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Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''
yé-yé ''Yé-yé'' () or ''yeyé'' () was a style of pop music that emerged in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe in the early 1960s. The French term ''yé-yé'' was derived from the English "yeah! yeah!", popularized by British beat music ban ...
'' singer. In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the tenth edition of the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
with the song "", representing
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
. Later in her career, she worked with singer-songwriter
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
, whom she married in 1976. Her most successful singles include "", "" and "".


Early life

Gall was born in Paris on 9 October 1947, to a highly musical family. Her father, the lyricist Robert Gall, wrote songs for
Édith Piaf Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popu ...
and
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...
. Her mother, Cécile Berthier, was a singer as well and the daughter of Paul Berthier, the co-founder of Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois. The only daughter of her family, France had two brothers: Patrice and Philippe. In spring 1963, Robert Gall encouraged his daughter to record songs and send the demos to the music publisher Denis Bourgeois. That July, she auditioned for Bourgeois at the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
in Paris, after which Bourgeois wanted to sign her immediately. France was subsequently signed to
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
. At the time, Bourgeois was working for the label as artistic director for
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...
and assumed this role for Gall as well. He encouraged her to record four tracks with the French
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician, arranger and composer Alain Goraguer.


Career


Early career

The first airplay of Gall's first single "Ne sois pas si bête" ("Don't Be So Stupid") occurred on her 16th birthday. It was released in November and became a hit, selling 200,000 copies. Gainsbourg, who had released several albums and written songs for singers including Michèle Arnaud and
Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco (; 7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are "Paris Canaille" (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), "La Javanaise" (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and "Désh ...
, was asked by Bourgeois to write songs for Gall. Gainsbourg's "''N'écoute pas les idoles''" ("Don't listen to the idols") was Gall's second single; it reached the top of the French charts in March 1964 and stayed there for three weeks. At the same time, Gall made her live debut, opening for
Sacha Distel Alexandre "Sacha" Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004) was a French musician and singer who had hits with a cover version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in 1970, which reached No 10 in the UK Charts, " Scoubidou", and " The Good Lif ...
in Belgium. She teamed with Distel's business manager Maurice Tézé, a lyricist, which allowed her to create an original repertoire, unlike the majority of her contemporaries who sang adaptations of Anglophone hits. Elaborate orchestrations by Alain Goraguer blended styles, permitting her to navigate among
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
children's song A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studie ...
s, and other genres. Examples of this mixed-genre style included "Jazz à gogo" (by Alain Goraguer and Robert Gall) and "Mes premières vraies vacances" (by Jacques Datin and Maurice Vidalin). Gall and Gainsbourg's association produced many popular singles, continuing through the summer of 1964 with the hit song " Laisse tomber les filles" ("Leave the girls alone") followed by "Christiansen" by Datin-Vidalin. Gainsbourg also secretly recorded Gall's laughter to use on "", a track on his 1964 album ''Gainsbourg Percussions''.''France Gall par France Gall'', autoportrait télévisé (
France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air Public broadcasting, public television network. The second flagship network of France Télévisions, it broadcasts a wide range of general and specialized programming. France 3 is structured as a Region ...
, 2001), quoted in the French Wikipedia article about France Gall. Original quote: "''C'est quelqu'un que j'avais du plaisir à voir parce que je l'admirais et j'aimais ce qu'il écrivait. Et j'aimais bien sa timidité, son élégance et son éducation. C'était très agréable comme relation. ..J'étais très impressionnée que cet homme travaille pour moi et s'intéresse à moi ...''"


1965

Having previously resisted, Gall gave in to her managers at the end of 1964 and recorded a single intended for children. The song " Sacré Charlemagne", written by her father, and set to the music of George Liferman, was a hit in 1965, peaking at number one in France and number five in Turkey.


