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Still Singing Her Heart Out
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Still Singing Her Heart Out

A small woman with a big, big voice, Edith Piaf at 100 still says Paris at mid-century like no other chanteuse.
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Written by
Kathleen Kuiper
Kathleen Kuiper was Senior Editor, Arts & Culture, Encyclopædia Britannica until 2016. She also edited Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature.
Kathleen Kuiper
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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She is the streetwise sound of heartache, pain, and resilience. Her lived-in mezzo-soprano voice paired perfectly with her flair for the dramatic—the tight spotlight on her pale face and her expressive hands—as well as her admittedly harrowing life. Many details of Edith Piaf’s life are well known, thanks in part to the biopic La Vie en Rose (2007). She was abandoned by her mother shortly after birth, and she was reared for a time by her grandmother in a house of ill repute. She spent time singing on the street with her circus acrobat father. And on the sad story goes.

In addition to her many recordings, which are still popular in the 21st century, her legacy is long, touching such notables as actor-singer Yves Montand and actor-singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour. Performers including Jacques Brel and Judy Garland owe much to her style.

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Kathleen Kuiper