Refers to the legendary
French singer, Edith Piaf (b. Dec. 15, 1915-d. Oct. 11, 1963), who was known for her petite appearance; her chaotic personal life; and her powerful, husky, emotive voice.
Born into poverty in
Paris as Edith Giovanna Gassion, her
mother abandoned her at two months of age, leaving her in the "care" of her
alcoholic maternal grandparents. Her
father, a noted acrobat, sent his daughter to live with his
mother, who was a madam in a Normandy brothel, while he went to
war; he reclaimed her when he returned from the
war and took her with him on his travels- because of this, she received very little formal education.
Edith allegedly lost her sight for a short
time between ages 3 and 7, possibly due to an infection.
At 15, Edith left him to return to
Paris, where she earned a living singing in the streets and in seedy cabarets. As luck had it, a proprieter spotted her and launched her career, billing her as La Mome Piaf (Parisian slang for "The Little Sparrow," from which she took her stage name); the name suited her tiny, frail figure. With a voice that wrung out every last drop of emotion, the waif with the heartbreaking voice took
France by
storm.
As successful as her career, Edith, eager to find love, went through a string of lovers, failing to find the right one. Her only child, Marcelle, died in infancy, and the great love of her life, the boxer Marcel Cerdan, was killed in a plane crash. Edith herself was in three
car crashes. Edith took to drugs and alcohol to ease her suffering. She would also lose almost all of her fortune and was virtually penniless when she died.
The melancholy, anguished songs that she sung (many of which she composed) reflected many of her losses. Her most well known songs were La Vie en Rose; Milord; Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien; Mon Legionnaire; L'Accordioniste; Mon Dieu; and L'Hymne A L'Amour.
Edith Piaf had a terrible life... but she had a wonderful one too, for she loved life all the same. Her
stellar success contrasts with her
tragic personal life, as well as her
tiny, black-clad figure with the resonating power of her voice.