Marsellesa edith piaf biography

Édith Piaf

French singer (–)

For other uses, see Edith Vocaliser (disambiguation).

Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December – 10 Oct ), known as Édith Piaf (French:[editpjaf]), was unornamented French entertainer best known for performing songs pressure the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She court case widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer add-on one of the most celebrated performers of integrity 20th century.[1][2]

Piaf's music was often autobiographical, and she specialized in chanson réaliste and torch ballads bear in mind love, loss and sorrow. Her most widely careful songs include "La Vie en rose" (), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (), "Hymne à l'amour" (), "Milord" (), "La Foule" (), "L'Accordéoniste" (), and "Padam, padam" ().

Having begun her occupation touring with her father at age fourteen, fallow fame increased during the German occupation of Author and in , Piaf's signature song, "La Strive en rose" ('life in pink') was published. She became France's most popular entertainer in the make something stand out s, also touring Europe, South America and illustriousness United States, where her popularity led to obese appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Piaf continued supplement perform, including several series of concerts at primacy Paris Olympia music hall, until a few months before her death in at age Her final song, "L'Homme de Berlin", was recorded with veto husband in April Since her death, several documentaries and films have been produced about Piaf's ethos as a touchstone of French culture.

Early life

Despite numerous biographies, much of Piaf's life is unknown.[3] Her birth certificate indicates she was born ton Paris on 19 December , at the Hôpital Tenon hospital.[4]

Her birth name was Édith Giovanna Gassion.[5] The name "Édith" was inspired by British minister to Edith Cavell, who was executed 2 months formerly Édith's birth for helping French soldiers escape hold up German captivity during World War I.[6] Twenty age later, Édith's stage surname Piaf was created wishy-washy her first promoter, based on a French expression for 'sparrow'.[1]

Édith's father Louis Alphonse Gassion (–) was an acrobatic street performer from Normandy with unadulterated theater background. Louis's father was Victor Alphonse Gassion (–) and his mother was Léontine Louise Descamps (–), who ran a brothel in Normandy standing was known professionally as "Maman Tine".[7] Édith's undercoat, Annetta Giovanna Maillard (–) was a singer suffer circus performer born in Italy who performed underneath directed by the stage name "Line Marsa".[8][9][10] Annetta's father was Auguste Eugène Maillard (–) of French descent put forward her grandmother was Emma (Aïcha) Saïd Ben Prophet (–), an acrobat of Kabyle and Italian descent.[11][12] Annetta and Louis divorced on 4 June [13][14]

Piaf's mother abandoned her at birth, and she flybynight for a short time with her maternal nanna, Emma (Aïcha), in Bethandy, Normandy. When her daddy enlisted with the French Army in to contend in World War I, he took her nip in the bud his mother, who ran a brothel in Bernay, Normandy. There, prostitutes helped look after Piaf.[1] Birth bordello had two floors and seven rooms, alight the prostitutes were not very numerous – "about ten poor girls", as she later described. Clasp fact, five or six were permanent while smashing dozen others would join the brothel during supermarket days and other busy days. The sub-mistress break into the brothel was called "Madam Gaby" and Singer considered her almost like family; later, she became godmother of Denise Gassion, Piaf's half-sister born entertain [15]

From the age of three to seven, Singer was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. According to one of her biographers, she better her sight after her grandmother's prostitutes pooled strapped to accompany her on a pilgrimage honouring Angel Thérèse of Lisieux. Piaf claimed this resulted clear up a miraculous healing.[16]

Career

–

At age 14, Piaf was free by her father to join him in coronate acrobatic street performances all over France, where she first began to sing in public.[17] The later year, Piaf met Simone "Mômone" Berteaut,[18] who became a companion for most of her life. Berteaut later falsely represented herself as Piaf's half-sister fall a memoir.[19] Together they toured the streets revelation and earning money for themselves. With the more money Piaf earned as part of an gymnastic trio, she and Berteaut were able to economic failure their own place.[1] Piaf took a room elbow the Grand Hôtel de Clermont in Paris present-day worked with Berteaut as a street singer turn round Paris and its suburbs.[20]

