MUSIC: The singer France Gall died Sunday morning in Paris …
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The singer France Gall died.
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She began her career in 1963 and had left the scene in 1997.
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Wife of Michel Berger, she ran from the Heritage songwriter.
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She returned in 2015 at the helm of the musical “resistant”, repeating the greatest hits of the couple.
France Gall died Sunday morning in Paris shortly after 10am from cancer. She was 70 years old. In recent months, the singer was hospitalized in late December for a “severe infection”, felt a “tremendous strain” and “respiratory problems”. The wife of Michel Berger, who began her career at age 16, was more discreet since the death of his daughter in 1997.
Born Isabelle, France Gall fell into music when she was little. She is the daughter of Robert Gall, singer and author of hit songs like the wonderful lovers for Edith Piaf, or La Mamma for Charles Aznavour and Cécile Berthier. A home run regularly Hugues Aufray, Marie Laforet and Claude Nougaro. Isabelle started playing the piano at 5 years old and starts playing the guitar at 11 years old. Her father then prompts her to record songs which he calls the bands to a music publisher, Denis Bourgeois, the spring of 1963.
First make a name
The girl arrives in the French musical landscape while Isabelle Aubret singer is a big star. She must change her name. It will be France. “I’ve always been against the name” France, “I thought it was too hard“. “Isabelle”, it suited me, I liked it, says the singer France Gall by France Gall , her self-portrait broadcast by France 3 in 2001. I do not know what happened to me to start to love my name. “The day of her 16th birthday, the voice of France Gall resonates on French airwaves. Her song Ne soit pas si bête, arrive at number 44 in the charts.
Its artistic director, who also works with Serge Gainsbourg , the latter offers to compose for the young performer. It made him do not listen to the idols , who is leading the charts in March 1964. A landmark meeting for the singer. “This is someone I had the pleasure to see because I admired and liked what he wrote, confided the singer, still in his televised portrait. And I liked his shyness, his elegance and his education. It was very nice as relationship.”
Gainsbourg and scandals
When Sacré Charlemagne is released, title displeases the singer. And yet, it sells more than two million copies of the title. In 1965, France Gall is selected to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision, and she chose herself the song: Poupée de cire, poupée de son.The girl sings a bit shy in front of 150 million viewers. She won the contest.
“I was 17 and I do not keep an extraordinary memory, telling about the singer in Paris in 2015. At the Eurovision, I was not very confident. I wanted it to be over quickly because, during rehearsal, the musicians were not at all like the cavalry atmosphere in the music of Poupée de cire, poupée de son. Yet the public has ended up. But I have not experienced as a victory because I had heart problems. “Indeed, at the same time, Claude François , her boyfriend, had announced their breakup.
In 1966, Serge Gainsbourg wrote Les Sucettes, evocative song that triggers a scandal. France Gall includes afterwards we played with his image by making him sing this song. His relationship with Serge Gainsbourg are tainted by this episode. Their collaboration ended in 1967.
The bottoming
In 1968, after a flop, France Gall, most recently, decided to separate from Denis Bourgeois and Philips. But in her new record label, she saw a real journey through the desert. France Gall therefore flap on a US record company with which it still does not work.
She recalled Serge Gainsbourg, but nothing works. In 1971, she participated with his brother Patrick in a photo story in eight episodes. During an interview in 1996, she says: “For me, this photo story, it was the downfall. Step by would make a porn movie. “In his private life is also complicated. France Gall with Julien Clerc since 1969. But it hides to preserve its image among women, which it very difficult to bear.
The resurrection
The miracle out of this vicious circle is called Michel Berger . France Gall is captivated by his music heard his song Wait for me in 1973. She asked the composer to give his opinion on the songs that we proposed. Michel Berger’s pretty appalled by what she played him but does not intend to write to her. In 1974, after six months of waiting, France Gall finally gets a title to it, La déclaration d’amour, that boosts her career. Gradually, their working relationship is love, they married in 1976 and have a daughter, Pauline, in 1978.
In 1979, Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon climb the rock opera Starmania, in which France Gall course a role. In 1981, she gave birth to Raphael, their son. In 1982, she invests in the Paris Sports Palace with her show all the music. It connects the songs in the early 1980s but retains much time for family life. She recorded little in the following years.
She returned in 1992 with the album Double Jeu, she recorded with Michel Berger. They embark on a tour they can not lead to an end because of the death of the songwriter on the 2nd August 1992. Diagnosed with breast cancer she recovers, France Gall must then overcome the loss of her daughter who died of cystic fibrosis in 1997.
Removing from media life
France Gall is more discreet. In 1997 she ends her singing career. On the 12th and 15th August 2000, she made an appearance at the Olympia to sing Quelque chose de Tennesse. duet with Johnny Hallyday. It was his last appearance on stage. In 2015, she presented the musical resistant, a show built around the songs of Michel Berger.
For twenty years, France Gall continued to do humanitarian work, she had started making in the 1980s with Daniel Balavoine and Michel Berger. Especially, as the latter heir, she managed her rights and supports his music. In his private life, the singer had since 1995 with the producer and Ethiopian-American musician Dawit Bruck.
