Édith Piaf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Édith Piaf
Piaf in 1939
Background information
Birth name	Édith Giovanna Gassion
Also known as	La Môme Piaf (The Little Sparrow)
Born	(1915-12-19)19 December 1915 Paris, France
Died	10 October 1963(1963-10-10) (aged 47) Plascassier, Grasse, France
Genres	Cabaret torch songs chanson musical theatre
Occupations	Singer cabaret performer actress
Years active	1935–1963
Labels	Pathé, Pathé-Marconi Capitol/EMI (US and Canada) Parlophone/WEA (2013–present)
Associated acts	Théo Sarapo Jacques Pills Yves Montand Charles Aznavour Les Compagnons de la chanson

Édith Piaf (born Édith Giovanna Gassion, December 19, 1915 – October 10, 1963) was a famous French singer and actress. She was known as France's national singer, or "chanteuse." Piaf became one of the most recognized international stars from her country.

Her songs often told stories from her own life. She sang emotional ballads about love, loss, and sadness. Some of her most famous songs include "La Vie en rose" (1946), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), and "Hymne à l'amour" (1949). Since her death, many books and movies have been made about her life. One popular film is La Vie en rose from 2007. Édith Piaf is still celebrated as one of the greatest performers of the 20th century.

Early Life and Family

Édith Giovanna Gassion was born in Belleville, Paris, on December 19, 1915. She was named Édith after Edith Cavell, a British nurse from World War I. The nickname "Piaf" means "sparrow" in French slang. She received this nickname later in her career.

Édith's father, Louis Alphonse Gassion, was an acrobat who performed on the streets. Her mother, Annetta Giovanna Maillard, was also a singer and circus performer.

When Édith was born, her mother left her. She lived for a short time with her grandmother. Later, her father took her to live with his mother in Bernay, Normandy. From ages three to seven, Édith had trouble seeing. She believed her sight returned after a special trip to honor Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

In 1929, at age 14, Édith joined her father's street performances. This is when she first started singing in public. She later met Simone Berteaut, who became a close friend. They sang together on the streets of Paris to earn money. Édith had a daughter named Marcelle in 1933.

Singing Career

Piaf with Les Compagnons de la chanson in 1946

In 1935, a nightclub owner named Louis Leplée discovered Piaf in Paris. His club, Le Gerny's, was popular with all kinds of people. Édith was very shy and small, only 142 cm (4 feet 8 inches) tall. This led Leplée to give her the nickname La Môme Piaf, meaning "The Little Sparrow." He taught her how to perform on stage. Her simple black dress became her famous look.

Her first performances were a big success. Many famous people came to see her, including singer Maurice Chevalier. She soon made her first two records. After Leplée passed away, Édith faced some challenges. To help her career, she worked with Raymond Asso. He changed her stage name to "Édith Piaf." He also helped her find songs that reflected her life story.

In 1940, Piaf acted in a play called Le Bel Indifférent. Even during the German occupation of Paris, her career continued to grow. She became friends with important people. She wrote the words for many of her songs. In 1944, she started working with Yves Montand at the Moulin Rouge. She helped him become a very famous singer in France.

Piaf in 1950

After World War II, Piaf became famous around the world. She toured Europe, the United States, and South America. She helped start the career of Charles Aznavour in the early 1950s. At first, American audiences were not sure what to think of her simple style. But after a great review in the New York Herald Tribune, her popularity grew. She appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show many times and performed at Carnegie Hall.

Piaf wrote and sang her signature song, "La Vie en rose", in 1945. This song was so important that it won a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998.

She became very famous at the Paris Olympia music hall. She performed many concerts there between 1955 and 1962. These concerts helped save the venue from closing. In 1961, she first sang "Non, je ne regrette rien" at the Olympia. Her last song, "L'Homme de Berlin," was recorded in April 1963.

Role During World War II

Piaf at the ABC music hall in Paris in 1951

Édith Piaf's career continued to grow during the German occupation of France. She was even invited to perform in Berlin. She was able to afford a nice apartment in Paris.

After the war, some people questioned her actions during the occupation. However, her secretary, Andrée Bigard, who was part of the French Resistance, spoke up for her. Bigard said that Piaf performed at prisoner-of-war camps in Germany. She also helped many prisoners escape. Piaf was popular with German officials, which allowed her to help people in need. For example, she helped a Jewish musician named Michel Emer get to safety in France. By December 1944, Piaf was back on stage, performing for the Allied forces.

Personal Life

Édith Piaf had one daughter, Marcelle, who passed away when she was young. Piaf did not have any other children.

The love of Piaf's life was a boxer named Marcel Cerdan. He died in a plane crash in October 1949 while traveling to meet her in New York City. Their relationship was well-known around the world.

Piaf was in several car crashes that affected her health. She married her first husband, Jacques Pills, in 1952. Famous actress Marlene Dietrich was her maid of honor. They divorced in 1957. In 1962, she married Théo Sarapo, a singer and actor who was 20 years younger than her. They sang together in some of her last shows.