Eurovision

Gall was then selected to represent Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965. From the 10 songs proposed to her, she chose Gainsbourg's " Poupée de cire, poupée de son". On 20 March 1965, Gainsbourg, Gall, and Goraguer attended the finals of the song contest in Naples, where the song was "allegedly booed in rehearsals for straying so far from the sort of song usually heard in the Contest at this point."Jamie McCloughlin
A Bluffer's Guide to Eurovision
13 July 2009. Accessed 20 February 2012.
Although the delivery during the live show may not have been Gall's strongest performance — one critic wrote that Gall's performance was "far from perfect," another noted that her voice was out of tune and her complexion pale, and when Gall called
Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of " Comme d'habitude" ( ...
, her lover at the time, immediately after the performance, he shouted at her, "You sang off key. You were terrible!" — the song impressed the jury and it took the Grand Prix. Success at Eurovision ensured that Gall became even better known outside Europe and she recorded "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" in French, German, Italian and Japanese. There appears to be no English version released by France Gall, although there was an English cover version by the English 1960s star
Twinkle Twinkle may refer to: * Twinkling, the variation of brightness of distant objects People * Twinkle (singer) (1948–2015), born Lynn Annette Ripley, English singer-songwriter * Twinkle Bajpai, Indian singer, television and film actress * Twinkl ...
.


Summer tour

In 1965, Gall toured France for several months with Le Grand Cirque de France (The Great Circus of France), a combination of radio show and live circus. Her singles continued to chart successfully, including the Gainsbourg-penned "Attends ou va-t'en" ("Wait for me, or go away") and "''Nous ne sommes pas des anges''" ("We are not angels"). She also had a hit with the song "L'Amérique" ("America") by
Eddy Marnay Edmond Bacri (18 December 1920 – 3 January 2003), known professionally as Eddy Marnay, was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 4000 songs, including works for Édith Piaf, Frida Boccara and Céline Dion. He was joint win ...
and Guy Magenta. Stewart Mason states this early period of Gall's career, culminating in the Eurovision win:
though many dismissed Gall as a Francophone
Lesley Gore Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein, May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song " It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She follow ...
, making fluffy and ultra-commercial pop hits with little substance, Gall's hits from this era stand up far better than most. Only
Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; 17 January 1944 – 11 June 2024) was a French singer-songwriter, actress, and author. She was known for singing melancholic, sentimental ballads. Hardy rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a leading figure in F ...
was consistently making records up to these standards during this era. Though Gall's high, breathy voice was admittedly somewhat limited, she made the most of it. Even dopey hits like " Sacré Charlemagne", a duet with a pair of puppets who were the stars of a children's show on French TV, have an infectious, zesty charm; meatier tunes, like the sultry jazz-tinged ballad "Pense a Moi" and the brilliant rocker "Laisse tomber les filles", were as good as any single produced in the U.S. or Great Britain at the time.


1966

In 1966, her children's song "Les Leçons particulières" ("Private lessons") caused notoriety and displeasure; the same occurred when
Jean-Christophe Averty Jean-Christophe Averty (; 6 August 1928 – 4 March 2017) was a French television and radio director, and Satrap of the College of 'Pataphysique. Many of his television productions from the 1960s were early examples of French video art. His stud ...
choreographed a troupe of men on all fours to accompany her children's song, "J'ai retrouvé mon chien" ("I've found my dog"), on his television programme ''Les Raisins verts''. Also in 1966, Gall released another successful song written by Gainsbourg titled " Les sucettes" (Lollipops). Although the song was ostensibly about a young girl who likes aniseed-flavoured lollipops, plays-on-words in the lyrics implied another meaning, that of oral sex."SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK: France Gall", ''The New European'', 18 January 2018
/ref> Gall was 18 at the time the song was released, and she maintained that she was ignorant of the song's double entendres. She said she had sung "with an innocence of which I'm proud" and later said that this humiliation caused her to avoid going out in public after being "betrayed by the adults around me". She then refused to sing the song and vowed never to work with Gainsbourg again. Gall left for a tour in Japan shortly after the song was released and it has been stated that she felt mistrust for producers until meeting
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
.


