" La vie en rose ", " La foule ", " Non, je ne regrette rien ", " Padam, Padam ", " Milord ", " Hymne à L'Amour ", " Mon dieu ", " L'homme à la moto ", " Mon manège à moi "... It's hard to list all theÉdith Piaf songs that have left their mark on the heritage of French chanson. More than 60 years after her death, these songs still resonate in the minds of many. It was on October 10, 1963, at the age of just 47, that Édith Piaf passed away. Today, we invite you to follow in the legendary singer's footsteps on a grand tour of Paris from east to west.
It all began at N°72 rue de Belleville, in the 20th arrondissement. It was in this legendary district of the capital that Édith Piaf, whose real name was Édith Giovanna Gassion, was born. At this very address, a plaque symbolizes the artist's birth. It reads: " On the steps of this house, on December 19, 1915, Édith Piaf was born into the most destitute of circumstances, and her voice was later to move the world.
Street art in the artist's likeness also surrounds the building's blue door. There are two stencils and The Atomik Nation' s " La Môme Street Music Box ", a pink music box mounted on a wooden resonator. A box that will be found in other locations in eastern Paris, always in connection with the artist.
So it's here, in front of this building in the capital's 20th arrondissement, that our visit begins. However, Édith Piaf was born at the nearby Hôpital Tenon, on rue de la Chine to be exact.
We leave rue de Belleville and walk along Boulevard de Belleville to the Ménilmontant metro station. Just a stone's throw away, at N°5 rue Crespin du Gast, you'll find the famous Musée Édith Piaf. A private museum opened in 1968 by the association " Les Amis d'Édith Piaf ", and accessible by appointment only, this tiny museum is housed in the apartment occupied by Édith Piaf in 1933. Here, fans can discover the artist in all intimacy. A number of objects and memorabilia are on display in two rooms, including one of her famous black stage dresses, a pair of boxing gloves that belonged to Marcel Cerdan, size 34 shoes and photos of the singer.
We leave the 11th arrondissement to return to the 20th, at the Place Édith Piaf. It's here that a statue has been erected bearing the effigy of the chanson monument. Officially inaugurated on October 11, 2003 (at the same time as the square), to mark the 40th anniversary of the artist's death, this bronze statue was created by sculptor Lisbeth Delisle. The artist created a highly expressive work: arms raised to the sky, head tilted back and mouth open. A stone's throw from this square is the Édith Piaf bar for die-hard fans.
Next, we head for the legendary Père-Lachaise cemetery. This is where the artist is laid to rest, in Division 97 of the cemetery. Regularly decorated with flowers by fans from the four corners of the globe, the tomb also contains the remains of Édith Piaf's father, Louis Alphonse Gassion, and Théophánis Lamboukas, known as Théo Sarapo, the singer's second husband.
Our journey in the footsteps of Édith Piaf continues in western Paris, at the corner of rue Troyon and rue Mac-Mahon (17th arrondissement). While singing in the street, Édith Piaf was spotted in October 1935 by Louis Leplée, head of the Gerny's cabaret on rue Pierre-Charron (8e). The singer, whom he renamed " la Môme Piaf ", made her stage debut. Success was not long in coming. Two years later, she took to the stage at the ABC music hall (2nd). Then it was the turn of legendary Parisian venues such as Pleyel (8th),Olympia (9th) and Bobino (14th) to welcome the artist.
After living for a time in a private mansion at N°7 rue Leconte-de-Lisle, in the 16th arrondissement, where the singer and boxer Marcel Cerdan used to meet discreetly, Édith Piaf ended her life at N°67 boulevard Lannes, also in the 16th arrondissement. For the record, the singer died in a villa in Grasse (Côte d'Azur). But her husband Théo Sarapo decided to secretly bring her body back to the couple's home in the 16th arrondissement.