Piaf lived in different parts of Paris and nearby towns throughout her life.

Death and Legacy

Piaf's grave in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

Édith Piaf's health suffered from various illnesses and the effects of her car accidents. She passed away at age 47 on October 10, 1963, at her home in Plascassier, France.

It is said that her husband, Théo Sarapo, secretly drove her body back to Paris. This was so her fans would believe she died in her hometown. Her friend, writer Jean Cocteau, reportedly passed away the very next day after hearing the news of her death.

Édith Piaf is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Her grave is a very popular place for visitors. Her daughter Marcelle, her father, and her second husband Théo Sarapo are buried with her.

Even though she was not given a traditional church funeral at the time, tens of thousands of people came to her funeral procession in Paris. More than 100,000 fans attended the ceremony at the cemetery. Charles Aznavour said that Piaf's funeral was the only time Parisian traffic completely stopped since the end of World War II. In 2013, 50 years after her death, the Roman Catholic Church held a special memorial service for her.

Since her death, French media has continued to celebrate her life. There are many magazines, books, plays, TV shows, and films about her. In 1973, the Association of the Friends of Édith Piaf was formed. In 1981, a square in Belleville, Paris, was named Place Édith Piaf. A small planet was also named 3772 Piaf in her honor.

In Paris, there is a museum dedicated to her called the Musée Édith Piaf. In 2015, a concert was held in New York City to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth.

Films about Piaf

Many films and plays have been made about Édith Piaf's life:

• Piaf (1974), which showed her early years.
• Piaf (1978), a play by Pam Gems.
• Édith et Marcel (1983), about her relationship with Marcel Cerdan.
• La Vie en rose (2007), directed by Olivier Dahan. Marion Cotillard won an Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Piaf in this film.

Songs Discography

1933

• Entre Saint-Ouen et Clignancourt

1934

• L'Étranger

1935

• Mon apéro
• La Java de Cézigue
• Fais-moi valser

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

• Jimmy, c'est lui
• Un coin tout bleu
• Sans y penser
• Un monsieur me suit dans la rue

1943

1944

• Les deux rengaines
• Y'a pas d'printemps
• Les Histoires de coeur
• C'est toujours la même histoire

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

• Milord
• T'es beau, tu sais

1960

1961

1962

1963

Filmography

• La garçonne (1936), Jean de Limur
• Montmartre-sur-Seine (1941), Georges Lacombe
• Star Without Light (1946), Marcel Blistène
• Neuf garçons, un cœur (1947), Georges Freedland
• Paris Still Sings (1951), Pierre Montazel
• Boum sur Paris (1953), Maurice de Canonge
• Si Versailles m'était conté (1954), Sacha Guitry
• French Cancan (1954), Jean Renoir
• Música de Siempre (1958), sang "La vida en rosa", the Spanish version of "La Vie en rose".
• Les Amants de demain (1959), Marcel Blistène

Theatre Credits

• Le Bel Indifférent [fr] (1940), Jean Cocteau

Discography

These are collections of Piaf's songs, not original releases:

• Edith Piaf: Edith Piaf (Music For Pleasure MFP 1396) 1961
• Ses Plus Belles Chansons (Contour 6870505) 1969
• The Voice of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Édith Piaf, original release date: June 1991
• Édith Piaf: 30th Anniversaire, original release date: April 5, 1994
• Édith Piaf: Her Greatest Recordings 1935–1943, original release date: July 15, 1995
• The Early Years: 1938–1945, Vol. 3, original release date: October 15, 1996
• Hymn to Love: All Her Greatest Songs in English, original release date: November 4, 1996
• Gold Collection, original release date: January 9, 1998
• The Rare Piaf 1950–1962 (April 28, 1998)
• La Vie en rose, original release date: January 26, 1999
• Montmartre Sur Seine (soundtrack import), original release date: September 19, 2000
• Éternelle: The Best Of (January 29, 2002)
• Love and Passion (boxed set), original release date: April 8, 2002
• The Very Best of Édith Piaf (import), original release date: October 29, 2002
• 75 Chansons (Box set/import), original release date: September 22, 2005
• 48 Titres Originaux (import), (09/01/2006)
• Édith Piaf: L'Intégrale/Complete 20 CD/413 Chansons, original release date: February 27, 2007
• Édith Piaf: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection/Proper Records UK, original release date: May 31, 2011

On DVD

• Édith Piaf: A Passionate Life (May 24, 2004)
• Édith Piaf: Eternal Hymn (Éternelle, l'hymne à la môme, PAL, Region 2, import)
• Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs (June 2006)
• Piaf: La Môme (2007)
• La Vie en rose (biopic, 2007)
• Édith Piaf: The Perfect Concert and Piaf: The Documentary (February 2009)

Images for kids

• 

  Piaf as a child

• 

  Piaf with her second husband Théo Sarapo in 1962

See Also

In Spanish: Édith Piaf para niños

• Music of France
• French popular music