Piaf Édith (1915–1963), French singer and actress.
She was born on December 19, 1915 in Mesnilmontant, one of the poorest areas of Paris. According to stories, this event took place right on Belleville Street under street lamp. Born Edith Giovanna Gassion. Named after the English nurse Edith Cavel, a heroine of the First World War who was shot by the Germans. Daughter of the traveling acrobat Louis Alphonse Gassion (1881–1944) and his wife Annetta Giovanna Maillard (1895–1945). The girl's mother was of mixed Italian-Franco-Moroccan descent. Born in Livorno. She performed in street cafes under the pseudonym Lina Marsa. Sometimes she worked as a prostitute; abused alcohol.
Until she was one year old, the girl was in the care of her maternal grandmother Emma (Aisha) Said bin Mohammed (1876–1930).
In 1916, her father sent her to his mother, who ran a small brothel in the town of Bernay in Normandy. From three to seven years old, the girl had poor hearing and poor vision due to conjunctivitis. The prostitutes showed touching care for her and even collected money for a pilgrimage to St. Teresa. Appeal to higher powers brought a miraculous healing to the child.
In 1922, Edith began to participate in her father's performances on the streets of Paris: she collected money and performed simple songs. Soon singing became the meaning of life for her. Later, the memories of his youth were reflected in songwriting (“Elle fréquentait la Rue Pigalle”, 1939) and others. In 1929, together with his stepsister Simone Berteaut, nicknamed Mômone, rented a room in the cheap hotel Grand Hotel de Clermont at 18 rue Veron. She often changed lovers. From one of them, delivery boy Louis Dupont, in 1931 she gave birth to her only daughter, Marcelle, who died at the age of two from meningitis. She was dependent on the pimp Albert, who beat her and took her away most revenue.
In 1935, Edith met Louis Leplée, owner of the Le Gerny nightclub on the Champs-Elysees. He appreciated her talent and taught her the first lessons acting. Louis Leple created the original image of the singer, the main attribute of which was black dress. He also came up with the stage name Piaf (Sparrow in Parisian slang). The name suited little Edith very well: with a height of 1.47 cm, she had a daring and fearless disposition. Piaf quickly gained fame, became friends with the famous chansonnier Maurice Chevalier, poet Jacques Borgea and others. In January 1936, Piaf recorded her first discs at the Polydor studio. In the same year, her creative collaboration began with the composer and lyricist Marguerite Monnot.
However, successful career almost ended before it even started. On April 6, 1936, Louis Leple was shot and killed in his apartment. The police detained the killers and established that they all previously knew Piaf. She was suspected of complicity in the crime. Despite the lack of evidence, Piaf's reputation suffered greatly. In that difficult moment Piaf's close friend was the former legionnaire and poet Raymond Asso (1901–1968). He sharply limited her dubious connections, wrote several songs (“Un jeune homme chantait”, “Paris Méditerranée”, etc.). After Raymond Asso was drafted into the army in 1939, Piaf became involved with the actor and singer Paul Meurisse (Paul Gustave Pierre Meurisse, 1912–1979). Together with him she performed the main roles in Jean Cocteau's one-act play “The Indifferent Beauty” (1940).
During the occupation of Paris, Piaf lived in the same house where a respectable brothel for Wehrmacht officers was located. She often performed in German military units, for which she was later accused of collaboration.
According to Piaf herself, she carried out tasks from the leaders of the Resistance movement. After concerts in prison camps, she was photographed with French soldiers, supposedly as a souvenir. The prisoners' photographs were then pasted into false passports and used to escape.
IN post-war years Piaf's songs have won worldwide recognition. In 1947 she visited the United States for the first time, then made several triumphant tours of Europe and South America. Piaf was invited to the Ed Sullivan Show eight times. In 1956 and 1957 she performed on the stage of New York's Carnegie Hall. Since 1955, its main concert venue in Paris has been the legendary Olympia Hall.