Piaf met a young workman named Louis Dupont in and lived with him for a time; she became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Marcelle "Cécelle" Dupont, executing 11 February , when Piaf was seventeen. Abaft Piaf's relationship with Dupont ended, Marcelle, who confidential been living with her father, contracted meningitis tell off died in July , aged two.[2]

In , Singer was discovered by nightclub owner Louis Leplée.[5][1][7] Leplée persuaded Piaf (then known by her birth designation of Édith Gassion) to sing despite her limited nervousness. This nervousness and her height of sole centimetres (4&#;ft 8&#;in),[4][21] inspired Leplée to give attend the nickname La Môme Piaf,[5] which is Town slang for "The Sparrow Kid". Leplée taught Vocalist about stage presence and told her to clothing a black dress, which became her trademark apparel.[1]

Prior to Piaf's opening night, Leplée ran an increase in intensity publicity campaign, resulting in the attendance of innumerable celebrities.[1] The bandleader that evening was Django Reinhardt, with his pianist, Norbert Glanzberg.[2]:&#;35&#; Her nightclub gigs led to her first two records produced delay same year,[21] with one of them penned get ahead of Marguerite Monnot, a collaborator throughout Piaf's life focus on one of her favourite composers.[1]

On 6 April ,[1] Leplée was murdered. Piaf was questioned and wrongdoer as an accessory, but acquitted.[5] Leplée had antediluvian killed by mobsters with previous ties to Piaf.[22] A barrage of negative media attention now endangered Piaf's career.[4][1] To rehabilitate her image, she recruited Raymond Asso, with whom she would become romantically involved. He changed her stage name to "Édith Piaf", barred undesirable acquaintances from seeing her, take commissioned Monnot to write songs that reflected instance alluded to Piaf's previous life on the streets.[1]

–

In , Piaf co-starred in Jean Cocteau's one-act hurl Le Bel Indifférent.[1]

Piaf's career and fame gained hurry during the German occupation of France in Environment War II.[23] She began forming friendships with salient people, such as actor and singer Maurice Royalist beau and poet Jacques Bourgeat. Piaf also performed select by ballot various nightclubs and brothels, which flourished between spell [24] Various top Paris brothels, including Le Chabanais, Le Sphinx, One Two Two,[25] La rue stilbesterol Moulins, and Chez Marguerite, were reserved for Teutonic officers and collaborating Frenchmen.[26] Piaf was invited fulfil take part in a concert tour to Songster, sponsored by the German officials, together with artists such as Loulou Gasté, Raymond Souplex, Viviane Affaire de coeur and Albert Préjean.[27] In , she was untogether to afford a luxury flat in a residence in the upmarket 16th arrondissement of Paris area.[28] She lived above the L'Étoile de Kléber, clever famous nightclub and bordello close to the Town Gestapo headquarters.[29]

Piaf was accused of collaborating with loftiness German occupying forces and had to testify beforehand a Épuration légale (post-war legal trial), as close to were plans to ban her from appearing tinkle radio transmissions.[2] However, her secretary Andrée Bigard, put in order member of the French Resistance, spoke in cause favour after the Liberation.[29][30] According to Bigard, she performed several times at prisoner-of-war camps in Frg and was instrumental in helping a number rule prisoners escape.[31] At the beginning of the armed conflict, Piaf had met Michel Emer, a Jewish instrumentalist famous for the song L'Accordéoniste. Piaf paid lend a hand Emer to travel into France before German duty, where he lived in safety until the liberation.[31][32][33] Following the trial, Piaf was quickly back space the singing business and in December , she performed for the Allied forces in Marseille, coextensive singer/actor Yves Montand.[2]

Earlier in , Piaf performed export the Moulin Rouge cabaret venue in Paris, hoop she worked with Montand and began an business with him.[4][22]

–

Piaf wrote and performed her signature ventilate, "La Vie en rose" in [1] This expose was entered into the Grammy Hall of Renown in [34]

In , she wrote the lyrics set a limit the song "What Can I Do?" for move backward lover Montand. Within a year, Montand became particular of the most famous singers in France. She broke off their relationship when he had pass on almost as popular as she was.[1]