Psychedelic era and transition to adulthood

At the beginning of 1967, Gall sang "La Petite" in a duet with Maurice Biraud, which describes a young girl coveted by a friend of her father. The controversy over this performance overshadowed her release that year of Gainsbourg's poetic ''Néfertiti''. Her next single was recorded with the orchestration of the English composer David Whitaker. New authors Frank Thomas and were brought on board. They wrote "Bébé requin" ("Baby Shark"), a song which was a success for Gall at the end of 1967, her last one for six years. This was followed by "Teenie Weenie Boppie", an anti-
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...
song by Gainsbourg, which has been described as "a bizarre tune about a deadly LSD trip that somehow involves Mick Jagger".Mason, Stewart
France Gall biography
all Music Guide, accessed 20 February 2012.
Gainsbourg then sang an anti-capital punishment song with Gall, "Qui se souvient de
Caryl Chessman Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 – May 2, 1960) was a convicted robber, kidnapper, serial rapist, and writer who was sentenced to death for a series of crimes committed in January 1948 in the Los Angeles area. Chessman was charged with 17 ...
?" ("Who remembers Caryl Chessman?"), about a prisoner on death row. Stewart Mason wrote about this period: "The psychedelic era found Gall, under Gainsbourg's guidance, singing increasingly strange songs ... set to some of Gainsbourg's most out-there arrangements." Her next record "C'est toi que je veux", again with Whitaker, also failed to make an impact. With this string of recordings in the late 1960s, none of them an unmitigated success, and making the transition from teenage to adult performer, Gall faced some challenges in this period through the early 1970s. Mason wrote,
No longer a teenager, but without a new persona to redefine herself with, (and without the help of Gainsbourg, whose time was taken by his own albums and those of his wife Jane Birkin), Gall floundered both commercially and artistically. A label change from Philips to BASF in 1972 didn't help matters ..."


German-language career

Although struggling in her home country, Gall regularly recorded in Germany from 1966 to 1972, in particular with the composer and orchestrator Werner Müller. She had a successful German career with songs by Horst Buchholz and
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
: "Love, l'amour und Liebe" (1967), "Hippie, hippie" (1968), "Ich liebe dich, so wie du bist" ("I love you the way you are") (1969) and "Mein Herz kann man nicht kaufen" ("My heart is not for sale") (1970). Her other German hits included "Haifischbaby (Bébé requin)", "Die schönste Musik, die es gibt" ("The most beautiful music there is"/"Music to Watch Girls By"), "Was will ein Boy" ("What does a boy want?") (1967), "Ja, ich sing" ("Yes, I sing"), "A Banda (Zwei Apfelsinen im Haar)" ("Two oranges in my hair"), "Der Computer Nr. 3" (1968), "Ein bisschen Goethe, ein bisschen Bonaparte" ("A bit of Goethe, a bit of Bonaparte"), "I like Mozart" (1969), "Dann schon eher der Piano player" ("I prefer the piano player") (1970), "Ali Baba und die 40 Räuber" ("Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves") (1971), "Komm mit mir nach Bahia, Miguel" ("Come with me to Bahia, Miguel") (1972).


Post-Gainsbourg career: New label, new beginnings

Gall had several other releases in France in 1968, none of which aroused any great interest. At the end of 1968, on reaching the age of 21, Gall separated from Denis Bourgeois and spread her wings upon the expiration of her contract with
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
. She moved to the record label La Compagnie in 1969, with whom her father Robert signed a contract,Pierre Pernez, ''France Gall, comme une histoire d'amour'' (chapter "Un Nouveau Contrat"). Publisher: Cité where she made a number of recordings, but did not succeed in finding a coherent style with Norbert Saada as artistic director. She went her own way in 1969 with two adaptations: one Italian and the other British: "L'Orage/La Pioggia)" ("The Storm") which she sang with
Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti (; born Giliola Cinquetti on 20 December 1947) is an Italian singer, songwriter and television presenter. Life and career Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona, Italy. At the age of 16, she debuted at ...
at the 1969
Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
, and "Les Années folles" ("Gentlemen Please"), created by Barbara Ruskin. Ruskin had actually released it as a single herself that year on the
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
label. Gall's version made the
Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created in 1995 on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organiz ...
50 Singles chart in Belgium that year. She also had it released in Spanish as "Los años locos". Her songs "Des gens bien élevés", "La Manille et la révolution", "Zozoï" and "Éléphants" were largely ignored. La Compagnie went bankrupt within three years of its creation, co-founder and singer Hugues Aufray's blaming the failure entirely on Norbert Saada. The early 1970s continued to be a barren period for Gall. Although she was the first artist to be recorded in France for
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
in 1971, her singles "C'est cela l'amour" (1971) and "Chasse neige" (1971), faltered in the charts. In 1972, Gall, for the last time, recorded songs by Gainsbourg, "Frankenstein" and "Les Petits ballons", but these also failed to chart. The results of her collaboration with Jean-Michel Rivat as artistic director, "La Quatrieme chose" (1972), "Par plaisir" and "Plus haut que moi" (1973) all failed to meet with commercial success. From the 1970s, Gall started regularly visiting Senegal. She bought a hideaway there on the island of N'Gor, close to Dakar in 1990.


