Edith Piaf Research Paper

Despite growing up in tough times and under harsh circumstances, Edith Piaf was an extraordinary woman whom most pale in comparison to. In her forty-seven years of life, she managed to become a household name throughout Europe in the 1940’s and was renowned for her incredible vocal and acting abilities. She was known as “the little sparrow” and was beloved by the people of France. Edith Piaf was a symbol of French passion and perseverance and inspired copious amounts of lethargic citizens who need a beacon of hope in the midst of World War II. Edith Piaf was born as Édith Giovanna Gassion to a cafe singer and a street performer on December 19th, 1915 in Paris. Her mother abandoned her and when her father was drafted into the army in 1916 to fight in World War I, she was taken to Normandy to live with her grandmother who ran a brothel. There Edith was raised by the prostitutes until she was fourteen years old. When she was three years old, she became blind due to Keratitis but regained her sight when she was about seven years old. At age fourteen, Edith began to travel and perform on the street with her father and when she had enough money, her and a friend rented a room for themselves and they worked as street singers together.
Her career took flight due to her nightclub performances, and she was able to produce two records that same year. After being associated with a murder, Piaf changed her stage name to “Edith Piaf” so the rumors wouldn’t be fatal to her career. When the Germans took Paris, Edith’s career flourished and she wrote numerous songs for both herself and other artists. She became France’s most popular entertainer and was known and toured internationally after the war was over. Some of her most popular songs include "La Vie en rose” and “Mais qu’est-ce que