Who does not know the greatest French singer, whose songs have become world hits, and she herself is a role model for millions? But not everyone knows how many trials she had to face. She went through a difficult - almost hungry - childhood, the death of a child, 2 car accidents, 7 operations, 3 coma, several attacks of delirium tremens, an attack of insanity, an attempted suicide, two world wars.
She did not survive only liver cancer in the last stage, which was found in her 2 years before her death. And if you ever again want to complain about your fate, just remember the "sparrow" of Paris, a woman who until the last days went forward, without giving up, conquering the hearts of millions, inspired and gifted with the power to love - Edith Piaf.
1. Edith Piaf (real name - Edith Giovanna Gation) was born on December 19, 1915. Almost on the same day, the girl's mother - the failed actress Anita Mayar - while her husband was at the front, gave the girl to be raised by her mother. But she didn’t need her - to calm down the girl who was interfering with her crying, the “loving” grandmother fed the child with diluted wine. Such feeding bore fruit - by the age of three, Edith was completely blind.
2. Later there will be a legend associated with the birth of Edith. However, it is unlikely that she is true, but according to her, a girl was born under a street lamp in winter on one of the streets of Paris.
3. As soon as Edith's father - Louis Gacion - finds out about this, he immediately sends the girl to be raised by his mother, who kept a brothel. However, she fell in love with her granddaughter and took care of her. She did everything for the girl to see the light. And in 1925 she succeeded. When there was no longer any hope of Edith's recovery, her grandmother took her to Lisieux to Saint Theresa. A few days later, my beloved granddaughter - oh, miracle - began to see again.
4. Edith herself, recalling this, said: “My life began with a miracle. At the age of four, I fell ill and became blind. My grandmother took me to Lisieux to the altar of Saint Theresa and begged her for my epiphany. Since then, I have not parted with the images of St. Teresa and the baby Jesus. And because I am a believer, death does not frighten me. There was a period in my life after the death of a person dear to me, when I myself called her. I have lost all hope. Faith saved me. "
5. At school, Edith was immediately disliked, which is not surprising - the girl lived in a brothel. The girl could not stand this, and soon her father took her to Paris. There, a 9-year-old girl begins to work with her father in the city squares: her father showed acrobatic tricks, and her daughter sang. Edith never learned to read and write to the end - even in the songs that she composed herself, there were mistakes. Who cares now though?
6. At the age of 15, Edith met her half-sister, 11-year-old Simona, who began performing with Edith. My father's new family was experiencing enormous financial difficulties. Edith, in turn, helped them financially, but later this led to the girl leaving her father. Forever.
7. Edith continues to perform on the streets, where she is noticed and invited to sing in a cabaret. At the age of 16, Edith met Louis Duppont, the father of her only daughter, Marcel. However, her marriage was unsuccessful - her husband demanded that Edith give up work, and they parted. For some time, Edith's daughter stayed with her, but one day, not finding her at home, Edith realized that her husband had a girl - he hoped that then his wife would return. But she didn’t come back. Moreover, the girl fell ill with meningitis, and a little later Edith herself became infected, who, however, recovered. But fate did not spare the girl even here - Marcel was dying. Edith had no more children.
8. At the age of 20, Louis Leplet notices her and invites her to perform on the Champs Elysees. He played a big role in the life and career of Edith: he taught her to choose songs, sing to the accompaniment, explained the importance of costume, facial expressions, behavior, and an artist. It was he who made Edith Gation out of Edith Piaf. Even on the street she sang: "I was born like a sparrow, lived like a sparrow, died like a sparrow." And they wrote on the posters: "Little Piaf". It was a success!
9. But the success did not last long. Soon Louis is killed, and Edith falls under suspicion, since he left her some amount. Thank God, this time everything ends well, and soon Piaf meets Raymond Asso - the man who makes Edith a great singer. It was he who was seeking her participation in a performance at the ABC Musical Hall, which was an initiation into the profession. Needless to say, she woke up famous the next day? Thanks to him, Edith's life story became the story of songs, and vice versa, no one could distinguish the stage image from Edith in reality.
