France Gall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
France Gall
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France Gall in 1965
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| Born |
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall
9 October 1947 Paris, France
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| Died | 7 January 2018 (aged 70) Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
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| Resting place | Cimetière de Montmartre Île-de-France |
| Other names | France Gall |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Yé-yé • pop • synth-pop |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1963–1997 |
| Labels | WEA France Philips France |
| Associated acts | Michel Berger, Serge Gainsbourg |
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (born October 9, 1947 – died January 7, 2018), known as France Gall, was a famous French singer. When she was 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965 for Luxembourg. From 1973 to 1992, she worked closely with the talented singer-songwriter Michel Berger.
Contents
Becoming a Star: France Gall's Early Career
France Gall was born in Paris, France, on October 9, 1947. She came from a very musical family. Her father, Robert Gall, wrote songs for famous singers like Édith Piaf. Her mother, Cécile Berthier, was also a singer.
In 1963, when France was 15, her father encouraged her to record some songs. She auditioned for music publisher Denis Bourgeois and was quickly signed to Philips Records. Bourgeois also worked with Serge Gainsbourg, a well-known songwriter, and asked him to write songs for France.
First Hits and Live Shows
France Gall's first song, "Ne sois pas si bête" ("Don't Be So Stupid"), was played on the radio on her 16th birthday. It became a hit, selling 200,000 copies. Her second song, "N'écoute pas les idoles" ("Don't listen to the idols"), written by Gainsbourg, topped the French charts in March 1964.
France also started performing live, opening for singer Sacha Distel in Belgium. She worked with Distel's manager, Maurice Tézé, to create original songs. This was different from many other singers who often sang English songs translated into French. Her songs mixed different styles, from jazz to children's tunes.
Winning Eurovision in 1965
In 1965, France Gall was chosen to represent Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965. She picked the song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" (Wax Doll, Singing Doll), written by Serge Gainsbourg.
On March 20, 1965, France performed the song in Naples. Even though some critics said her performance wasn't perfect, the song impressed the judges and won the Grand Prix! This victory made France Gall famous outside of Europe. She recorded "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" in French, German, Italian, and Japanese.
Summer Tour and More Hits
After Eurovision, France toured France for several months with a show called "Le Grand Cirque de France." Her songs continued to be popular, including "Attends ou va-t'en" and "Nous ne sommes pas des anges" by Gainsbourg. She also had a hit with "L'Amérique."
Exploring Film and New Musical Directions
After a TV film about France Gall's songs was shown in the United States in 1965, Walt Disney wanted her to play Alice in a musical movie version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. France was interested, but the project was canceled after Disney's death in 1966.
In 1966, France released another popular song by Gainsbourg called "Les sucettes" (Lollipops). This song caused some public discussion. After its release, she went on a tour in Japan.
Changes in Her Music (Late 1960s)
In early 1967, France sang a duet called "La Petite." She also started working with new songwriters, Frank Thomas and Jean-Michel Rivat. They wrote "Bébé requin" ("Baby Shark"), which was a success for France in late 1967. This was her last big hit for six years.
As France grew from a teenager to an adult performer, she faced some challenges in her career during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her new songs didn't always become big hits.
Success in Germany
Even though she faced challenges in France, France Gall was very popular in Germany. She regularly recorded songs there from 1966 to 1972, often with composer Werner Müller. She had many successful German songs, including "Love, l'amour und Liebe" (1967) and "Ich liebe dich, so wie du bist" (I love you the way you are) (1969).
A New Chapter: Working with Michel Berger
In 1969, France Gall left her first record label and tried to find a new musical style. The early 1970s were still a quiet time for her career. She even recorded some more songs by Gainsbourg in 1972, but they didn't become popular.
Finding Her Musical Partner
In 1973, France was deeply impressed by Michel Berger's song "Attends-moi" (Wait for Me). She felt a strong connection to his music. In 1974, France's music publisher asked Berger to write songs for her. France was determined, saying, "It will be him and nobody else."
