Deux voix. Deux destins. Un hommage.

28
Her second mentor, Raymond Asso, as well as Marguerite
Monnot, her favourite composer, and Henry Contet, the man with
the golden lyrics, constituted the team that would make Edith the
Piaf! Milord, L’Hymne à L’Amour, Les Amants d’un Jour, La Vie en
Rose, Mon Dieu, Padam, Padam… In all, a hundred of dazzling
works that quickly became famous throughout the world.
Edith Piaf was also famous for her love affairs: artists, sportsmen,
literary figures, and, of course, Marcel Cerdan, the great boxer
who was the love of her life. His death in a plane accident
marked a painful turning point in Edith Piaf’s life. Damaged
as much by grief as by accidents and illness, Edith survived only
through her incredible courage. Her performances on stage were
her healing periods. Her audience was her doctor.
Edith Piaf was also a formidable mentor, launching young men
in their careers and helping them to achieve success: Aznavour,
Bécaud, Montand, Moustaki and many others benefited from her
help. She also impressed and overwhelmed Cocteau, the great
genius of his century, who wrote Le Bel Indifférent for her, and
who, upon learning of her death on October 10, 1963, died as
well, whispering: “The boat is sinking. It is my last day on this
earth.” Piaf is buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris next
to her father and her daughter Marcelle, who died of meningitis
at the age of 2. In 2013 we commemorate 50 years since Piaf’s
death.
fr