10. Edith was bathed in success and fame. Hearing her voice on the radio, people ask to play Baby Piaf's songs over and over again.
11. During the Second World War "Little Piaf" meets Jean Cocteau, who invited her to play in the play "Indifferent Handsome". It was first shown in 1940. A year later, a film was made based on the play, in which Edith played the main role.
12. It's hard to believe, but Edith Piaf was so popular and in demand that she could afford to perform in front of French prisoners of war. And after the concert I managed to give them everything they needed to escape. Compatriots appreciated her personal courage and mercy, because she risked her life.
13. The post-war period was a time of particular success for Edith. Her work was admired by the suburbs of Paris, art connoisseurs around the world and even the future Queen of England.
14. Edith helped young talents. Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Eddie Constantin ... These are not all the names that have become known to the whole world thanks to the "sparrow".
15. In the postwar years, Edith meets the American boxer Marcel Cerdan, who became her greatest joy and greatest sadness. Fate again played a cruel joke with Edith - in 1949, having flown to his beloved from New York, he crashed in a plane crash. Edith fell into a severe depression: she began to drink morphine, after which she had seizures, and once she almost threw herself out of the window. She returned to the street again. Dressed in old clothes, she performed on the streets of Paris, and at night she brought unknown men to her place.
16. But the mourning could not last forever, and Edith again returns to her solo career. And she was even able to love again.
In 1952, Edith was involved in two car accidents and broke almost all of her ribs and both arms. To relieve her suffering, doctors inject her with morphine. It would seem that Edith is doomed to become addicted to drugs, but this fragile woman was not like that. Nevertheless, creativity no longer brought her the previous pleasure, but Edith only plunged more into work.
17. In 1954, Edith starred in the historical film If They Tell Me About Versailles. A little later, she had an 11-month tour of America, and then in France - such loads caused great damage to physical health. And in 1961, fate dealt the hardest blow to the singer - doctors discovered that Edith had liver cancer. But she continued to perform until the end of her days.
18. In recent years, she has been supported by 27-year-old Theo - Piaf's last love. In September 1962, overcoming pain, Piaf performed at the top of the Eiffel Tower. And six months later, the last concert in her life took place - the audience gave a standing ovation.
19.October 10, 1963 Edith Piaf died. All France buried her, and the whole world mourned - an entire era of French chanson died with her.
20. Edith Piaf's songs stayed with us forever, and the singer's courage and willpower left an indelible mark on the hearts of people. An autobiography was published during her lifetime. Whether everything that is in it corresponds to reality is unknown. But one thing is clear: this is how she wanted to remain in the memory of people.
“When I don’t die of love, when I have nothing to die of, then I’m ready to die!”
"I don't sing for everyone - I sing for everyone."
“Artists and audiences should not meet. After the curtain falls, the actor must disappear as if by magic. "
"Hands don't lie like faces."
In response to the doctors' words that she was killing herself by continuing to sing in front of the audience: "This is the most wonderful way to commit suicide."
“I have led a terrible life, it’s true. But also - amazing life. Because, above all, I loved her. "
"For love, for happiness, one often has to pay with tears."
“I was hungry. I was freezing. But I was also free. Free not to get up in the morning, not to sleep at night, free to drink, if I wanted to, dream ... hope. "
“This is the crowd that, I hope, will accompany me on my last journey, because I do not like loneliness. The terrible loneliness that squeezes you at dawn or at nightfall, when you ask yourself, is it still worth living and why live? "
French "sparrow" Edith Piaf is one of the legendary singers of the 20th century, the owner of a unique voice and inimitable grazing, recognized by critics as the best performer of chanson.
This independent, courageous woman achieved the love of the capricious Parisian public thanks not to her bright appearance, but to the virtuoso performance of songs that later entered the golden musical fund. During her life, little Piaf managed quite a lot:
The life story of Edith Giovanna Gassion, and this is the name given to the girl at birth, is full of trials and misfortunes, fate measured out a lot of grief for her. Edith was born into the family of a street acrobat and a failed singer; soon after birth, her mother left the baby, and she left to work.