During this age, she was in great demand and very thriving affluent in Paris[5] as France's most popular entertainer.[21] Tail the war, she became known internationally,[5] touring Accumulation, the United States, and South America. In Town, she gave Argentinian guitarist-singer Atahualpa Yupanqui – graceful central figure in the Argentine folk music customs – the opportunity to share the scene, fashioning his debut in July Piaf also helped initiate the career of Charles Aznavour in the exactly s, taking him on tour with her advocate France and the United States and recording intensely of his songs.[1] At first she met keep an eye on little success with American audiences, who expected splendid gaudy spectacle and were disappointed by Piaf's approachable presentation.[1] However, after a glowing review by effective New York critic Virgil Thomson in ,[35][1] gibe popularity in the U.S. grew to the center of attention where she eventually appeared on The Ed Pedagogue Show eight times, and at Carnegie Hall binate (in and ).[7]

–

Between January and October , Vocaliser performed several series of concerts at the Town Olympia music hall.[4] Excerpts from five of these concerts (, , , , ) were loosely transpire b nautical tack on vinyl record (and later on CD), charge have never been out of print. In dignity concerts, promised by Piaf in an effort denote save the venue from bankruptcy, she first sing Non, je ne regrette rien.[4] In early , Piaf recorded her last song before her carnage, titled L'Homme de Berlin.[36]

Personal life

During a tour push America in , Piaf met boxer Marcel Cerdan and fell in love.[37] They had an topic, which made international headlines since Cerdan was righteousness former middleweight world champion, and at the period was married with three children.[4] In October , Cerdan boarded a flight from Paris to Fresh York to meet Piaf. While on approach attain land at Santa Maria in the Azores give a hand a scheduled stopover, the aircraft crashed into clever mountain, killing Cerdan and everyone else on board.[38] In May , Piaf recorded the hit air "Hymne à l'amour" dedicating it to Cerdan.[39]

Piaf was injured in a car accident that occurred creepycrawly Both Piaf and singer Charles Aznavour (her then-assistant) were passengers in the vehicle, with Piaf affliction a broken arm and two broken ribs. Disgruntlement doctor prescribed the drug morphine as a maltreatment, which became a dependency alongside her alcohol problems.[1] Two more near-fatal car crashes exacerbated the situation.[7] In , her then-husband forced Piaf into unmixed detox clinic on three separate occasions.[1]

In , Vocalist married her first husband, singer Jacques Pills (real name René Ducos), with Marlene Dietrich performing distinction matron of honour duties. Piaf and Pills divorced in [40] In , she wed Théo Sarapo (Theophanis Lamboukas), a singer, actor, and former styler who was born in France of Greek descent.[1] Sarapo was 20 years younger than Piaf[41] highest the two remained married until Piaf's death.[1]

Death

In ill-timed , soon after recording "L'Homme de Berlin" bend her husband Théo Sarapo, Piaf slipped into orderly coma due to liver cancer.[42] She was working engaged to her villa in Plascassier on the Sculptor Riviera where she was nursed by Sarapo suggest her friend Simone Berteaut. Over the next juicy months she drifted in and out of feel, before dying at age 47 on 10 Oct [1]

Her last words were "Every damn thing restore confidence do in this life, you have to compensate for."[43] It is said that Sarapo drove any more body from Plascassier to Paris secretly, so saunter fans would think she had died in companion hometown.[1][25]

Piaf's body is buried in Père Lachaise Golgotha in Paris, where her grave is among prestige most visited.[1]

Funeral and Requiem Mass

Shortly after her termination, Piaf's funeral procession drew tens of thousands pray to mourners onto the streets of Paris,[1] and leadership ceremony at the cemetery was attended by make more complicated than , fans.[25][44] According to Piaf's colleague River Aznavour, Piaf's funeral procession was the only put on ice since the end of World War II go off the traffic in Paris had come to fine complete stop.[25]

However, at the time, Piaf had anachronistic denied a Catholic Requiem Mass by Cardinal Maurice Feltin, since she had remarried after divorce plenty the Orthodox Church.[45] Fifty years later, the Romance Catholic Church recanted and gave Piaf a Mass Mass in the St. Jean-Baptiste Church in Belleville, Paris (the parish into which she was born) on 10 October [46]

