History Music / EdithPiaf

* SmallReferencePools: She is perhaps the most famous French-language female singer who has ever lived. As such, many non-French works pertaining to France or wanting a quick reference to French culture tend to think about using her songs (and often only the most famous ones at that, such as "La Vie en Rose") and nothing or not much else.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edith_piaf_8294.jpg]]

She sang in the streets of UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} as a teen and was discovered in Pigalle by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, who persuaded her to sing in his cabaret on the Champs-Elysées. She then rose to national stardom in the late 1930s and to international stardom after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. She was nicknamed "La Môme Piaf" (meaning "The Waif Sparrow" or "The Little Sparrow" in Parisian slang), hence her stage name. She sang mostly about [[LoveTropes love]], and she [[IconicOutfit always wore]] a LittleBlackDress on stage. She also helped and mentored a number of rising singers she saw great potential in, such as Georges Moustaki and Creator/YvesMontand.

She sang in the streets of UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} as a teen and was discovered in Pigalle by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, who persuaded her to sing in his cabaret on the Champs-Elysées. She then rose to national stardom in the late 1930s and to international stardom after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. She was nicknamed "La Môme Piaf" (meaning "The Waif Sparrow" or "The Little Sparrow" in Parisian slang), hence her stage name. She sang mostly about [[LoveTropes love]], and she [[IconicOutfit always wore]] a LittleBlackDress on stage.

[[UnreliableNarrator Some parts of her early life were heavily romanticized if not purely invented]], but otherwise her personal life was [[BrokenBird characteristically dramatic]]. From the age of 3 to 7, she was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. Her one and only daughter died at age 2 in 1935. She was watched by the police as a suspect after the murder of her first manager Louis Leplée, but later cleared. Her lover Marcel Cerdan (one of the greatest French boxing champions in history) died in a plane crash in 1949. She was involved in three serious car crashes after 1951, leading to morphine and alcohol addictions and rheumatoid arthritis. Said addictions and illness weakened her, made her look much older than she was, and ultimately caused her death on October 10, 1963, at age 47. A close friend of hers, Creator/JeanCocteau, died the next day, a few hours after her.

She sang in the streets of UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} as a teen and was discovered in Pigalle by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, who persuaded her to sing in his cabaret on the Champs-Elysées. She then rose to national stardom in the late 1930's and to international stardom after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. She was nicknamed "La Môme Piaf" (meaning "The Waif Sparrow" or "The Little Sparrow" in Parisian slang), hence her stage name. She sang mostly about [[LoveTropes love]], and she [[IconicOutfit always wore]] a LittleBlackDress on stage.

[[UnreliableNarrator Some parts of her early life were heavily romanticized if not purely invented]], but otherwise her personal life was [[BrokenBird characteristically dramatic]]. From the age of 3 to 7, she was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. Her one and only daughter died at age 2 in 1935. She was watched by the police as a suspect after the murder of her first manager Louis Leplée, but later cleared. Her lover Marcel Cerdan (one of the greatest French boxing champions in history) died in a plane crash in 1949. She was involved in three serious car crashes after 1951, leading to morphine and alcohol addictions and rheumatoid arthritis. Said addictions and illness weakened her, made her look much older than she was and ultimately caused her death on October 10, 1963 at age 47. A close friend of hers, Creator/JeanCocteau, died the next day, a few hours after her.

She had high-profile affairs with many of her male associates and some of the biggest celebrities in France. She married twice: her first marriage in 1952, to singer Jacques Pills, lasted for four years. Her 1962 marriage to Théo Sarapo, a French singer and performer of Greek origins [[MayDecemberRomance 20 years her junior]], lasted until her death. Théo Sarapo didn't survive her for long, he died from his wounds after a car crash in 1970 at age 34.

* IconicOutfit: Her black dress because she always performed in black. There was hardly any pictures of her in other outfits.

* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Her life was full of love affairs, substance abuse, alcoholism and all of it was reflected in her songs.
* SmallReferencePools: She is perhaps the most famous French language female singer who has ever lived. As such, many non-French works pertaining to France or wanting a quick reference to French culture tend to think about using her songs (and often only the most famous ones at that, such as "La Vie en Rose") and nothing or not much else.

Édith Giovanna Gassion [[StageNames "Piaf"]] (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963) was a singer who became widely regarded as UsefulNotes/{{France}}'s national diva, as well as being one of France's greatest international stars of the 20th century. She also had acting parts in some films, in which she also performed songs.

She had high-profile affairs with many of her male associates and some of the biggest celebrities in France. She married twice : her first marriage in 1952, to singer Jacques Pills, lasted for four years. Her 1962 marriage to Théo Sarapo, a French singer and performer of Greek origins [[MayDecemberRomance 20 years her junior]], lasted until her death. Théo Sarapo didn't survive her for long, he died from his wounds after a car crash in 1970 at age 34.

[[UnreliableNarrator Some parts of her early life were heavily romanticized if not purely invented]], but otherwise her personal life was [[BrokenBird characteristically dramatic]]. From the age of 3 to 7, she was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. Her one and only daughter died at age 2 in 1935. She was watched by the police as a suspect after the murder of her first manager, but later cleared. Her lover Marcel Cerdan (one of the greatest French boxing champions in history) died in a plane crash in 1949. She was involved in three serious car crashes after 1951, leading to morphine and alcohol addictions and rheumatoid arthritis. Said addictions and illness weakened her, made her look much older than she was and ultimately caused her death on October 10, 1963 at age 47. A close friend of hers, Creator/JeanCocteau, died the next day, a few hours after her.

[[UnreliableNarrator Some parts of her early life were heavily romanticized if not purely invented]], but otherwise her personal life was [[BrokenBird characteristically dramatic]]. From the age of 3 to 7, she was allegedly blind as a result of keratitis. Her one and only daughter died at age 2 in 1935. She was watched by the police as a suspect after the murder of her first manager, but later cleared. Her lover Marcel Cerdan (one of the greatest French boxing champions in history) died in a plane crash in 1949. She was involved in three serious car crashes after 1951, leading to morphine and alcohol addictions and rheumatoid arthritis. Said addictions and illness weakened her, made her look much older than she was and ultimately caused her death on October 10, 1963 at age 47. A close friend of hers, Creator/JeanCocteau, died the very same day, a few hours after her.

Édith Giovanna Gassion [[StageNames "Piaf"]] (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963) was a singer who became widely regarded as UsefulNotes/{{France}}'s national diva, as well as being one of France's greatest international stars of the 20th century.

Édith Piaf (born Édith Giovanna Gassion, 19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963) was a singer who became widely regarded as UsefulNotes/{{France}}'s national diva, as well as being one of France's greatest international stars of the 20th century.

* LittleBlackDress: She always performed in black. Hardly any pictures of her depicted her in other outfits.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The tragedies in her life inspired the lyrics to many of her songs, such as "Hymne à l'Amour", recorded after the untimely death of her then-partner, boxing champion Marcel Cerdan, in a plane crash.

* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: The song "L' Homme à la Moto" ("The Man with the Bike") describes a muscled and leather jacket-wearing biker who "spreads terror in the region" and cares more about his biker than his girlfriend. And he has a tattoo that reads [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas "I love you mommy"]].

* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: The song "L' Homme à la Moto" ("The Man with the Bike") describes a muscled and leather jacket-wearing biker who "spreads terror in the region" and cares more about his biker than his girlfriend. And he has a tattoo that reads [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMama "I love you mommy"]].

* BadassBiker: "L' Homme à la Moto" ("The Man with the Bike") describes a muscled and leather jacket-wearing biker who "spreads terror in the region". With a tattoo that reads [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamma "I love you mommy"]].