Piaf willingly patronized young aspiring singers, who often became her close friends. So, in 1944 she brought Yves Montand (1921–1991) to the stage, who a year later became one of the most popular French chansonniers. In 1951, Piaf launched the career of Charles Aznavour (born 1924), who accompanied her on a trip to France and the USA. For some time, Charles Aznavour served as her personal secretary and driver. Together with him, Piaf got into a terrible car accident, breaking her arm and two ribs. She started taking morphine to relieve pain.
In the summer of 1948, Piaf met Marcel Cerdan (1916–1949), world super welterweight boxing champion. Both were gripped by a deep, all-consuming feeling that they did not even try to hide. Marcel Cerdan had a wife and three children, nevertheless he openly appeared with Piaf in public. The press widely discussed the smallest details of their romance. However, the relationship ended tragically. On October 28, 1949, Marcel Cerdan traveled to the United States for a rematch with Jake La Motta. Before the fight, he was going to meet Piaf in New York. The Lockheed L 749 Constellation plane carrying Marcel Cerdan crashed near the Azores. All passengers and crew members were killed. For Piaf, the death of Marcel Cerdan was a huge shock. Piaf tried to overcome prolonged depression with the help of alcohol and drugs. In memory of Marcel Cerdan, she wrote the song “Hymne a l’amour” (1949).
In 1952, Piaf married singer Jacques Pills (1906–1970).
At the end of 1958, P. began collaborating with composer Georges Moustaki (born 1934), who became her closest friend for several years. In collaboration with him, she wrote the famous song “Milord”, which in 1959 topped all the world hit parades. That same year, Piaf severely cut her face in another car accident. Her physical and moral condition was undermined. During a performance at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Piaf collapsed on stage due to severe abdominal pain. Soon a similar attack was repeated in Stockholm. However, in 1960, Piaf recorded one of her masterpieces, “Non je ne regrette rien,” created in collaboration with Charles Dumont.
In 1961, Piaf met Théo Sarapo (1936–1970). Born Theophanis Lamboukas. A native of Greece, he worked in hair salon, dreamed of a career as an artist. As has happened many times before, Piaf completely succumbed to the charm young talent. On October 9, 1962, they registered their marriage at the city hall of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The unequal union caused a lot of talk and gossip. The press openly called Theo Sarapo a gold digger. Despite the significant age difference, Theo Sarapo sincerely loved Piaf and surrounded her with care and attention. The union turned out to be quite successful creatively. Together with her husband, Piaf recorded several songs, one of which (“A quoi ca sert l’amour?”) became a hit in 1962. The audience warmly greeted the performance of the family duet on the stage of the Olympia and Bobino theaters.
In 1963, Edith Piaf was diagnosed with liver cancer. She fell into a coma and recent months spent her life in her villa in Plascassier on the French Riviera. Piaf died on October 11, 1963, on the same day as her friend Jean Cocteau. Catholic Church Piaf refused to perform the funeral service, but tens of thousands of fans accompanied her to last way at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
In 1970, T. Sarapo, who died in a car accident, was buried in a nearby grave.
Edith Piaf (1915-1963) – French actress and singer.
Childhood
Her real name is Edith Giovanna Gassion, the birth of this baby took place on a Parisian sidewalk on December 19, 1915. A policeman came running to the cry of the newborn, he gave the woman a cloak in which she wrapped her newly born daughter and said that she would name her Edith. And a month later she gave the baby to her parents to raise.
Edith's mother, failed circus performer Anette Maillard, performs on stage under the name Lina Marsa. Dad, Louis Gassion, was a street acrobat. When did the first one begin? World War, he went to the front as a volunteer. At the end of 1915, he received two days of leave specifically to see his daughter who was born.
Anette's parents began to raise their granddaughter in a unique way. No one was watching the girl, and so that she would not bother her with her crying, a little wine was added to the milk, which was the main daily product for them. The grandmother was an illiterate person; they did not bathe the baby or talk to her.
