Édith Piaf (19 December 1915 - 10 October 1963) was a French singer and cultural icon of partly Algerian and Italian descent Piaf: the triumphant return of La Môme, The Independent, Thursday, 8 February 2007 On the trail of Edith Piaf, Otago Daily Times, Tuesday, 16 Sep 2008Jacques Verrière, Genèse de la nation française‎, Flammarion, 2000, p.119 who "is almost universally regarded as France's greatest popular singer." Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads. Among her songs are "La vie en rose" (1946), "Hymne àl'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), "l'Accordéoniste" (1941), "Padam...Padam", and "La Foule".
Early life
Despite numerous biographies, much of Piaf's life is shrouded in mystery. She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Belleville, Paris, a high-immigration district. Legend has it that she was born on the pavement of Rue de Belleville 72, but her birth certificate cites the Hôpital T
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith Piaf