"La Déclaration d'amour" was their first hit together in 1974. This song marked a major turning point in France Gall's career. France and Michel fell in love and got married on June 22, 1976. After their marriage, France only sang songs written by Michel until his death in 1992.
Musicals and Humanitarian Work
In 1978, France Gall performed in a show called Made in France at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. In 1979, she starred in the rock opera Starmania, composed by Michel Berger. This musical was a huge success in France.
In 1982, France performed in a new show called Tout pour la musique. This show was special because it used a lot of electronic music. Songs like "Résiste" and "Il jouait du piano debout" (He played the piano standing) quickly became French pop favorites.
Helping Others: Humanitarian Projects
In 1985, France Gall joined "Chanteurs Sans Frontières" (Singers Without Borders) to help people in Ethiopia. She also worked with other charities to collect food for African countries facing hunger.
In 1986, her friend and fellow singer Daniel Balavoine died in a helicopter crash while on a trip to Africa. In 1987, Michel Berger wrote the song "Évidemment" (Obviously) for France. It was a touching tribute to their lost friend and appeared on her album Babacar.
The album Babacar also included a song called "Babacar." This song was about a child France and Michel considered adopting from Senegal. Instead, they decided to help the child and their family financially. They used the money from the song to pay for an apartment and education for the mother and child.
France Gall had another big hit in 1987 and 1988 with "Ella, elle l'a" (Ella's got it). This song was a tribute to the famous jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.
Later Years and Legacy
In the early 1990s, France Gall took a break from singing. She released an album called Double Jeu with Michel Berger on June 12, 1992. They planned a series of concerts, but Michel Berger sadly died from a heart attack on August 2, 1992.
Even though she was heartbroken, France decided to continue with the concerts they had planned. She performed at Bercy in September, singing songs she and Michel had created together. In 1993, she performed a new show in Paris, featuring only songs written by Michel Berger.
In 1996, France released her eighth studio album, France. She then performed at the Paris Olympia. In 1997, she announced her retirement from music.
Personal Life and Challenges
France Gall married Michel Berger on June 22, 1976. They had two children, Pauline and Raphaël.
Their daughter Pauline was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was young. France and Michel decided to keep her condition private and hoped for medical advances. They agreed to take turns with their work projects to care for Pauline.
Michel Berger died in 1992 at age 44. In April 1993, France was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was successfully treated. Sadly, Pauline died in December 1997. After her daughter's death, France Gall made very few public appearances.
She was a supporter of the French charity Cœurs de Femmes and enjoyed playing poker.
France Gall's Passing
As a farewell to her career, a documentary called France Gall par France Gall was made in 2001. Millions of people watched it on French television. In 2007, she appeared in another documentary, Tous pour la musique, marking 15 years since Michel Berger's death.
France Gall passed away on January 7, 2018, at age 70, from an infection after a two-year battle with cancer. She was buried with her husband and daughter at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.