Collaboration with Michel Berger

Gall was enthralled by
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
's music when she heard his song "Attends-moi" ("Wait for Me") one day in 1973. During a later radio broadcast, she asked him for his opinion on songs which her then producer wanted her to record. Although he was disconcerted by the quality of the songs, there would be no question of collaboration. In 1974, after she sang vocals on the song "Mon fils rira du rock'n'roll" on Berger's new album, Gall's publisher asked him, at her behest, to write for her. Gall had already made her mind up that "It will be him and nobody else". In 1974, "La Déclaration d'amour" was to be the first in a long line of hits which marked a turning point in Gall's career. Meanwhile, the two artists had fallen in love and married on 22 June 1976, the only marriage for both."Michel Berger : l'éternel jeune homme qui marqua à jamais le patrimoine de la chanson française"
, ''Senior Actu'', 16 November 2007
After they married, Gall only sang songs written by Berger until his death in 1992. In 1978, pushed by Berger, she again trod the boards of the
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...
, where she had auditioned 15 years earlier, starring in a show titled ''Made in France''. The most novel aspect of this show was that, except for the Brazilian drag act Les Étoiles, the members of the orchestra, choir and the dance troupe were exclusively female. In this show, France sang "Maria vai com as outras" the original, Brazilian (Portuguese) version of "Plus haut que moi". In 1979, Gall took part in a show which remains memorable for many. Composed by Michel Berger and written by the Québécois author
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon (born March 2, 1942) is a French Canadians, French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. His work includes the musicals Starmania (musical), ''Starmania'' and Notre-Dame de Paris (musical), ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brot ...
, the rock opera '' Starmania'' enjoyed a success not usual for musicals in France. The show played for one month at the Palais des congrès de Paris. In 1982, Gall rehearsed in the Palais des Sports of Paris to present ''Tout pour la musique'', an innovative spectacle marked by its use of electronic music. The songs "Résiste" and "Il jouait du piano debout" ("He played the piano standing") quickly became French pop standards.


1980s and humanitarian projects

In 1985, Gall joined Chanteurs Sans Frontières, on the initiative of Valérie Lagrange. She also worked for S.O.S Éthiopie for the benefit of Ethiopia under the aegis of
Renaud Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (; born 11 May 1952 in Paris), known as Renaud, is a French singer-songwriter. With twenty-six albums to his credit, selling nearly twenty million copies, he is one of France's most popular singers. Several of h ...
. At the same time, she gave a successful series of concerts lasting three weeks at the new venue Le Zénith in Paris, where she performed new songs like "Débranche" ("Loosen-up"), "Hong-Kong Star", and gave solid acoustic performances of "Plus haut", "Diego libre dans sa tête" and "Cézanne peint". In 1985 and 1986, Gall worked with Berger, Richard Berry, Daniel Balavoine and for the benefit of Action Écoles, an organisation of schoolboy volunteers which collects essential food products in France for African countries where famine and drought prevail. On 14 January 1986, during a trip to Africa, Balavoine died in a helicopter crash. In 1987, the song "Évidemment", written by Berger and sung by Gall, was a moving homage to their lost friend. The song appeared on the album ''Babacar''. On the same album, the song "Babacar" was about a child Gall and Berger had thought about adopting from Dakar, Senegal after meeting a mother who had begged Gall to take her child. Instead of adopting the child Berger and Gall decided to help financially by writing a song about the dilemma and donating the proceeds of the song to the child. The costs covered an apartment for the family and paid study costs for both the mother and child. Gall topped the pop charts in many countries in 1987 and 1988 with another song from the ''Babacar'' album, " Ella, elle l'a" ("Ella's got it"), a Berger tribute to
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
. Following the release of ''Babacar'', Gall launched a show produced by Berger. Opening at Le Zénith, the successful production toured throughout Europe, and gave rise to the live album ''Le Tour de France '88''.