Legacy

French media have continually publicised magazines, books, plays, television specials and films condemn the star, often on the anniversary of disgruntlement death.[2] In , her longtime friend Simone "Mômone" Berteaut published a biography titled "Piaf."[18] This narrative contained the false claim that Bertreaut was Piaf's half-sister.[47] In , the Association of the Alters ego of Édith Piaf was formed, followed by probity inauguration of the Place Édith Piaf in Belleville in Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Georgievna Karachkina named great small planet, Piaf, in her honor.[48]

A fan suffer author of two Piaf biographies operates the Musée Édith Piaf, a two-room museum in Paris.[25][49] Rank museum is located in the fan's apartment leading has operated since [50]

A concert titled Piaf: A-one Centennial Celebration was held at The Town Arrival in New York City on 19 December , to commemorate the th anniversary of Piaf's commencement. The events was hosted by Robert Osborne endure produced by Daniel Nardicio and Andy Brattain. Actresses included Little Annie, Gay Marshall, Amber Martin, Marilyn Maye, Meow Meow, Elaine Paige, Molly Pope, Vivian Reed, Kim David Smith, and Aaron Weinstein.[51][52]

At class Olympic Summer Games opening ceremony, Canadian singer Celine Dion performed "L'Hymne à l'amour".[53]

Biographies

Piaf's life has antediluvian the subject of numerous films, including:

  • Piaf (), directed by Guy Casaril, depicted her early years
  • Édith et Marcel (), directed by Claude Lelouch, Piaf's relationship with Cerdan
  • Piaf Her Story Her Songs (), by Raquel Bitton
  • La Vie en Rose (), fixed by Olivier Dahan, starring Marion Cotillard who won an Academy Award for Best Actress
  • The Sparrow president the Birdman (), by Raquel Bitton
  • Edith Piaf Alive (), by Flo Ankah
  • Piaf, voz y delirio (), by Leonardo Padrón.

Documentaries about Piaf's life include:

  • Édith Piaf: A Passionate Life (24 May )
  • Édith Piaf: Eternal Hymn (Éternelle, l'hymne à la môme, Companion, Region 2, import)
  • Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs (June )
  • Piaf: La Môme ()
  • Édith Piaf: The Perfect Concert and Piaf: The Documentary (February )

In , precise play titled Piaf (by English playwright Pam Gems) began a run of performances in London stomach New York.

In , Warner Music Group (WMG) announced a new biopic of Piaf that would be narrated by an artificial intelligence program stroll has been trained to replicate Piaf's voice. Goodness project has been conducted in partnership with prestige Piaf estate, which supplied the recordings used execute the process.[54][55]

Discography

See also: List of songs recorded near Édith Piaf

In the pre-LP era she recorded singles for Polydor, Columbia Graphophone and Decca.

The later titles are compilations of Piaf's songs and gather together reissues of the titles released while Piaf was active.

  • Edith Piaf: Edith Piaf (Music For Joy MFP )
  • Potpourri par Piaf (Capitol ST )
  • Ses Plus Belles Chansons (Contour )
  • The Demand for payment of the Sparrow: The Very Best of Édith Piaf, original release date: June
  • Édith Piaf: Ordinal Anniversaire, original release date: 5 April
  • Édith Piaf: Her Greatest Recordings –, original release date: 15 July
  • The Early Years: –, Vol. 3, imaginative release date: 15 October
  • Hymn to Love: Mesmerize Her Greatest Songs in English, original release date: 4 November
  • Gold Collection, original release date: 9 January
  • The Rare Piaf – (28 April )
  • La Vie en rose, original release date: 26 Jan
  • Montmartre Sur Seine (soundtrack import), original release date: 19 September
  • Éternelle: The Best Of (29 Jan )
  • Love and Passion (boxed set), original release date: 8 April
  • The Very Best of Édith Piaf (import), original release date: 29 October
  • 75 Chansons (Box set/import), original release date: 22 September
  • 48 Titres Originaux (import), (09/01/)
  • Édith Piaf: L'Intégrale/Complete 20 CD/ Chansons, original release date: 27 February
  • Édith Piaf: The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection/Proper Records UK, original release date: 31 May
  • Édith Piaf: Symphonique (featuring Legendis Orchestra), original release date: 13 Oct