Granny was not enough for a long time, and after three years the baby was given to the second grandmother. The kind old woman was shocked by the terrifying state of a child who did not know what affection and love were. Edith Piaf in childhood was incredibly thin, pale, in addition, her eyes were constantly festering, and the rapidly progressing disease threatened Piaf with complete blindness. The efforts of the doctors and the prayers of her grandmother saved her eyesight, little Edith began to revive before her eyes.
But this idyll did not last long, and the fate of Edith Piaf again painted in gloomy tones. The grown-up girl could no longer stay with her grandmother, because she was the owner of a brothel. When Edith turned 15, she decided to leave in order to earn a living on her own. All that the future star knew how to do was to sing soulfully, and therefore, without unnecessary hesitation, Edith decides to go to work in a cabaret.
However, Leplet believed that as a singer, Edith Piaf could achieve much more, especially if some effort was made to cut this diamond. He raised a real star from a "sparrow": she was taught to dress correctly, communicate with the audience, move on stage.
The owner of the cabaret did not stand on ceremony with the future star, often weighed her head on the head, spoke rudely about the singer's appearance. Edith always went on stage in black, she believed that this color gives room for imagination and does not distract from the song.
Her first appearance on the radio brought her incredible popularity, and the story of Edith Piaf's appearance in the Gernis cabaret aroused great interest among the public. However, Leple was soon shot, and the police suspected Piaf, because she was mentioned among the heirs.
Soon, the aspiring French singer will meet Raymond Asso, the composer and producer who will transform Piaf into a star. It is he who will write for her the famous "Paris, Mediterranean", "My Legionnaire", as well as many other songs that have become a real treasure of French chanson. Soon Marguerite Monno joined their creative union, and songs such as "Hymn to Love" and "Little Marie" appeared on the list of hits of the "sparrow".
A couple of years later, Piaf made her debut on the stage of one of the most prestigious music halls in the country "ABC", and the newspapers were full of reports that a new star had risen on the stage horizon. Soon, Edith Piaf met the famous director Cocteau, her songs began to sound from the screen, she became famous throughout the country. During the war, the singer actively tours, sings for French soldiers.
Once during a performance, the singer became ill, she was hospitalized and during the examination they discovered liver cancer. Music was the meaning of life for Edith, so she perceived the prohibition of doctors on performances and the need for subsequent treatment as real torture and punishment from above.
Piaf always had problems with alcohol, he helped her to forget, to escape from adversity. Unfortunately, the treatment did not bring a positive result - despite all the efforts of the doctors, in 1963 Edith Piaf passed away. The official cause of death is liver cancer.
The personal life of Edith Piaf can cause the envy of any beauty, because this unprepossessing-looking baby is credited with novels with the most prominent men in French cinema and stage. Newspapers of that time were full of catchy headlines about another hobby "sparrow", and the church considered her a real sinner. The biography of Edith Piaf served as material for three films, and books about her became real bestsellers.
Edith Piaf's husband demanded that the singer abandon the stage and stay at home, but she could not imagine life without music. Soon, daughter Edith dies of meningitis, the couple divorces.
The next object of passion for Piaf was 23-year-old Yves Montand, then just starting his acting career. She taught the young handsome man acting skills, helped him make the necessary acquaintances, and even achieved the leading role for him from a famous director. Two years later, Piaf left Montana, claiming that love was gone.
Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour met at a party quite by accident, and mutual sympathy immediately flared up between them. The newspapers immediately published notes that Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour were lovers, but this was completely different. For many years, two brilliant chansonniers were tied by strong friendship and platonic feelings, which never grew into anything more.
The wedding of Edith Piaf and the Greek hairdresser Theo Sarapo amazed all the singer's fans, seemingly already accustomed to the star's strange antics. By that time, Piaf, due to her age and addiction to alcohol, was very sick, and her lover was barely 26 years old. Knowing that his wife has very little left, he touchingly looked after her, fed her, walked until the very last day.