In 1917, Louis's father came to visit the family, but learned that Anette had abandoned him and given her daughter to her parents. He went to see them and discovered that the baby was not entirely healthy. Louis did not want to leave the girl in such conditions and took him to his mother Louise Gassion, who worked as a cook in brothel.
In this establishment they bathed the girl, scraped off the crust of dirt from her, put on a fresh dress, and she turned out to be an incredibly lovely child, but, unfortunately, completely blind.
It turned out that in the first months of her life, the baby began to develop cataracts, but the previous “educators” did not care about this.
Grandmother Louise spared nothing for her granddaughter; she paid the doctors money, but they were powerless and could not help the girl gain her sight. All that was left was to ask God for help. The women from the brothel were so kind to Edith that they constantly prayed to Saint Teresa for her healing.
On August 19, 1921, grandmother Louise and her little granddaughter went to the city of Luziers to the altar of St. Therese, where rivers of pilgrims flocked every year. Louise begged for insight 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 quickly ended. 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 acts.
Youth
Louis Gassion dated 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 fully provide for herself.
She got a job in a dairy shop. However, she quickly became disliked such work, because she had to get up early and constantly tinker with milk bottles.
Edith decided to return to her previous street craft.
Now she worked not with her father, but with two of her friends. Soon she broke up with them and began collaborating with her step-in-law younger sister by father Simona. On the day they succeeded 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 due to dirt. The girls did not bother to wash their clothes or prepare food from the ingredients.
Cabaret "Zhernis"
Edith was twenty years old when a fateful acquaintance took place in her life.
It was October, it was cold outside, she stood in a huge coat with holes in the sleeves and shoes on her bare feet. I waited a long time for someone to give a coin to the street singer. A well-groomed man of about forty in a smart suit and kid gloves approached and said mockingly: “You’re crazy to sing in this weather!” Edith answered rudely: “But I need to eat at least something.”. He tore off a piece of newspaper, wrote the address and told her to come to the audition at four o'clock tomorrow. He also gave 5 francs so that she could buy food for herself.
Edith was an hour late for the audition. He was waiting for her anyway and took her to the Zhernis cabaret, which was located on the Champs-Elysees. Never in her life had Edith seen such luxury; then she did not yet know that this was the most fashionable and expensive establishment in Paris, the cream of society gathered here. “Go on stage and sing everything you know”“, said yesterday’s new acquaintance, cabaret owner Louis Leple. He listened to it 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"(on French this word means "little sparrow"). Thus was born the star of French and world songs, Edith Piaf.
On the day of her debut, she experienced intense fear for the first time in her life. Entering the stage, I saw insane luxury in the hall: the cream of society, tuxedos, bow ties, furs and diamonds, delicacies on the tables. And who is she? Like a little monkey from a Parisian zoo, in a fancy dress, with a ridiculous hairstyle and brightly painted red lips. The audience laughed and ate deliciously. Edith got angry with them and began to sing, as soulfully and desperately as never before in her life.
It was a triumph. Louis Leple was jubilant. Then work began, he taught Edith facial expressions and stage gestures, rehearsing with an accompanist, choosing a costume.
In the winter of 1936, Piaf already performed at the Medrano circus at a large concert of stars French stage. This was followed by a performance at Radio City. Edith Piaf was approaching stunning success, radio listeners demanded only her songs. But tragedy struck: Louis Leple was shot in the head. Suspicion fell on Piaf because he included her in his will and left a certain amount of money after his death.
The great Edith Piaf
God gave her another acquaintance, it determined future fate Edith. This time with the poet Raymond Asso. He taught her everything in the profession and in life, created the Piaf style, wrote for her best songs:
- "Paris - Mediterranean";
- "Pennant for the Legion";
- “She lived on the Rue Pigalle”;
- "My legionnaire."
The music for the songs was written by Marguerite Monnot, 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, the press wrote: “Yesterday in Paris, on the ABC stage, a great singer was born.”
