Edith Piaf
Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (French: [edit pjaf]), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer and one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th century. Having begun her career touring with her father at age fourteen, she was discovered in 1935 in Paris by night club owner Louis Leplée, and achieved her first successes in the "Theatre de l'ABC" among others with the song "Mon Légionnaire". Owner of the ABC music hall Mitty Goldin also wrote songs for her, e.g. "Demain", and produced some of her songs. Her fame increased during the German occupation of France, shortly after which (in 1945) she wrote the lyrics to her signature song, "La Vie en rose" ('life in pink'). She became France's most popular entertainer in the late 1940s, also touring Europe, South America and the United States, where her popularity led to eight appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Piaf continued to perform, including several series of concerts at the Paris Olympia music hall, until a few months before her death in 1963 at age 47. Her last song, "L'Homme de Berlin", was recorded with her husband Théo Sarapo in April 1963. Since her death, several documentaries and films have been produced about Piaf's life as a touchstone of French culture. Piaf's music was often autobiographical, and she specialized in chanson réaliste and torch ballads about love, loss and sorrow. In addition to her signature song, her most widely known songs include "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), "Hymne à l'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "La Foule" (1957), "L'Accordéoniste" (1940), and "Padam, padam..." (1951). |
Birth and Death Data: Born Paris (capital city and largest city of France), Died October 10, 1963 (Grasse (commune in Alpes-Maritimes, France) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, lyricist, songwriter, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-123 of 123 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9619 | 10-in. | 12/24/1953 | Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9686 | 10-in. | 2/16/1954 | La goualante du pauvre Jean | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9693 | 10-in. | 2/17/1954 | Heureuse | Robert Chauvigny ; Choeur Marguerite Murcier ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and vocal ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9746 | 10-in. | 4/10/1954 | Le "ca ira" | Robert Chauvigny ; Choeur Marguerite Murcier ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and vocal ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9884 | 10-in. | 10/20/1954 | Sous le ciel de Paris | Robert Chauvigny ; Choeur Marguerite Murcier ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and vocal ensemble | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9885 | 10-in. | 10/20/1954 | Avec ce soleil | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9888 | 10-in. | 10/27/1954 | Mea culpa | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9889 | 10-in. | 10/27/1954 | Enfin le printemps | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9917 | 10-in. | 11/23/1954 | L'homme au piano | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL9918 | 10-in. | 11/24/1954 | Retour | Marc Herrand ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL10007 | 10-in. | 2/16/1955 | Un grand amour qui s'achève | Robert Chauvigny ; Jacques Pills | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist, composer | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL10026 | 10-in. | 2/28/1955 | Le chemin des forains | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL10027 | 10-in. | 2/28/1955 | C'est a Hambourg | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL10028 | 10-in. | 2/28/1955 | Un grand amour qui s'achève | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, songwriter | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | CL10029 | 10-in. | 2/28/1955 | Miséricorde | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| Decca | FO 1683 | 2/7/1947 | Le geste (The gesture) | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 1684 | 2/7/1947 | Si tu partais (If you should leave me) | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 1685 | 2/7/1947 | Les cloches sonnent (The bells are ringing) | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 1686 | 2/7/1947 | Monsieur Ernest a réussi (Mr. Ernest has succeeded) | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 1687 | 2/7/1947 | Sophie | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 1692 | 2/10/1947 | Une chanson à trois temps | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 2134 | 7/12/1948 | Monsieur X (Mr. X) | Edith Piaf | vocalist | |||
| Decca | FO 2167 | 8/6/1948 | Amour du mois de Mai (Love in the month of May) | Edith Piaf | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Piaf, Edith," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/337595.
Piaf, Edith. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/337595.
"Piaf, Edith." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Édith Piaf
Discogs: Edith Piaf
Allmusic: Edith Piaf
Grove: Edith Piaf
RILM: Edith Piaf
IMDb: Edith Piaf
Britannica: Edith Piaf
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Piaf, Edith, 1915-1963 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50010718
Wikidata: Édith Piaf - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1631
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/141145970358932252843
MusicBrainz: Édith Piaf - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4f8ef4a3-40fa-46b5-8773-97686a8424f4
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/3170 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/3170
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