Era: 40's
Who was she: Edith Piaf was born in Paris, France. Her father was a well known traveling acrobat and her mother worked as a singer in a cafe. Her father left the family when Edith was very young and her mother abandoned her and she was raised by her Grandmother, who was a madam at a brothel in Normandy. Legend has it that Edith was blind from the age of two until the age of six. She recovered her sight when her Grandmother's prostitutes went on a pilgrimage to St. Therese Liseaux. Edith went on to live with her father, who was an alcoholic. She left at age fifteen to become a singer. She was discovered in a night club and was given the nickname, Piaf, which meant little sparrow, due to her unique voice. Two of her most famous songs were, La Vie en Rose and Non, Je Ne Regrete Rien.
Why is she an icon: Edith Piaf overcame a huge amount of adversity in her life to get where she was.
The fact that she has an incredibly beautiful voice that she projects with understated drama gives even more reason for her to have become a gay icon.
ReplyDeleteI love Edith Piaf... I have a few of her CD's... she reminds me of my time in Paris
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