The singer died in the hospital after her liver finally failed. Piaf was buried in the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery; numerous fans and tourists still come to the grave of the star. Chanson lovers often compare Edith Piaf and Mireille Mathieu, because it is her performance that most resembles the manner of singing of the famous French "sparrow". Author: Natalia Ivanova
It so happened that Edith was born when her father was at the front, and her mother was left alone. Since it was difficult for the mother to perform on stage with her little daughter, she decided to "throw" the baby to her parents. The maternal grandmother did not care at all about her granddaughter, she was in an absolutely neglected state. Since the grandmother often drank wine, so that Edith would not bother her, she also poured wine into a bottle of milk for her. It was in such conditions that the father who came from the front found his daughter. Taking her, he went to Normandy, where his mother lived.
The paternal grandmother raised her granddaughter in love, sparing nothing for her. It turned out that three-year-old Edith is completely blind, due to the cataract that developed after birth. The treatment turned out to be useless. The baby only became clear after she was taken to Saint Teresa in the city of Lisieux. Edith studied at school for a very short time, her father soon arrived and took her to Paris. Together they began performing on the streets for a living. To the singing of his daughter, the father performed acrobatic numbers.
This existence continued until her street performance was heard by the owner of the Zernis cabaret and offered to sing in his establishment. The name of this man is Louis Leplet. For the first performance, the aspiring singer decided to knit a dress for herself, but by the time she entered the stage, one sleeve was not tied. This is precisely the reason that she made her debut in a long black dress, throwing a white scarf on top.
Edith Piaf - Padam, Padam
From the beginning of Edith's work with Leple, she had a pseudonym. Leplet named her Edith Piaf. Translated from the Parisian argot, the pseudonym was translated as "sparrow". On the posters it was written - "Baby Piaf". The girl's career was rapidly going up, but she was destined to be interrupted due to the tragedy that happened to Leplet - he was shot. It so happened that the singer was also suspected of his murder.
The singer left Raymond Asso with the outbreak of World War II. She performed throughout the entire period of hostilities. Often it was singing in front of the prisoners of war, whom she tried to help as best she could: more than once she handed over documents and everything needed to escape.
Edith Piaf. Non je ne regrette rien
Having become famous in France, the singer went to conquer America. During her short career, she performed a lot in different countries. The illness cut her life very early.
Added to all her troubles was cancer and severe arthritis. Sometimes she fainted from pain. The last time Edith performed was in March 1963. The concert ended with a five-minute standing ovation. The singer died in October 1963. Forty thousand people came out to bury her.
The singer's big love was a boxer named Marcel Cerdan. They had a thriving romance, but her lover died in a plane crash. Shortly before her death, Edith married a hairdresser, falling in love with him. The young man was only twenty-seven years old. The singer managed to bring her husband onto the stage.
Edith Piaf (1915-1963) - French actress and singer.
Her real name is Edith Giovanna Gassion, the birth of this baby took place on the Parisian sidewalk on December 19, 1915. At the cry of the newborn, a policeman came running, he gave the woman a raincoat, in which she wrapped her newly born daughter, said that she would call her Edith. And a month later I gave the baby to her parents to be raised.
Edith's mother, frustrated circus performer Anette Maillard, performed on stage under the name Lin Marsa. Dad, Louis Gassion, was a street acrobat. When the First World War began, he went to the front as a volunteer. At the end of 1915, he received two days of leave specifically to see his daughter.
Anette's parents began to raise their granddaughter in a peculiar way. No one watched the girl, and so that she would not bother with her crying, a little wine was poured into the milk, which was for them the main daily product. The grandmother was an illiterate person, the baby was not bathed or talked to.
In 1917, Louis's father came to visit the family, but learned that Anette had abandoned him, and that her daughter had given her to her parents. He went to them and found that the baby was not entirely healthy. Louis did not want to leave the girl in such conditions and took his mother Louise Gassion, who worked as a cook in a brothel.
In this institution, the girl was bathed, scraped off a crust of dirt from her, put on a fresh dress, and she turned out to be an incredibly adorable child, but, unfortunately, completely blind.
It turned out that in the first months of life, the baby began to develop cataracts, but the former "educators" did not care about this.
Grandmother Louise did not spare anything for her granddaughter, she paid the doctors money, but they were powerless and could not help the girl gain sight. All that remained was to ask God for help. The women from the brothel were so kind to Edith that they constantly prayed for her healing to Saint Teresa.