An amazing voice, unsurpassed dramatic talent, perseverance and hard work - all this led the stubborn street girl to the pinnacle of success. She bought herself a house in the center of Paris; the best designers were involved in its arrangement. However, having moved in, she felt uncomfortable in the luxurious bedroom with antique furniture and preferred to sleep in the concierge’s room. The house was always full of friends, some lived there for a month, there was no shortage of caviar and champagne, Piaf never knew exactly how much she had this moment have money.
When World War II began, Edith separated from Raymond. She tried herself as an actress in the play “The Indifferent Handsome Man” by the French director Jean Cocteau; a year later, the film “Montmartre on the Seine” was made based on this play, where Piaf performed main role.
The little courageous woman performed in German camps in front of French prisoners of war, and then, along with autographs, gave them things for their escape. She did charity work and gave concerts for the families of the victims.
Edith helped start her creative career musical path 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 be sincere on stage.
In the last years of her life, she sang her most famous songs - world masterpieces:
- “Padam, padam”;
- "My lord";
- "I do not regret anything";
- "Crowd";
- "The right to love."
Personal life
Men appeared early in Edith Piaf's life, and there were many of them; she fell in love and left her lovers with enviable regularity. At the age of 17, she began a relationship with Louis Dupont, who worked part-time delivering groceries, delivering them on a bicycle. On the same day they met, Louis moved into the hotel room where Edith lived with her sister.
A year later their daughter Marcel was born. This event did not change Edith’s life in any way; she continued to work in the same spirit. Louis demanded 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 had a wild time with friends and wine, not knowing then that she would never have children again.
The greatest 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 skin shoes. But he was married, had three sons and for the sake of his family he maintained the limits of decency.
Cerdan crashed during a plane crash, and Piaf could not 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, the wedding ceremony took place in Orthodox Church. He knew her diagnosis and the fact that Edith had no time left to live. more than a year.
last years of life
A few years after Cerdan’s death, Edith herself was in a car accident; broken ribs and arms gave her pain, which she relieved with the help of drugs. Her health was fading 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, and her face looked like a skull covered in skin. Doctors diagnosed liver cancer.
In 1963, her liver failed, the singer stopped eating, she was tormented by terrible pain, 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 final path 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. It has its own place in the history of the song.
According to legend, Edith Piaf was born under a street lamp on one of the streets of Paris, although this is hardly true. She was born Edith Gassion on December 19, 1915, the daughter of acrobat Louis Gassion and failed actress Anita Maillard.
With the outbreak of World War I, my father volunteered to go to the front. Returning home, he learned that Anita had abandoned him and given her daughter to her parents. Her grandparents did not take good care of little Edith, so Louis took her to his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy.
The girl turned three years old, and her grandmother suddenly discovered that she was blind. For several years she was treated in various clinics, but there was no result. When there was no hope left, her grandmother took her to Saint Therese in the city of Lisieux, where thousands of pilgrims gathered every year. Exactly a week later, Piaf regained her sight. She was almost six years old.
At school, Edith was treated with contempt, since she lived and was raised in a brothel. She could not bear the abuse, and her father took her to Paris. There, nine-year-old Edith began working with her father. He showed acrobatic tricks in the squares, and she sang. Soon the talented singer was noticed and invited to the Juan-les-Pins cabaret, where she performed in the evenings.
In 1932, Edith married merchant Louis Dupont, to whom she gave birth to a daughter, Marcelle. However, this marriage was unsuccessful. Louis didn’t like that Piaf spent a lot of time working, so he quit. The trials didn't end there. The Spanish flu, which was raging at that time, unexpectedly killed her daughter, and then the singer herself fell ill. Edith was cured, but Marcel could not be saved. It was only child, born to Piaf.
World famous
In the life of Edith Piaf there were two people who predetermined her fate. She met her first, Louis Leple, in 1935. He owned the Zhernis cabaret, where he invited the aspiring singer to work. Louis taught Piaf to choose songs, rehearse with an accompanist, select costumes, behave correctly on stage, and master gestures and facial expressions. It was he who came up with the name “Piaf” for her, which meant “little sparrow.” From that time on, the poster bore the inscription “Baby Piaf.”
