Whatever happened to Edith Piaf?

I was watching the movie Public Enemies the other day, and the actress who played Billie Frenchette caught my attention. I knew that I had seen her before, but couldn't pinpoint where. So, the the trusty BlackBerry was pulled out, and another fascinating Google search began.

I first searched for the movie. On its web page I found the name of the actress. Marion Cotillard. I knew that I recognized her! Cotillard won an Academy Award for Best Actress for portraying Edith Piaf in the film La Vie En Rose. I haven't actually seen the film (though I will now), but have heard the 1946 hit song. Curious, I clicked on a link for the actual Piaf, which led to yet another interesting Google trail.

Edith Piaf was born Edith Gassion in 1915 in Belleville, Paris, France. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding her life, and even biographers have had difficulty putting together all of the pieces. She grew up in a brothel her mother owned in Normandy, and was raised by prostitutes. In 1933, Piaf was discovered by Louis Leplee, who owned Le Gerny nightclub off the Champs-Elysses. He persuaded her to sing (despite her extreme nervousness), trained her to perform (even though she was only 4"8) , and told her to wear a black dress on stage (which would later become her trademark attire).

Leplee was murdered in 1936. Piaf was accused as an accessory, but was later acquitted. During the Second World War, Piaf frequently entertained German forces in Occupied France. Many considered her a traitor because of this, but she did help a number of people escape Nazi persecution.

After the war ended, Piaf toured Europe, the United States, and South America. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show eight time, and at Carnegie Hall twice. Piaf achieved everlasting fame by performing a series of concerts at the Paris Olympia music hall between 1955-1962. The music hall was founded in 1888 by Joseph Oller, the creator of the Moulin Rouge. Other famous individuals who have performed there include Jimi Hendrix, Judy Garland, Luciano Pavarotti, the Beatles, and Madonna.

Piaf died in 1963 at age 47. She is buried in Pere-Lachaise cemetery, the same cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried. Their graves are among two of the most visited. Below is a video if her singing her most well-known song, La Vie En Rose...

I love learning about interesting people, and Piaf was no exception. It is especially interesting learning about famous individuals from other countries. Sometimes we don't hear about someone in North America, but overseas, they are huge. Who knows what Google will lead me to next!