On August 19, 1921, grandmother Louise with her little granddaughter went to the city of Luzier to the altar of Saint Teresa, where rivers of pilgrims flowed every year. Louise begged for insights for Edith, the girl began to see six days later, on August 25, 1921. The first thing that appeared to her eyes were the piano keys. Since then, Edith Piaf has never parted with the images of the baby Jesus and Saint Teresa.
The war ended, the father returned home, he sent his daughter to school. However, her training ended quickly. Parents of classmates were against the fact that a girl living in a brothel was studying with their children. Edith had no choice but to start working with her father in the squares and streets of Paris. She sang, and dad showed circus acrobatic numbers.
Louis Gassion converged with various women. But when another of them began to extort the money she had earned from Edith, the girl turned around and left home, deciding that she could well provide for herself.
She got a job in a dairy shop. However, she quickly disliked such work, because she had to get up early and constantly fiddle with milk bottles.
Edith decided to return to her old street craft.
Now she was working not with her father, but with two of her friends. Soon she parted with them and began to cooperate with her half-sister on her father's side, Simona. On the day they got a good income, which was quite enough for a room in a run-down hotel, for canned food, and wine, and for new things, when the old ones were no longer possible to wear because of the dirt. The girls did not bother to wash their clothes or prepare food from the food.
Edith was twenty years old when a fateful acquaintance happened in her life.
It was October, it was cold outside, she was standing in a huge coat with holes in the sleeves and shoes with bare feet. I waited a long time for at least someone to give a coin to a street singer. A sleek man of about forty in a chic suit and kid gloves came up, said with a sneer: "Crazy if you sing in this weather!" Edith replied rudely: "But I need at least something to eat"... He tore off a scrap of newspaper, wrote down the address, and told her to come by four o'clock tomorrow for an audition. I also gave 5 francs so that she could buy herself food.
Edith was an hour late for the audition. He waited for her anyway and started at the Gernis cabaret, which was located on the Champs Elysees. Never in her life did Edith see such luxury, then she did not yet know that this is the most fashionable and expensive institution in Paris, the cream of society gathers here. "Go on stage and sing everything you know", - said yesterday's new acquaintance, the owner of the cabaret Louis Leplet. He listened to her for two hours and realized that he had found a nugget. He looked carefully at the girl and said: “You need a pseudonym. Piaf will do. "(in French this word means "sparrow"). This is how the star of the French and world song Edith Piaf was born.
On the day of her debut, she experienced intense fear for the first time in her life. Stepping on the stage, I saw insane luxury in the hall: the cream of society, tuxedos, butterflies, furs and diamonds, delicacies on the tables. And who is she? Like a little monkey from the Paris zoo, in a fancy dress, with a ridiculous haircut and brightly painted red lips. The audience laughed and ate deliciously. Edith got angry with them and began to sing, as heartfelt and desperate as never before in her life.
It was a triumph. Louis Leplet was delighted. Then work began, he taught Edith facial expressions and stage gestures, rehearse with an accompanist, and choose a costume.
In the winter of 1936, Piaf already performed at the Medrano circus at a large concert of French pop stars. This was followed by a performance on Radio City. A stunning success loomed on Edith Piaf, radio listeners demanded only her songs. But tragedy struck: Louis Leplet was shot in the head. Suspicion fell on Piaf, because he included it in his will and left a certain amount of money after his death.
Another acquaintance was given to her by God, it determined the further fate of Edith. This time with the poet Raymond Asso. He taught her everything in her profession and in life, created the Piaf style, wrote the best songs for her:
The music for the songs was written by Marguerite Monnault, who later became Edith's close friend.
Raymond Asso paved the way for Edith Piaf to the most famous musical hall in Paris "ABC". After her performance in the press they wrote: “Yesterday in Paris on the ABC stage a great singer was born”.