Discography
Albums
- N'écoute pas les idoles (March 1964)
- France Gall (Mes premières vraies vacances) (August 1964)
- Sacré Charlemagne (December 1964)
- Poupée de cire, poupée de son (April 1965)
- Baby pop (October 1966)
- Les Sucettes (November 1966)
- 1968 (January 1968)
- France Gall (1973)
- Cinq minutes d'amour (1976)
- France Gall (6 January 1976)
- Dancing Disco (27 April 1977)
- France Gall Live (live album, 9 November 1978)
- Starmania (various artists) (16 October 1978)
- Paris, France (19 May 1980)
- Tout pour la musique (10 December 1981)
- Palais des Sports (live album, 4 November 1982)
- Débranche! (2 April 1984)
- France Gall au Zénith (live album, 4 February 1985)
- Babacar (19 February 1987)
- Le Tour de France 88 (live album, 7 November 1988)
- Double jeu (with Michel Berger, 12 June 1992)
- Simple je – Débranchée à Bercy (live album, 29 October 1993)
- Simple je – Rebranchée à Bercy (live album, 28 January 1994)
- Pleyel (live album, concert recorded in 1994, published in December 2005)
- France (29 March 1996)
- Concert public (live, Olympia 1996) & Concert privé (Concert acoustique TV M6 1997) (24 April 1997)
- Best of France Gall (compilation, 15 June 2004)
- Évidemment (compilation, 7 October 2004)
Singles
- 9 October 1963 — "Ne sois pas si bête"
- 1964 — "N'écoute pas les idoles"
- 1964 — "Jazz à gogo"
- 1964 — "Laisse tomber les filles"
- 1964 — "Sacré Charlemagne"
- 1965 — "Poupée de cire, poupée de son"
- 1965 — "Attends ou va-t'en"
- 1965 — "Nous ne sommes pas des anges"
- 1965 — "Baby pop"
- 1966 — "Les Sucettes"
- 1967 — "Néfertiti"
- 1967 — "Bébé requin"
- 1967 — "Toi que je veux"
- 1968 — "Le Temps du tempo"
- 1968 — "Y'a du soleil à vendre"
- 1968 — "24 / 36"
- 1969 — "Homme tout petit"
- 1969 — "Les Années folles"
- 1969 — "Baci, baci, baci"
- 1970 — "Zozoï"
- 1970 — "Les Éléphants"
- 1971 — "C'est cela l'amour"
- 1971 — "Chasse neige"
- 1972 — "Frankenstein"
- 1972 — "5 minutes d'amour"
- 1973 — "Plus haut que moi"
- 1973 — "Par Plaisir"
- May 1974 — "La Déclaration d'amour"
- October 1974 — "Mais, aime la"
- 1975 — "Comment lui dire"
- April 1976 — "Ce soir je ne dors pas"
- June 1976 — " Ça balance pas mal à Paris" (duet with Michel Berger)
- May 1977 — "Musique"
- October 1977 — "Si, maman si"
- January 1978 — "Le meilleur de soi-même"
- March 1978 — "Viens je t'emmène"
- January 1979 — "Besoin d'amour"
- June 1980 — "Il jouait du piano debout"
- October 1980 — "Bébé, comme la vie"
- October 1980 — "Donner pour donner" (duet with Elton John)
- 1981 — "Tout pour la musique"
- 1981 — "Résiste"
- May 1981 — "Amor También"
- 6 April 1984 — "Débranche"
- 17 September 1984 — "Hong Kong Star"
- 4 February 1984 — "Calypso"
- 20 May 1984 — "Cézanne peint"
- 3 April 1987 — "Babacar"
- 24 August 1987 — "Ella, elle l'a"
- 7 March 1988 — "Évidemment"
- 12 September 1988 — "Papillon de nuit"
- 20 March 1989 — "La chanson d'Azima"
- 29 May 1992 — "Laissez passez les rêves", duet with Michel Berger
- 12 October 1992 — "Superficiel et léger"
- 15 January 1993 — "Les élans du coeur"
- 6 May 1993 — "Mademoiselle Chang" (live)
- 5 November 1993 — "Si, maman si" (live)
- December 1993 — "Il jouait du piano debout" (live)
- 2 February 1994 — "La négresse blonde" (live)
- 15 March 1994 — "Paradis Blanc" (live)
- 14 November 1994 — "Les princes des villes"
- 15 March 1996 — "Plus haut"
- 5 November 1996 — "Privée d'amour"
- 25 October 1996 — "Message personnel"
- 14 February 1997 — "Résiste" (remix)
- 15 May 1997 — "Attends ou va-t'en" (live)
- 2004 — "Zozoï" — Reissue of 1970 single
- 20 August 2004 — "La seule chose qui compte"
Images for kids
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France Gall in 1966
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See also
In Spanish: France Gall para niños