The fruitful creative tandem fell apart after the mysterious murder of Leple.
Soon another fateful meeting took place. Edith met the young poet Raymond Asso. He not only taught her the rules of etiquette and behavior in society, but also began to write songs that she performed on the best stages of Paris. He also ensured that Piaf performed at the most famous music hall in Paris, ABS.
It was a real triumph. Dirty little Edith Gassion, who never stopped believing for a second that she would become Great Edith, woke up famous. All the newspapers wrote about her. All of France was talking about her. Her voice sounded everywhere.
During World War II, Piaf did not leave France, but remained in the occupied territory. She helped people in any way she could: she performed in prisoner-of-war camps, gave concerts to the families of the victims, and handed over fake documents to soldiers. Later they all thanked her with their love and devotion.
The post-war years became a period of incredible success for Edith Piaf. She was listened to by ordinary workers and true connoisseurs of art, residents of the suburbs and future queen England. Edith went on a tour of America, where real triumph awaited her. In the USA, she met Moroccan boxer Marcel Cerdan, who became the greatest love in her life. True, their romance lasted only a few years. In 1949, Cerdan flew from Paris to New York to meet his beloved, but they never met...
A day later, Edith learned that the plane had crashed. She began to experience severe depression, which almost drove her crazy. She began drinking and taking morphine, had constant seizures, and once almost jumped out of a window. Piaf was drawn to the street again. She dressed in old clothes and sang on the streets of the city, and at night she brought unknown men to her home.
But gradually the old wounds healed. Edith married the poet Jacques Pils and continued her solo career. However, fate was merciless to the singer. Her life gradually turned into a nightmare.
Last years
In 1952, Piaf was involved in two car accidents, as a result of which she broke both arms and almost all her ribs. To ease her suffering, doctors began giving the singer morphine, and she drug addiction resumed. The marriage broke up, and creativity no longer evoked the same feeling of satisfaction. Edith wrote that a life devoted to song made her lonely. But the singer immersed herself even more in work.
In 1958, Piaf performed at the Olympia concert hall. Then she went on a tour of America, and then gave several mouthfuls in Europe. So emotional and physical exercise greatly affected her health. In addition, the singer continued to use drugs. In 1961, doctors discovered Edith had liver cancer. In the last years of her life, she was supported by the twenty-seven-year-old Greek Theo - last love great performer.
On September 25, 1962, Edith Piaf gave a concert at the very top of the Eiffel Tower. Her songs “Milord”, “Right to Love”, “No, I don’t regret anything”, “Crowd” were listened to all over Paris. And six months later, the singer’s last performance took place, after which the entire audience gave a standing ovation.
On October 10, 1963, Edith Piaf died. All of France buried her, and the whole world mourned her. Piaf’s creativity will inspire more than one generation of performers, and her voice will become the property of the entire French people. But above all, she will be remembered as a person with incredible willpower. Like a small, fragile woman who filled the hearts of millions of people with love.
Childhood and family of Edith Piaf
The singer's hometown is Paris. It was there that the girl was born. Her parents gave her the name Edith. Full name At birth she sounds like Edith Giovanna Gassion. The family into which she was born was creative. Her mother was an unrecognized actress who made her living performing on stage, while her father was an acrobat.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 grandmother often drank wine, so that Edith would not bother her, she poured wine into her bottle of milk. It was in these 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 with love, sparing nothing for her. It turned out that three-year-old Edith was completely blind due to cataracts that developed after birth. The treatment turned out to be useless. The little girl regained her sight only after she was taken to Saint Therese in the city of Lisieux. Edith studied at school for only a short time; soon her father arrived and took her to Paris. Together they began performing on the streets, earning a living this way. The father performed acrobatic acts while his daughter was singing.
