Profile of the Day: Édith Piaf

Today we remember French singer and actress Édith Piaf, who was born on December 19, 1915 in Paris, France.

Image: Édith Piaf / Nationaal Archief, CC0

She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion to Annetta Giovanna Maillard, a cafe singer, and Louis Alphonse Gassion, a street acrobat. Piaf was named after the World War I British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed for helping soldiers escape from German captivity in Belgium.

Piaf first rose to fame after she was discovered by nightclub owner Louis Leplée. Her nervous energy and small stature inspired Leplée to give her the nickname, La Môme Piaf (“The Little Sparrow”). The nickname would stay with her the rest of her life.

Today Piaf is remembered as one of France’s greatest international stars. Her life story was the subject of the 2007 film La Vie en Rose, which starred French actress Marion Cotillard as Piaf. Cotillard would win an Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.

Explore Édith Piaf’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related to the legendary French singer.

View Édith Piaf’s Geni Profile