famous songs in her repertoire include "Non, je ne regrette rien," "Hymne à l'amour," "Milord," and "La Foule."
A Life of Turmoil and Tragedy
Piaf's personal life was as dramatic as her songs. She had a series of high-profile romances, including a deep love for the boxer Marcel Cerdan, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1949 on his way to meet her. This loss devastated her and inspired her to write the moving ballad "Hymne à l'amour." She was married twice: first to singer Jacques Pills from 1952 to 1957, and then to Théo Sarapo, a Greek performer 20 years her junior, from 1962 until her death. Throughout her life, Piaf battled health problems, including addictions to morphine and alcohol that began after a series of serious car accidents in 1951.
Legacy
Despite her personal struggles, Édith Piaf continued to perform until the final months of her life. She recorded her last song, "L'Homme de Berlin," in April 1963. On October 10, 1963, at the age of 47, Piaf died of liver cancer at her villa on the French Riviera. Her funeral procession in Paris was attended by tens of thousands of mourners, a testament to her status as a national treasure. Buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, her music and life story continue to fascinate, inspiring numerous films and documentaries. Piaf remains one of France's most beloved cultural icons, remembered for a voice that seemed to encapsulate the very essence of love, loss, and resilience.