A stunning voice, unrivaled dramatic talent, perseverance and hard work - all this brought the stubborn street girl to the pinnacle of success. She bought herself a house in the center of Paris; the best designers were engaged in its arrangement. However, upon arriving at it, she felt uncomfortable in a chic bedroom with antique furniture and chose to sleep in the concierge's room. The house was always full of friends, some lived there for a month, caviar and champagne were not translated, Piaf never knew exactly how much money she had at the moment.
When World War II broke out, Edith broke up with Raymond. She tried herself as an actress in the play by the French director Jean Cocteau "The indifferent handsome man", a year later the film "Montmartre on the Seine" was shot based on this play, where Piaf performed the main role.
A little courageous woman performed in German camps in front of French prisoners of war, and then, together with autographs, handed them things for escape. She was involved in charity work, gave concerts for the families of the victims.
Edith helped start her musical career with such celebrities as Charles Aznavour and Yves Montand. Her records were published in millions of copies. She became great because she experienced suffering in life, and this helped her to be sincere on stage.
In the last years of her life, she sang her most famous songs - world masterpieces:
Men in the life of Edith Piaf appeared early, and there were many of them, she fell in love with enviable regularity and abandoned her lovers. At the age of 17, she began a relationship with Louis Dupont, who moonlighted as delivering groceries, delivering them on a bicycle. On the same day they met, Louis settled in the hotel room where Edith lived with her sister.
A year later, they had a daughter, Marcel. This event did not change Edith's life in any way, she continued to work in the same spirit. Louis demanded to make a choice between him and his daughter and work. Edith chose a job, and Louis left her at the same hour.
Little Marcel was left alone at night when her mother went to her performances. Soon the girl fell ill with the Spanish flu, she was admitted to the hospital, where she died in the arms of her unlucky mother. Edith did not grieve much about this, after a few days she spent time violently with friends and wine, not knowing then that she would never have children again.
The biggest love of her life was the world boxing champion - Frenchman Marcel Cerdan.
He gave Edith the first mink coat in her life, and she bought him diamond cufflinks, chic suits and crocodile leather shoes. But he was married, had three sons, and for the sake of his family kept the bounds of decency.
Serdan crashed in a plane crash, and Piaf was unable to survive this tragedy without the help of morphine, as a result of which she became addicted to drugs.
Her last love was the Greek hairdresser Theo Sarapo. He was only 26 years old, in 1962 a wedding ceremony took place in the Orthodox Church. He knew her diagnosis and that Edith had no more than a year to live.
A few years after Serdan's death, Edith herself got into a car accident, fractured ribs and arms gave pain, she relieved it with drugs. Her health was declining rapidly, attacks of delirium tremens were replaced by hepatic comas and courses of treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction. She cut her hair, lost a lot of weight, her face became like a skull covered with skin. Doctors diagnosed liver cancer.
In 1963, the liver refused, the singer stopped eating, she was tormented by terrible pains, Edith weighed 34 kilograms. On October 10, 1963, Piaf died unconscious.
She was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery. More than forty thousand fans covered her last journey with flowers.
As the great Edith Piaf said: "Even a telephone directory can be sung so that the audience will cry"... And she was the only one in the world who could sing like that. She has her own place in the history of the song.
The name Edith Piaf is widely known in his native country and abroad. It is inscribed in golden letters in the history of world music. A woman with a difficult fate was able to become the idol of millions, giving all of herself on stage without a trace. She went through terrible moments of life, survived her own child and beloved man, but did not despair and performed a real feat during the war.
A short biography of Edith Piaf and many interesting facts about the singer read on our page.
short biography
Edith's mother, circus performer Annette Maillard, gave birth to a baby girl in the Belleville quarter of Paris on December 19, 1915. The singer's real name is Edith Giovanna Gassion. Annette did not want to raise an heiress, so she gave the child to her parents and left the city forever. The girl's father, Louis Gassion, might have been happy to take on the upbringing of his daughter, but even before her birth he went to the fields of the First World War.
