Paris and French chanson

• Édith Piaf
• Jacques Brel
• Yves Montand
• Serge Gainsbourg

• Dalida
• Aznavour
• Patachou
• George Brassens

Édith Piaf

Singer Édith Piaf, especially known for 'La vie en rose', lived in the colourful Belleville district. On a hill in this district, you will find the Parc de Belleville. It offers a beautiful view over the city. The park is near the Couronnes metro station.
She was born as Édith Giovanna Gassion, on the steps in front of 72 Rue de Belleville. She has a birth certificate that reads: 4 Rue de la Chine, Hôpital Tenon.
She lived at 5 Rue Crespin du Gast. Her house is now a small museum.
She performed a lot at Olympia, 28 Boulevard des Capcines.
You can visit her grave (div. 97) at the Père-Lachaise cemetery, 16 Rue du Repos.
Download the map of Père-Lachaise

28 Boulevard des Capcines

Jacques Brel

Jacques Brel was born in Schaerbeek near Brussels. After he moved to Paris his career slowly took off. In 1961 he was the headliner at Olympia. Paris has a street named after the singer: Allées Jacques Brel in the 19th arrondissement near Avenue de Flandre.
Jacques Brel himself rented room 13 in a hotel at 3 Rue des Trois Frères, in the Montmartre district. He performed regularly in one of the cabarets of Montmartre, cabaret 'Chez Geneviève' at 55 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre. He often preformed together with Charles Aznavour.
In 1954 he moved to Rue La Bruyère.

Brel is buried outside of France, on the island of Hiva Oa, in the Pacific.

Yves Montand

Yves Montand was born as Ivo Livi in Italy and grew up in Marseille. In 1944, he sang in Paris for the first time. He opened for Édith Piaf at the Moulin Rouge, 82 Boulevard de Clichy.

In 1951, he married the actress Simone Signoret. They lived at 15 Place Dauphine, on the island in the middle of the city, Île de la Cité. Yves Montand is buried at Père-Lachaise (div. 44).

Serge Gainsbourg

The hospital where Serge Gainsbourg was born is Hôtel Dieu, 1 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, near the Notre Dame on Île de la Cité. Serge Gainsbourg’s home was located at 5 Rue de Verneuil. It will soon be open to the public and you will be able to see the legendary interior.
Together with the house opposite at number 14, it will form the cultural institution Maison Gainsbourg, and will be dedicated to 'the chanson'. A bookshop and shop, café and piano bar will also be opened there.

Gainsbourg is buried at Cimetière du Montparnasse, 3 Boulevard Edgar Quinet. The evening before his death he visited Le Bistrot de Paris, 33 Rue de Lille, table 46. He had his last dinner there and ended the meal with a glass of port at the bar.

Dalida

On Rue de l'Abreuvoir you will find Place Dalida with the bronze bust of Dalida. You can touch it. Dalida is a chansonnière who sold more than 200 million records. Further along the same street, you will find the picturesque pink houses you see at the top of this page. They are near the metro stop Lamarck-Caulaincourt.

Dalida lived around the corner at 11B Rue d'Orchampt and is buried at the Cimetière de Montmartre, metro stop La Fourche. Charles Aznavour avec Dalida - Quand on s'aime on YouTube

Charles Aznavour

Charles Aznavour's parents were of Armenian descent and in transit to America. They were waiting for a visa in Paris when Charles was born. Aznavour's birthplace is at 36 Rue Monsieur-le-Prince. They remained in Paris and Charles started singing, dancing and acting when he was 9. He became one of the most famous French singers.

Charles Aznavour is buried at the Cimetière de Montfort-l'Amaury. You can go there by train from Paris Montparnasse. The cemetery is 3.5 km from Montfort-l'Amaury - Méré station. It is more than an hour's drive by car from Paris.

Patachou and Rue Lepic

Henriette Ragon called herself Patachou, after the pastry pâtes à choux. She had a patisserie in Montmartre, 13 Rue du Mont-Cenis. The business became a café where she sang for customers. The café became a cabaret where famous chansonniers such as Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel performed. Georges Bressans started his career in 'Chez Patachou'.

Patachou became world-famous as a singer and actress. She died at the age of 96 and is buried at Père Lachaise (div. 2).

A small aside: Patachou sang a chanson called Rue Lepic. Vincent and Theo van Gogh lived there for three years at number 54. The street is next to the Blanche metro station.

Georges Brassens

Georges Brassens, poet, musician and singer lived in the "alley" Impasse Florimont at number 7 (previously 9), between Rue Diderot and Rue Vanves. At the beginning of the street, you will find a small plaque stating that he lived there for 22 years, from 1944 to 1966, and wrote his first songs there.

He is buried in the cemetery Le Py de Sète, near Montpellier.

Record shops in Paris

In Paris, there are no record stores that only sell vinyl with chansons. However, there is a wide choice of record stores. Some specialise in jazz and rock, others in electro and dance music. Most shops sell a combination of new and used vinyl. The Guardian has listed the best, independent record shops.

The flea market Marché Dauphine (132-140 Rue des Rosiers) sells many used vinyl records. The market is located near the flea market Saint-Ouen, a market with many small shops with antiques and nice items. So, definitely a must-visit!

France, history, music

If you are a fan of French song and history, you should be so lucky to get hold of Bart Van Loo's book 'Chanson Illustrée'. He describes the history of France and Paris in a witty way, using chansons as a guide. Very enjoyable to read and educational to boot.

Most of the songs he mentions can be found in our list on Spotify Chanson - Bart Van Loo.