Édith Piaf (UK: /ˈpiːæf/, US: /piːˈɑːf/, French: [edit pjaf] (listen); born Édith Giovanna Gassion, French: [edit dʒɔvana ɡasjɔ̃]; December 19, 1915 – October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France’s national chanteuse, she was one of the country’s most widely known international stars.

Piaf’s music was often autobiographical, and she specialized in chanson réaliste and torch ballads about love, loss and sorrow. Her most widely known songs include “La Vie en rose” (1946), “Non, je ne regrette rien” (1960), “Hymne à l’amour” (1949), “Milord” (1959), “La Foule” (1957), “L’Accordéoniste” (1940), and “Padam, padam…” (1951).

Since her death in 1963, several biographies and films have studied her life, including 2007’s La Vie en rose. Piaf has become one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th .