“Her life is so sad that the story of her seems implausible”: the great tragedy of Edith Piaf
Who does not know the greatest French singer, whose songs have become world hits, and she herself is a role model for millions? But not everyone knows how many tests she had to share. She survived a difficult - almost hungry - childhood, the death of a child, 2 car accidents, 7 operations, 3 coma, several bouts of delirium tremens, a fit of insanity, a suicide attempt, two world wars.
She did not survive only liver cancer in the last stage, which was discovered in her 2 years before her death. And if you ever once again want to complain about your fate, just remember the "sparrow" of Paris, a woman who, until her last days, went forward without giving up, conquering the hearts of millions, inspired and gifted with the power to love - Edith Piaf.
1. Edith Piaf was born (real name - Edith Giovanna Gasion) December 19, 1915. Almost on the same day, the girl's mother, the failed actress Anita Maiar, while her husband was at the front, gave the girl to her mother to raise. But she did not need it - in order to calm the girl who was disturbing her with her crying, the "loving" grandmother fed the child with diluted wine. Such feeding paid off - by the age of three, Edith was completely blind.
2. Later there will be a legend associated with the birth of Edith. However, it is unlikely that she is true, but according to her, a girl was born under a street lamp in the winter on one of the streets of Paris.
3. As soon as Edith's father - Louis Gasion - finds out about this, he immediately sends the girl to be raised by his mother, who kept a brothel. However, she fell in love with her granddaughter and took care of her. She did everything to make the girl see clearly. And in 1925 she succeeded. When there was no longer any hope for Edith's recovery, her grandmother took her to Lisieux to St. Theresa. A few days later, my beloved granddaughter - oh, a miracle - began to see again.
4. Edith herself, recalling this, said: “My life began with a miracle. At the age of four I fell ill and became blind. My grandmother took me to Lisieux to the altar of St. Theresa and begged her for my insight. Since then, I have not parted with the images of Saint Theresa and the baby Jesus. And because I am a believer, death does not frighten me. There was a period in my life after the death of a person dear to me, when I myself called her. I lost all hope. Faith saved me."
5. At school, Edith was immediately disliked, which is not surprising - the girl lived in a brothel. The girl could not bear it, and soon her father took her to Paris. There, a 9-year-old girl begins to work with her father on the city squares: her father showed acrobatic stunts, and her daughter sang. Edith did not fully learn to read and write - even in the songs that she composed herself, there were mistakes. But who cares now?
6. At the age of 15, Edith met her half-sister, 11-year-old Simone, who began performing with Edith. The father's new family experienced enormous financial difficulties. Edith, in turn, helped them financially, but later this led to the girl leaving her father. Forever and ever.
7. Edith continues to perform on the streets, where she is noticed and invited to sing in a cabaret. At the age of 16, Edith met Louis Duppon, the father of her only daughter Marcel. However, her marriage was unsuccessful - her husband demanded that Edith give up work, and they broke up. For some time, Edith's daughter stayed with her, but one day, not finding her at home, Edith realized that her husband had a girl - he expected that then his wife would return. But she didn't come back. Moreover, the girl fell ill with meningitis, and a little later Edith herself became infected, who, however, recovered. But fate did not spare the girl here either - Marcel dies. Edith had no more children.
8. At the age of 20, Louis Leple notices her and invites her to perform on the Champs Elysees. He played a big role in Edith's life and career: he taught her to choose songs, sing to accompaniment, explained the importance of costume, facial expressions, behavior, and artist. It was he who made Edith Piaf out of Edith Gasion. Even on the street she sang: "Born like a sparrow, lived like a sparrow, died like a sparrow." On the posters they wrote: "Baby Piaf." It was a success!
9. But success did not last long. Soon, Louis is killed, and Edith falls under suspicion, as he left her a certain amount. Thank God, this time everything ends well, and soon Piaf meets Raymond Asso - the man who makes Edith a great singer. It was he who sought her participation in a performance in the ABC musical hall, which was an initiation into the profession. Needless to say, the next day she woke up famous? Thanks to him, the story of Edith's life became the story of songs, and vice versa, no one could distinguish the stage image from Edith in reality.
10. Edith bathed in success and fame. Hearing her voice on the radio, people ask again and again to put Little Piaf's songs on the air.
11. During the Second World War, “Baby Piaf” meets Jean Cocteau, who invited her to play in the play “Indifferent Handsome”. It was first shown in 1940. A year later, the play was made into a film in which Edith played the main role.
12. It's hard to believe, but Edith Piaf was so popular and in demand that she could afford to speak to French prisoners of war. And after the concert, she managed to give them everything they needed to escape. The countrymen appreciated her personal courage and mercy, because she risked her life.
13. The post-war period was a time of special success for Edith. Her work was admired by the suburbs of Paris, art connoisseurs around the world and even the future Queen of England.
14. Edith helped young talents. Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Eddie Constantin ... These are not all the names that have become known to the whole world thanks to the "sparrow".
15. In the post-war years, Edith met the American boxer Marcel Cerdan, who became her greatest joy and greatest sadness. Fate again played a cruel joke with Edith - in 1949, having flown to his beloved from New York, he crashed in a plane crash. Edith fell into a severe depression: she began to drink morphine, after which she had seizures, and once she almost threw herself out of the window. She returned to the street again. Dressed in old clothes, she performed on the streets of Paris, and at night she brought unknown men to her.
16. But mourning could not last forever, and Edith again returns to her solo career. And I even fell in love again.
In 1952, Edith gets into two car accidents and breaks almost all of her ribs and both arms. To alleviate her suffering, doctors inject her with morphine. It would seem that Edith is doomed to become addicted to drugs, but this fragile woman was not like that. Nevertheless, creativity no longer brought her former pleasure, but Edith only immersed herself more in work.
17. In 1954, Edith starred in the historical film "If they tell me about Versailles." A little later, she had an 11-month tour of America, and then in France - such loads caused great damage to her physical health. And in 1961, fate dealt the hardest blow to the singer - doctors discovered liver cancer in Edith. But she continued to perform until the end of her days.
18. In recent years, she was supported by 27-year-old Theo - Piaf's last love. In September 1962, overcoming pain, Piaf performed at the top of the Eiffel Tower. And six months later, the last concert in her life took place - the hall applauded standing.
19. On October 10, 1963, Edith Piaf died. All of France buried her, and the whole world mourned - an entire era of French chanson died with her.
20. The songs of Edith Piaf have remained with us forever, and the courage and willpower of the singer left an indelible mark on the hearts of people. Even during her lifetime, an autobiography was published. Whether everything that is in it is true is unknown. But one thing is clear: this is how she wanted to remain in the memory of people.
“When I don’t die of love, when I have nothing to die from, then I’m ready to die!”
"I don't sing for everyone - I sing for everyone."
“Artists and the public should not meet. After the curtain falls, the actor must disappear as if by magic.
"Hands don't lie like faces."
In response to the words of the doctors that she kills herself, continuing to sing in front of the public: "This is the most beautiful way to commit suicide."
“I led a terrible life, it’s true. But also life is amazing. Because, above all else, I loved her."
“For love, for happiness, one often has to pay with tears.”
“I was hungry. I was freezing. But I was also free. Free not to get up in the morning, not to sleep at night, free to drink if I felt like it, to dream… to hope.”
“This is the crowd that, I hope, will see me off on my last journey, because I don’t like loneliness. The terrible loneliness that embraces you at dawn or at nightfall, when you ask yourself whether it is still worth living and why to live?