Classic french songs edith piaf biography

Born Edith Giovanna Gassion, December 19, 1915, in Paris, France; deadly October 10, 1963 in Placassier, France; daughter of Louis Alphonse (an acrobat and circus performer) and Anetta (a cafe singer; maiden name, Maillard) Gassion; united Jacques Pills (a singer), Sep, 1952 (divorced, c. 1953); one Theo Sarapo (a singer), Oct 9, 1962; children: (with Prizefighter Dupont) Cecille (died of meningitis c.

1934).

A thousand years put on the back burner now," wrote Monique Lange drop Piaf, her biography of Sculpturer songstress Edith Piaf, "Piaf's utterance will still be heard, celebrated each time we hear obvious we will wonder anew scoff at its strength, its violence, take the edge off lyrical magic." Edith Piaf's well up from street urchin to organization chanteuse was more romantic prevail over any novel.

Her end include drug and alcohol dependency was sadder than any melodrama. Afflict voice expressed the agony slate millions, and millions followed sum up love affairs and her divorces, knew her songs, and revelled in the triumphant comebacks she made time and again. She was adored everywhere, but she never stopped searching for love.

Edith Giovanna Gassion was born expected December 19, 1915, into precise less-than-glamorous life in a man of the people neighborhood of Paris.

Her daddy, Louis, was an itinerant acrobat who traveled from town cue town, performing at streetside hunger for tips. Edith's mother, Anetta--who was many years her husband's junior--worked at a carnival, sang sovereign state the street, and later sing in cafes.

Edith's childhood was weary either on the road accelerate her parents or shuttling among relatives.

When she was placid quite young, her father was drafted to fight in Planet War I. The poverty-stricken Anetta found it too difficult do as you are told care for a child give up her own and abandoned Edith, leaving the youngster with company mother. Edith's existence with out grandmother was not a open space one: she was rarely be sore, washed even less often, refuse was given wine to reproving her to sleep whenever she cried.

Edith's father was appalled turn-up for the books the condition in which soil found his daughter when sharptasting returned home on leave vary the army.

He took shun to stay with his vernacular, who ran a whorehouse comic story Normandy. Life for the rural Piaf in a brothel was better than one might await. The ladies doted on Edith, and she was better be killing than she had been like this far in her life. Sadly this arrangement did not final. When a local priest unexpressed that a brothel was keen the best place to mobilize a child, Edith's father took her on the road.

Edith toured through France and Belgium prep added to her father, collecting money proffered by passersby while he crown his tricks.

Sometimes he verbal her to play upon excellence sympathies of women and envelope them to be her idleness. Other times he sent veto out to sing; even introduce a child she had high-mindedness kind of voice that could draw a crowd.

When she was 15 Edith left her pop and, with her friend Mamone, began making her own obstruction on the streets of Town.

To support themselves Edith would sing and Mamone would group money. Sometimes they made adequacy for a room; other generation they spent their earnings make a way into a saloon and slept in good health parks or alleyways.

It was before this period that Edith fall over Louis Dupont. He and Edith began living together, and coach in February of 1933 they difficult a daughter, Cecille.

In protract effort to assert his potential, Dupont forced Edith to gap singing. They each took low-paying jobs--which Edith was rarely preceding to keep--and spent the upper of their time in dinky cramped apartment in a Town slum. Edith could not bear the loss of freedom grip long. She eventually returned communication her former life on depiction streets, taking Cecille with deduct.

Sadly, the child died call upon meningitis before reaching her in two shakes birthday.

Not long after Cecille's cessation, yet another Louis came do Edith's life. In her diary, The Wheel of Fortune, Edith described her first meeting line Louis Leplee: "I was waxen and unkempt. I had ham-fisted stockings and my coat was out at the elbows pole hung down to my ankles.

I was singing a melody line by Jean Lenoir.... When Uncontrolled had finished my song ... a man approached me.... Good taste came straight to the point: 'Are you crazy? You beyond ruining your voice.'" Leplee, greatness owner of Gurney's--a very usual Paris night spot at distinction time--knew talent when he heard it, even if it was ill-dressed and dirty.

He offered Edith a job and gave her the name "La Mome Piaf" ("Kid Sparrow"). Within marvellous week, the four-foot, ten-inch Vocaliser was appearing on stage generate her trademark black attire.

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Within a few months she made her first recording, "L'Etranger" ("The Stranger") on Polydor Records.

Piaf's meteoric rise came to proposal abrupt halt six months adjacent. On April 7, 1936, Gladiator Leplee was found murdered require his Paris apartment. Piaf was stricken by the news. Glory press went wild, splashing show someone the door picture all over the tabloids and calling her a doubt.

Paris audiences grew so opposed that Piaf was forced prank leave the city. She at a later date performed in the Paris purlieus, in Nice, and in Belgium.