The beginning of a career: the first songs of Edith Piaf
After the girl turned fourteen, she decided to live an independent life. At first, Edith worked in a dairy shop, but soon decided to return to street singing. For some time she performed with her younger sister on her father’s side, her name was Simone. They rented a room in a hotel and led a completely independent lifestyle.This existence continued until the owner of the Zhernis cabaret heard her street performance and offered to sing in his establishment. This man's name is Louis Leple. For her first performance, the aspiring singer decided to knit herself a dress, but by the time she went on stage, one sleeve was not knitted. This is precisely the reason why she debuted 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 acquired a pseudonym. Leple named her Edith Piaf. Translated from 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 it was destined to be interrupted due to the tragedy that happened to Leple - he was shot. It so happened that the singer was also suspected of his murder.
The rise of Edith Piaf's career
Soon the talented singer began collaborating with Ramon Asso. He did a lot for Piaf, including appearance, and demeanor, and repertoire. Thanks to their diligent rehearsals, Edith's performance in the largest concert hall in Paris became possible. Its name is "ABC". The performance turned out to be grandiose. We can say that this day was the birthday of the great and unique French singer.The singer left Raymond Asso with the outbreak of World War II. She performed throughout the entire period of hostilities. Often this was singing in front of prisoners of war, whom she tried to help as best she could: more than once she handed over documents and everything necessary for escape.
Edith Piaf. Non Je Ne Regrette Rien
Having become famous in France, the singer set off to conquer America. During her short career she performed a lot in different countries. The disease ended her life very early.
The last years and causes of death of Edith Piaf
The singer was prone to depression. So, after the death of her beloved Marcel Cerdan, she drank a lot, often wandered the streets in terrible clothes, rejoicing that she remained unrecognized. Piaf returned to normal life only after a while, when the wound of loss had healed a little. After the accident the singer got into, she ended up in the hospital, where she was injected with drugs to ease the severe pain. After recovery, drugs remained in her life, becoming something common. She turned out to be seriously addicted.To all her troubles, cancer and severe arthritis were added. Sometimes she fainted from pain. Last time Edith performed in March 1963. The concert ended with a five-minute ovation. The singer died in October 1963. Forty thousand people came out to bury her.
Personal life of Edith Piaf
Men appeared in Piaf's life as soon as she began to live separately from her father. She had many lovers, she quickly fell in love, and then abandoned them. The first marriage also took place early and did not last long. Her husband owned a small store. His name is Louis Dupont. A year later they had a daughter, who soon died of meningitis. The young singer also became infected from her daughter, but her body was able to overcome the disease. After the loss of her daughter, Piaf separated from her husband. She never had other children. 
Great love A boxer named Marcel Cerdan became a singer. Their romance developed rapidly, but her lover died in a plane crash. Shortly before her death, Edith married a hairdresser, falling in love with him. To a young man was only twenty-seven years old. The singer managed to bring her husband onto the stage.
Who doesn't know the greatest French singer, whose songs became world hits, and she herself is a role model for millions? But not everyone knows how many trials she had to endure. She survived a difficult - almost hungry - childhood, the death of a child, 2 car accidents, 7 operations, 3 comas, several attacks of delirium tremens, a bout of insanity, a suicide attempt, and two world wars.
The only thing she did not survive was liver cancer in the last stage, which was discovered in her 2 years before her death. And if you're ever in Once again If you want to complain about your fate, just remember the “little sparrow” of Paris, the woman who last days moved forward without giving up, winning the hearts of millions, inspired and gifted with the power to love - Edith Piaf.
1. Edith Piaf (real name Edith Giovanna Gasion) was born on December 19, 1915. Almost on the same day, the girl’s mother, failed actress Anita Mayar, gave the girl to be raised by her mother while her husband was at the front. But she didn’t need it - in order to calm down the girl who was bothering her with her crying, the “loving” grandmother fed the child with diluted wine. This feeding bore fruit - by the age of three, Edith became completely blind.