Until the age of two, Edith lived in the house of her maternal grandparents. Then Louis returned from the front and took his daughter to him. As it turned out, no one really looked after the girl: they bathed extremely rarely, and fed what was left after drinking. In addition, she developed cataracts, which led to complete blindness, which the negligent relatives of the mother simply did not notice. Louis was forced to work, so the girl began to live with his mother, the mistress of a brothel. All its inhabitants, like her paternal grandmother, fell deeply in love with the baby and decided to pray for her health. It is not known whether this really helped, but little Edith unexpectedly regained her sight. Edith did not study for long at school - the parents of other children expressed their dissatisfaction that there was a child next to them who was being brought up in an obscene place. Therefore, at the age of nine, Edith's father took Edith with him to the capital of France, where they earned money with street performances: the man showed acrobatic performances, while the girl sang for passers-by. Growing up, Edith found work in a cabaret, where she sang in the evenings. Soon she met with Louis Dupont, who became her husband.
In 1933, Edith gave birth to her only child, daughter Marcel. In order not to lose income, the singer continued to work in a cabaret, which made her husband extremely unhappy. One day a man left home, taking the baby with him, in the hope that Edith would submit to him for his daughter. But at that moment, Marcel fell ill with the Spanish flu - a serious infectious disease, against which there was no cure at that time. Edith visited her daughter in the hospital and, as a result, contracted the infection herself. In 1935, the girl died. The singer was able to overcome the disease, but she never experienced the happiness of motherhood again, and she finally broke off relations with Dupont.
20-year-old Edith took under his wing Louis Leplet, who owned an institution on the Champs Elysees. It was this man who taught the young singer stage etiquette, helped to choose a repertoire and direct her performances. Thanks to Leplen, Edith got her nickname Piaf, which means "sparrow". Piaf's career quickly gained momentum, and a year later she entered the big stage with the most famous artists of that time. But the dizzying take-off ended with an unexpected fall after the charge of Leplen's murder, in which Edith was in fact not involved. She was pursued by journalists, recalling a dubious past.
Beautiful takeoff
The poet Raymond Asso helped to get out of the difficult situation. He took over the patronage of Piaf, investing in her not only musical education, but also teaching the rules of good manners, the selection of an image and much more. Raymon created several songs especially for Edith, and soon they won the hearts of the public. Asso managed to agree on the singer's performance in the first part of one of the concerts in the famous Parisian music hall. There, Piaf experienced her first dizzying success - the audience applauded her, and the newspapers were full of notes about the new rising star. At the end of the 30s, Edith and Raymond parted ways, and she met Jean Cocteau, a famous poet, artist and film director. This man also gave the world a Piaf actress. First, she played a role in his play at the theater, and later starred in the debut film Montmartre on the Seine.
Brave feat
The Second World War fell on the period of popularity of Edith Piaf. She sought permission to perform in the fascist camps, where her fellow prisoners of war were kept. But these were not just concerts: after the performance, Edith took pictures with her compatriots, and then at home she gave these pictures to the masters who made fake certificates. On her next visit, Piaf, under the guise of autographs, handed over documents to the prisoners, thanks to which they got a chance to escape. Some of the prisoners Edith took out of the camp under the guise of her musicians. Thus, the singer not only supported the prisoners morally, but literally saved their lives. For many years after the war, the people she saved came to concerts and thanked for everything she had done for them. After the war, it was time for the next takeoff of Edith Piaf. Its popularity has grown dramatically and very strongly - Piaf's compositions sounded both in disadvantaged neighborhoods and in high society. She was admired by statesmen and great artists of the time. The artist began touring all over the world, and everywhere she found her audience.
Main love and new tests
While touring America, Piaf met French boxer Marcel Cerdan, whom she had been introduced to earlier at home. This man became her strongest love and greatest tragedy. They were together no matter what, including his wife and children, openly expressed their feelings. Once, when Marcel was in a hurry to visit his beloved in New York, his plane crashed. Piaf fell into a serious depression, found solace in alcohol, several times brought herself to delirium tremens and absolutely crazy actions. Over time, this pain subsided, Edith returned to her usual life. The story of this novel will form the basis for films and books. In 1953, there were several more terrible events in her life: two car accidents one after the other. The singer received several broken bones, experienced severe pain, and the only salvation for her was morphine.