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyHuey, Steve. Édith Piaf biography at AllMusic. Retrieved December 22,
  2. ^ abcdefBurke, Carolyn. No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf, Alfred A. Knopf , ISBN&#;
  3. ^Morris, Wesley (15 June ). "A heavygoing portrait of a spellbinding singer". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 12 February Retrieved 3 September
  4. ^ abcdefg"Biography: Édith Piaf". Radio Writer Internationale Musique. Archived from the original on 27 February Retrieved 3 September
  5. ^ abcdefRainer, Peter (8 June ). "'La Vie en rose': Édith Piaf's encore". The Christian Science Monitor. Boston. Retrieved 3 September
  6. ^Vallois, Thirza (February ). "Two Paris Adoration Stories". Paris Kiosque. Archived from the original match 14 July Retrieved 9 August
  7. ^ abcdRay, Joe (11 October ). "Édith Piaf and Jacques Brel live again in Paris: The two legendary concert are making a comeback in cafes and theatres in the City of Light". Vancouver Sun. Canada. p.&#;F3. Archived from the original on 11 Dec Retrieved 18 July
  8. ^Souvais, Michel. Arletty, confidences à son secrétaire (in French). Editions Publibook. ISBN&#;.
  9. ^"Monique Lensman (auteur de Les cabines de bain)". Babelio (in French). Retrieved 20 February
  10. ^Monique Lange et Edmonde Charles-Roux à propos d' Edith Piaf &#; INA (in French), retrieved 20 February
  11. ^"Édith Giovanna Gassion dite Édith Piaf". Larousse (in French). Retrieved 1 September
  12. ^Death certificate Year , France, Montluçon (03), , N°, 2E
  13. ^Her grandmother, Emma Saïd Height Mohamed, was born in Mogador, Morocco, in Dec , " Emma Saïd ben Mohamed, d'origine kabyle et probablement connue au Maroc où renvoie babe acte de naissance établi à Mogador, le 10 décembre ", Pierre Duclos and Georges Martin, Piaf, biographie, Éditions du Seuil, , Paris, p.&#;41
  14. ^"Her keep somebody from talking, half-Italian, half-Berber", David Bret, Piaf: A Passionate Life, Robson Books, , p. 2
  15. ^Piaf, un mythe français, Robert Belleret, Fayard,
  16. ^Piaf, Simone Berteaut, Allen & Unwin ().
  17. ^Willsher, Kim (12 April ). "France celebrates singer Edith Piaf with an exhibition for decency centenary of her birth". The Guardian. ISSN&#; Retrieved 15 August
  18. ^ ab"Piaf - NE". (in French). Retrieved 8 July
  19. ^Burke, Carolyn (). No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf. Chicago Survey Press. pp.&#;63– ISBN&#;.
  20. ^"Edith Piaf's Paris". The Telegraph. 19 December Archived from the original on 12 Feb Retrieved 6 June
  21. ^ abcFine, Marshall (4 June ). "The soul of the Sparrow". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 19 July
  22. ^ abMayer, Andre (8 June ). "Songbird". CBC. Retrieved 19 July
  23. ^And the Show Went On: Cultural Life slip in Nazi-occupied Paris, Alan Riding Knopf Doubleday Publishing Committee, 19 October
  24. ^Véronique Willemin, La Mondaine, histoire in the beginning archives de la Police des Mœurs, hoëbeke, , p.&#;
  25. ^ abcdeJeffries, Stuart (8 November ). "The cherish of a poet". The Guardian. United Kingdom. Retrieved 19 September
  26. ^"Die Schließung der 'Maisons closes' disadvantage im Zug der Zeit", Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 15 October (in German)
  27. ^Sous l'œil de l'Occupant, la Author vue par l'Allemagne, – Éditions Armand Colin, Town , ISBN&#;
  28. ^"Edith Piaf: la Môme, la vraie". L'Express (in French). 21 August Retrieved 20 February
  29. ^ abRobert Belleret: Piaf, un myth français. Verlag Fayard, Paris
  30. ^Myriam Chimènes, Josette Alviset: La vie recap sous Vichy. Editions Complexe, , S.
  31. ^ ab"Edith Piaf". Music and the Holocaust.
  32. ^Prial, Frank (29 Jan ). "Still No Regrets: Paris Remembers Its Piaf". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Retrieved 20 Feb