1990s and later

Gall took a break from singing in the early 1990s and did not record any more for several years. She did make an album titled ''Double Jeu'' with Berger, released 12 June 1992. Following the release of ''Double Jeu'', Gall and Berger announced a series of concerts in various Parisian venues; this project was nearly cancelled by Berger's death from a heart attack on 2 August 1992. Although Gall was strongly affected by Berger's death, she wanted to complete the project they had planned. She decided to commit to the performances at
Bercy Bercy () is a neighbourhood in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France, the city's 47th administrative neighbourhood. History Some of the oldest vestiges of human occupation in Paris were found on the territory of Bercy, dating from the late N ...
and promoted the songs that she and Berger had created together. She performed at the Bercy in September. All the songs she performed were written by
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
from ''Double Jeu'', and from their discographies. A year later, she performed in a show in the
Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by the acoustician Gustave Lyon together with the architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed i ...
in Paris featuring new musicians. The repertoire featured songs written exclusively by Berger, but Gall included her own versions of songs originally performed by others. In 1996, Gall asked
Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French and Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as ...
to produce the video clip of her song "Plus haut", taken from her album ''France''. Godard initially refused, but later agreed, and directed a dreamy, picturesque video titled "''Plus Oh!''" near his residence in Rolle, Switzerland. It was given its first and only airing (due to copyright issues) on 20 April 1996 on the French television channel M6. After a year in Los Angeles, she released her album ''France'' in 1996. The same year, she headlined at the
Paris Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra ...
. In 1997, she announced her retirement and recorded an unplugged show for French television showcasing songs from her final album.


Personal life

Gall married her collaborator and songwriter
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
on 22 June 1976. They had two children together, Pauline and Raphaël. Her daughter Pauline was diagnosed with
cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner that impairs the normal clearance of Sputum, mucus from the lungs, which facilitates the colonization and infection of the lungs by bacteria, notably ''Staphy ...
soon after she was born. She and Berger focused their hopes on the progress of medical research and to keep details of Pauline's condition a secret from the public. She entered into a pact with her husband to alternate their professional projects to take care of their daughter in the hope that a cure would be found. Michel Berger died of a heart attack in 1992 at age 44. In April 1993, Gall was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was successfully treated. Pauline died in December 1997. Following the death of her daughter, Gall made only occasional public appearances. She was a patron of the French charity Cœurs de Femmes and a regular poker player until her death.


Film career

After a TV film directed by
Jean-Christophe Averty Jean-Christophe Averty (; 6 August 1928 – 4 March 2017) was a French television and radio director, and Satrap of the College of 'Pataphysique. Many of his television productions from the 1960s were early examples of French video art. His stud ...
and dedicated to the songs of Gall was distributed in the United States in 1965, Gall was sought by
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
to appear as Alice in a musical film version of ''
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
'', after having already made ''
Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...
'' into a cartoon in 1951. Although Gall had insisted she did not want to become involved in film work, this was the only project which appealed to her. The project was cancelled after Disney's death in 1966. In 1966, Gall appeared in the television film ''Viva Morandi'', made in the same psychoanalytical mould as the (1965)
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...
film '' Giulietta degli Spiriti'' (''Juliet of the Spirits''). She played La Grâce alongside Christine Lebail, who played La Pureté, both singing "Les Sucettes" in a segment which was prominently labelled "Fantasy" in a clear reference to the song's sexual undertones. In 1993, she considered appearing on screen for a cinematographic collaboration with her best friend, screenwriter Telsche Boorman. This planned project was never completed due to Boorman's death in 1996. In January 2010, Gall was portrayed by Sara Forestier in a feature film released in France, ''Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque)'', based on the graphic novel by writer-director Joann Sfar.


Death and legacy

As a farewell to her career, ''France Gall par France Gall'', a documentary movie was shot in 2001, and millions watched the documentary when it was broadcast on French television that year. She staged and appeared in the 2007 France 2 documentary ''Tous pour la musique'', marking the 15th anniversary of Michel Berger's death. A long-term breast cancer survivor, Gall died, aged 70, of an infection after a two-year battle with a cancer of undisclosed primary origin, at the
American Hospital of Paris The American Hospital of Paris (''Hôpital américain de Paris''), founded in 1906, is a private, not-for-profit, community hospital certified under the French healthcare system. Located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, in the western suburbs of Paris, Fra ...
in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 7 January 2018. She was buried with her husband and daughter on 20 Avenue Rachel (division 29) at
Montmartre Cemetery The Cemetery of Montmartre () is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise Cemet ...
in Paris. On 9 October 2023, Google celebrated what would have been her 76th birthday, five and a half years after her death, with a
Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...
.