Edith became addicted, and her further life was associated with illegal drugs. At the end of her life, Edith Piaf's health was seriously undermined: in addition to drug addiction, arthritis appeared, and a little later - cancer. But even being in serious condition, Edith did not stop going on stage, delighting her fans, and loving. She had several more novels with young men, whom she fascinated at first sight and helped arrange their lives and careers. The great artist died on October 10, 1963. Several tens of thousands of people gathered at her funeral in Paris, and her entire last journey was literally strewn with flowers. On the grave is not written the real name of the singer, but the one under which the whole world knew her - Edith Piaf.
Interesting Facts
Best Songs by Edith Piaf
The list of songs performed by Edith Piaf includes more than 250 compositions. Some of them are so popular that even today it is difficult to find a person who would not hear them. " No, I don't regret anything», « Life in pink"- compositions that have become especially popular in the performance of Piaf.
"No, I don't regret anything" (listen)
"Life in Pink" (listen)
In addition to her own career, Piaf has also helped become popular artists such as Yves Montand , Charles Aznavour , Eddie Constant, and others. Several generations have grown up on her songs, and listening to Piaf to this day is considered a sign of good musical taste.
Works about the great artist
Several cinematic films are devoted to the life and work of the actress. Various filmmakers at different times have looked to her biography to create great movie stories. Guy Casaril's first film, released in 1974, is called simply and succinctly - "Piaf". The role of the main character was played by Bridget Ariel. Another tape is dedicated to the singer's romance with a boxer - "Edith and Marseille", directed by Claude Lelouch, Piaf played by Evelyn Bui. In 2007, the film "Life in Pink" by Olivier Dahan was released. The role of the singer was played by the actress Marion Cotillard, for this role she won an Oscar. In order to be as similar as possible to the singer, the actress completely shaved off her eyebrows (drawing them with a thin pencil) and changed her haircut. All vocals in the film were performed by Gilles Egrot. This film is familiar to the public under the titles: "The Kid" (original translation), "The Passionate Life of Edith Piaf." In many countries, they preferred to title this film with the name of the main character.
Filmography
Edith Piaf left a mark on the history of cinema, not only giving directors beautiful stories for scripts, but she herself played many bright roles. In the filmography of Piaf there are 7 beautiful paintings that have become classics. In the period from 1941 to 1959, Edith starred in the following films: Montmartre on the Seine, A Star Without Light, Nine Boys, One Heart, Paris Always Sings, If They Tell Me About Versailles, French Cancan "," Lovers of Tomorrow ". Edith's acting talent was in no way inferior to singing, but her heart belonged to music, which is probably why we did not see more pictures with her participation.
Music in films
The popularity of the work of the great singer does not fade away to this day, this is evidenced by the huge number of films in which the legendary hits of Piaf sound.
| Film | Song |
| "Allies" (2016) | Fais-Moi Valser |
| "My Indian Friend" (2015) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| "Sonny" (2014) | "Mon Homme" |
| All or Nothing (2012) | "Bravo Pour Le Clown" |
| The animated series "The Simpsons" | Fais-Moi Valser |
| Monte Carlo (2011) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| X-Men: First Class (2011) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| "Inception" (2010) | "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" |
| "WALL-E" (2008) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| "Crazy Wedding" (2008) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| Fred Claus, Santa's Brother (2007) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| Rush Hour 3 (2007) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| "Veliant: Feathered Special Forces" (2005) | "Non, je ne Regrette rien" |
| "Unbearable Cruelty" (2003) | "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" |
| Chloe (1996) | "La Vie en Rose" |
| "Innocent Lies" (1995) | "C" est lui qu "mon coeur a choisi" |
Quotes
Edith Piaf wrote two autobiographies in which she shared the details of her difficult life. Possessing an extraordinary mind and sense of humor, the woman created several statements that became aphorisms that have not lost their relevance at the present time.
The great singer Edith Piaf managed to conquer millions of hearts during her relatively short life. She went through several tragic events, men changed in her life, but she did not despair and did not leave the stage. Piaf's legacy is still listed among the classics of French chanson, and will remain there for a long time and in the hearts of people who were conquered by Edith's enchanting voice.
Video: listening to Edith Piaf