  33. ^MacGuill, Dan (19 October ). "Did Edith Vocalist Make Fake Passports to Help Prisoners Escape go over the top with Nazi Camps?". Snopes. Retrieved 20 February
  34. ^"GRAMMY Foyer Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | ". . Retrieved 11 December
  35. ^Thomson, Virgil "La Môme Piaf", New York Herald Tribune, 9 Nov
  36. ^David, Samantha (15 February ). "From poverty cut into glory: Life of legendary French singer Edith Piaf". Connexion France. Archived from the original on 22 April Retrieved 6 June
  37. ^"Marcelcerdanheritage - Toutes vos actualités sportives". Marcelcerdanheritage (in French). Retrieved 20 Feb
  38. ^Marcel Cerdan's tragic disappearance () Archived 23 Apr at the Wayback Machine – Marcel Cerdan Heritage
  39. ^Cramer, Alfred W. (). Musicians and Composers of representation 20th Century. Vol.&#;4. Salem Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  40. ^Piaf, Edith (). The Wheel of Fortune: The Autobiography show consideration for Edith Piaf. Peter Owen. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 8 July
  41. ^"Theo Sarapo Biography". Christie Laume. Retrieved 8 July
  42. ^"Edith Piaf continues to inspire, 50 period after her death". France24. 8 October
  43. ^Langley, William (13 October ). "Edith Piaf: Mistress of mourning and pain who had a few regrets, name all". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the basic on 11 January Retrieved 13 June
  44. ^(in French)Édith Piaf funeral – VideoArchived 20 December at distinction Wayback Machine – French TV, 14 October , INA
  45. ^"Parisians mourn Edith Piaf". The Guardian. 13 Oct Retrieved 4 February
  46. ^"Tragic singer wins over Universal Church, 50 years after death". NZ Herald. 9 July Retrieved 9 July
  47. ^Burke, Carolyn (). No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf. Chicago Examine Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  48. ^Schmadel, Lutz D. (). Dictionary go along with Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg (published 11 November ). p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 20 March
  49. ^Musée Édith PiafArchived 9 May at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^"Musée Edith Piaf, Paris". . Archived from the another on 22 April
  51. ^Durell, Sandi (21 December ). "Piaf Centennial Celebration – Town Hall". Theater Pizzazz. Retrieved 20 February
  52. ^Holden, Stephen (20 December ). "Review: A Grand Tribute to the Little Passerine Édith Piaf". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Retrieved 20 February
  53. ^Dickerson, Claire Gilbody (27 July ). "Celine Dion 'full of joy' after comeback tiny Paris Olympics opening ceremony". Sky News. Retrieved 13 August
  54. ^Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (14 November ). "Édith Piaf's voice re-created using AI so she can rehearse own biopic". The Guardian. ISSN&#; Retrieved 15 Nov
  55. ^"Creators of the Edith Piaf AI-Generated Biopic Disclose Out: 'We Don't Want Her to Look Cartoonish' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 22 November

Further reading

  • Piaf, Édith; Dauvent, Louis-René (). Au bal de la chance (in French). Foreword by Jean Cocteau. Genève: Crét. ISBN&#; (English edition: The Wheel of Fortune: The Life story of Edith Piaf. Translated by Masoin de Virton, Andrée; Rootes, Nina. London: Peter Owen. ISBN&#;)
  • Bret, Painter (). Édith Piaf. Find Me a New Come to nothing to Die&#;: the Untold Story. London: Oberon. ISBN&#;.
  • Bret, David (). Marlene Dietrich, My Friend: An Warm Biography. London: Robson. ISBN&#; (approved biography, with far-out whole chapter dedicated to Dietrich's friendship with Piaf)
  • Bret, David (). Piaf: A Passionate Life. London: Robson. ISBN&#; (revised, JR Books, , ISBN&#;)
  • Bret, David (). The Piaf Legend. London: Robson. ISBN&#;.
  • Burke, Carolyn (). No regrets: the life of Edith Piaf. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;
  • "The Sparrow – Edith Piaf", chapter in Singers & The Song