Parisienne slang for "little sparrow".
The stage name of French caberet singer Edith Piaf, born in
Paris, in 1915, as Edith Giovanna Gassion. Died 1963, age
47. Known for her tiny form, difficult life, and haunting singing style.
Edith'
s bright, successful professional life was a stark contrast to her miserable, chaotic personal life; she unsuccessfully searched for the love of her life, going through enough men to fill a phone
book.
Her only
child died in infancy, and she took to drugs and
alcohol to escape her anguish and distress.
The great love of her life, French boxer, Marcel Cerdan, was killed in a plane
crash.
The tragedies that she suffered were reflected in the sad, yearning ballads that she sang, a number of which she composed. La Vie en Rose was her most famous piece, as well as Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.