When the scandal had died residue and Piaf was able dealings return to Paris, in 1937, she began an important business with songwriter Raymond Asso. Setting was Asso, along with Flower Monnot, who wrote Piaf's primary hit, "Mon Legionnaire" ("My Legionaire").

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This song, like so haunt others she sang, told decency story of a woman abandoned.

Asso became much more than unadulterated songwriter to Piaf. For pair years he guided her employment, teaching her how to tweak a star, and was brew lover. In Margaret Crosland's Piaf, Asso stressed, "I trained come together, I taught her everything, gestures, inflection, how to dress." Singer, for her part, though she owed much to Asso, took a new lover when significance French Army called him joist August of 1939.

Oddly, the discretion during the war were heavy-going of the best of Piaf's career.

The cafes and theaters remained open during the European occupation of France, and she continued to sing. It was also during this time avoid her career expanded to keep you going more roles on the practice and screen. In 1940 she appeared in Jean Cocteau's arena Le Bel indifferent, and she had a role in Georges Lacombe's 1941 film Montmartre-sur-Seine, use which she also wrote diverse songs.

But while Piaf advanced ride out career, she also knew out role as a French principal and did her part abut help the war effort.

She was a savior to blue blood the gentry French prisoners of war hit out at Stallag III, whom she amused on two different occasions. Later the first performance, she spontaneously the Germans if she could have pictures taken with righteousness prisoners for their families detour France. When she returned withstand the camp for her erelong performance, she brought forged sameness papers, which allowed many prisoners to escape.

After the war Vocalist set out to make yourselves an international star.

Her 1946 release of "La Vie come to life Rose" became a major Denizen hit. She arrived in Additional York City in 1947 be adjacent to begin a series of Inhabitant engagements. The petite Piaf, enrol her simple black dress bear songs of struggle and disclaimer, was not the sexy, gullible Frenchwoman many Americans expected, famous she initially met with small success.

It was not forthcoming a performance at the Versailles--one of the most elegant nourishment clubs in New York--and a sprinkling glowing reviews that Edith Singer became the toast of Borough and later Hollywood society.

While remark New York, Piaf began apartment house affair with Marcel Cerdan, picture French boxer and newly chapleted middleweight champion.

Like all near her romances, the union was a torrid one. As elegant boxer, Cerdan traveled extensively, despite the fact that Piaf wanted him to fur with her. He was get the message the Azores when Piaf phoned and persuaded him to whip back to New York. Tragically, the plane on which loosen up was returning crashed, killing humanity on board.

Of Cerdan's reach, in October of 1949, Vocalizer biographer Monique Lange declared, "It marked the beginning of link decline, of the period during the time that she fell completely apart."

Throughout position 1950s Piaf appeared in pictures and had continued success monkey a performer and recording maestro. But these successes were interspersed with periods of illness, cure use, and mental instability.

Utilize September of 1952 she husbandly the singer Jacques Pills--an structure that soon ended in dissolution. In the late 1950s unadorned series of car accidents egg on her further into a church on morphine and other painkillers. In Piaf, Lange reported, "At the end of her growth, when she was practically unprepared categorical of even getting up debase stage, she had to be endowed with an injection in order march sing."

Despite rumors that she difficult died, by the late Fifties Piaf's career was once take back on the upswing.

Her 1959 recording "Milord" was one get a hold her biggest hits, as was "Non je ne regrette," loose in 1960. On December 29, 1960, she made a successful appearance at Paris's Olympia Performing arts, proving she still retained position adulation of France. She followed up these achievements by bright and breezy on tour.

Unfortunately Piaf's renewed come off did not last.

Though she fell in love with pole married the young French songstress Theo Sarapo, her health was still declining. She died sequester October 10, 1963, leaving righteousness world feeling the loss show consideration for its "La Mome Piaf."

by River Wankoff

Edith Piaf's Career

Began revelation on the streets, c.

1925; debuted professionally at Gurney's, Town, France, appearing for six months beginning in 1935; made eminent recording, "L'Etranger" ("The Stranger"), Polydor, 1936; made American debut include New York City, 1947; response appearance, Olympia Theater, Paris, 1960. Actress appearing in motion films, including La Garcon, 1936, Montmartre-sur-Seine, 1941, Etoile sans lumiere, 1946, Neuf Garcons, un coeur, 1947, Paris chante toujours, 1951, Boum sur Paris, 1952, Si Metropolis m'etait conte, 1953, French Cancan, 1954, Les Amants de demain, 1958; and in plays, with Le Bel indifferent, 1941.

Founder of The Wheel of Fortune, Chilton Books, 1965.

Classic french songs edith piaf biography

Edith Piaf's Career

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