2. Later, a legend will appear related to the birth of Edith. However, it is unlikely to correspond to reality, but according to it, 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 Gasion, finds out about this, he immediately sends the girl to be raised by her mother, who ran a brothel. However, she fell in love with her granddaughter and took care of her. She did everything so that the girl could see. And in 1925 she succeeded. When there was no longer any hope for 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 went blind. My grandmother took me to Lisieux to the altar of Saint Theresa and begged her for my insight. Since then, I have not parted with the images of Saint Theresa 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 on 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: the father showed acrobatic tricks, and the daughter sang. Edith never fully learned to read and write - even in the songs she composed herself, there were mistakes. But who cares now?
6. At the age of 15, Edith met her half-sister, 11-year-old Simone, who began performing with Edith. New family father 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 Duppon, her father. only daughter Marseilles. However, her marriage was unsuccessful - her husband demanded that Edith give up work, and they separated. For some time, Edith's daughter stayed with her, but one day, not finding her at home, Edith realized that the girl was with her husband - he hoped that then his wife would return. But she didn't return. 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 here either - Marcel dies. Edith had no more children.
8. At the age of 20, Louis Leple noticed her and invited her to perform on the Champs-Elysees. He played a big role in Edith’s life and career: he taught her to choose songs, sing to the accompaniment, explained the importance of costume, facial expressions, behavior, and artist. It was he who made Edith Gasion into Edith Piaf. While still on the street she sang: “Born like a sparrow, lived like a sparrow, died like a sparrow.” On the posters they wrote: “Baby Piaf.” It was a success!
9. But the success did not last long. Soon Louis is killed, and Edith comes under suspicion because he left her some money. Thank God, this time everything ends well, and soon Piaf meets Raymond Asso - the man who makes Edith great singer. It was he who sought her participation in a performance at the ABC musical hall, which was an initiation into the profession. Needless to say, the next day she woke up famous? Thanks to him, the story of Edith’s life became the story of songs and vice versa, no one could distinguish the stage image from Edith in reality.
10. Edith bathed in success and fame. Having heard her voice on the radio, people ask to play Little Piaf’s songs again and again.
11. During World War II, “Baby Piaf” meets Jean Cocteau, who invited her to play in the play “The Indifferent Handsome Man.” 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, she managed to give them everything they needed to escape. Her fellow countrymen appreciated her personal courage and mercy, because she risked her life.
13. The post-war period became a time of special success for Edith. Her work was admired by the outskirts 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 became known to the whole world thanks to the “little sparrow”.
15. In the post-war years, Edith meets the American boxer Marcel Cerdan, who became her greatest joy and greatest sadness. Fate again played a cruel joke on Edith - in 1949, flying to his beloved from New York, he crashed in a plane crash. Edith fell into severe depression: she began drinking morphine, after which she had seizures, and once 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 mourning could not last forever, and Edith returns to solo career. And I was even able to fall in love again.
In 1952, Edith gets into two car accidents and breaks almost all her ribs and both arms. To ease 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 same pleasure, but Edith only became more immersed in her work.
17. In 1954, Edith starred in historical film"If they tell me about Versailles." A little later, she had an 11-month tour of America, and then of France - such loads caused great damage physical health. And in 1961, fate dealt the singer the strongest blow - doctors discovered Edith had liver cancer. But she continued to perform until the end of her days.
18. In recent years, she was 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. On October 10, 1963, Edith Piaf died. All of France buried her, and the whole world mourned her - an entire era of French chanson died with her.
20. Edith Piaf’s songs have remained with us forever, and the singer’s courage and willpower have left an indelible mark on people’s hearts. An autobiography was published during her lifetime. Whether everything in it corresponds to reality is unknown. But one thing is clear: this is how she wanted to remain in people’s memory.
“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 saying that she was killing herself, she continued to sing in front of the public: “This is the most beautiful way of suicide.”
“I led a terrible life, it’s true. But also - life is amazing. Because, first of all, I loved her."
“You often have to pay for love and happiness 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... to hope.”
“This is the crowd that I hope will accompany me on my last journey, because I don’t like loneliness. The terrible loneliness that hugs you at dawn or at nightfall, when you ask yourself whether it is still worth living and what to live for?
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