Edith Piaf

Guide Note

Edith Piaf was a popular French singer and actress. She is widely regarded as one of France's most beloved vocalists and was depicted by actress Marion Cotillard in an Academy Award-winning turn in the 2007 Piaf biopic La Vie En Rose.

Piaf is known for her heartbreaking renditions of ballads; the most famous of which include "La Vie En Rose," "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" and "Bravo Pour Le Clown!."

The circumstances of her early childhood are unclear, but it is known that Piaf led a tragic life. Her parents abandoned her as a child, and she eventually ended up in the care of her paternal grandmother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. She was blind from the ages of 3 to 7, but by age 14, was singing on the streets with her father, who was a street acrobat. When she was 17, Piaf gave birth to a daughter, who died of meningitis at the age of 2.

In 1935, Piaf was discovered by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, who helped propel her to stardom. Leplée dressed Piaf in what would become her signature, a black dress, and gave her the nickname Lo Môme Piaf.

During WWII, Piaf performed at German Forces social gatherings in occupied France. Many called her a traitor, but she claimed to have been working for the French resistance. Her singing career continued following the war despite many personal tragedies and setbacks, including the death of her lover Marcel Cerdan in a 1949 plane crash.

Piaf herself died in 1963 from liver cancer.

Fast Facts

1. Name: Edith Giovanna Gassion
2. Born: December 19, 1915
3. Birthplace: Paris, France
4. Died: October 11, 1963
5. AKA: The Little Sparrow