Discography


Albums

* '' N'écoute pas les idoles'' (March 1964) * ''France Gall'' (''Mes premières vraies vacances'') (August 1964) * '' Sacré Charlemagne'' (December 1964) * '' Poupée de cire, poupée de son'' (April 1965) * '' Baby pop'' (October 1966) * '' Les Sucettes'' (November 1966) * ''
1968 Events January–February * January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously. * January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
'' (January 1968) * ''
France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, tenth edition of the Eurov ...
'' (1973) * ''Cinq minutes d'amour'' (1976) * ''
France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 1965, tenth edition of the Eurov ...
'' (6 January 1976) * ''
Dancing Disco ''Dancing disco'' is the eleventh studio album by French singer France Gall, released in April 1977. It was conceived as a concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do ind ...
'' (27 April 1977) * '' France Gall Live'' (live album, 9 November 1978) * '' Starmania'' (various artists) (16 October 1978) * ''
Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
'' (19 May 1980) * '' Tout pour la musique'' (10 December 1981) * '' Palais des Sports'' (live album, 4 November 1982) * '' Débranche!'' (2 April 1984) * '' France Gall au Zénith'' (live album, 4 February 1985) * '' Babacar'' (19 February 1987) * '' Le Tour de France 88'' (live album, 7 November 1988) * ''
Double jeu Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
'' (with
Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...
, 12 June 1992) * '' Simple je – Débranchée à Bercy'' (live album, 29 October 1993) * '' Simple je – Rebranchée à Bercy'' (live album, 28 January 1994) * '' Pleyel'' (live album, concert recorded in 1994, published in December 2005) * ''
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
'' (29 March 1996) * ''Concert public Olympia / Concert acoustique M6'' (live album, ''Concert public'' recorded at Olympia in 1996 and ''Concert acoustique'' recorded as a ''Concert privé'' special in 1997, released 24 April 1997) * '' Best of France Gall'' (compilation, 15 June 2004) * ''Évidemment'' (compilation, 7 October 2004)


Singles

* 9 October 1963 — "Ne sois pas si bête", adaptation by
Pierre Delanoë Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), known professionally as Pierre Delanoë (), was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including Dalida, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavou ...
of "Stand a little closer", original words and music by Jack Wolf and Maurice "Bugs" Bower * 1964 — "N'écoute pas les idoles", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1964 — "Jazz à gogo", words by Robert Gall music by Alain Goraguer * 1964 — " Laisse tomber les filles", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1964 — " Sacré Charlemagne", words by Robert Gall and music by Georges Liferman * 1965 — " Poupée de cire, poupée de son", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1965 — "Attends ou va-t'en", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1965 — "Nous ne sommes pas des anges", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1965 — "Baby pop", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1966 — " Les Sucettes", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1967 — "Néfertiti", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1967 — "Bébé requin", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by
Joe Dassin Joseph Ira Dassin (; November 5, 1938 – August 20, 1980) was an American–French singer-songwriter. In his career spanning sixteen years (1964–1980), he enjoyed numerous successes in France and the French-speaking world, as well as singing ...
* 1967 — "Toi que je veux", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe Dassin * 1968 — "Le Temps du tempo", words by Robert Gall and music by Alain Goraguer * 1968 — "Y'a du soleil à vendre", words by Robert Gall and music by
Hubert Giraud Hubert Yves Adrian Giraud (3 March 1920 – 16 January 2016) was a French composer and lyricist. Career Giraud began his career playing the harmonica with Django Reinhardt's jazz group, the Quintette du Hot Club de France. In 1941, he was recr ...
* 1968 — "24 / 36", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Joe Dassin * 1969 — "Homme tout petit", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre * 1969 — "Les Années folles", adaptation by Boris Bergman of the British song " Gentlemen Please", original words and music by Barbara Ruskin * 1969 — "Baci, baci, baci", adaptation by
Eddy Marnay Edmond Bacri (18 December 1920 – 3 January 2003), known professionally as Eddy Marnay, was a French songwriter. In his career, he wrote more than 4000 songs, including works for Édith Piaf, Frida Boccara and Céline Dion. He was joint win ...
from Italian lyrics by Sergio Bardotti and Claudio Tallino and music by Franco and Giorgio Bracardi * 1970 — "Zozoï", words by Robert Gall and music by Nelson Angelo * 1970 — "Les Éléphants", words by Jean Schmitt and music by
Jean Géral Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...
* 1971 — "C'est cela l'amour", words by
Jacques Lanzmann Jacques Lanzmann (4 May 1927 – 21 June 2006) was a French journalist, writer and lyricist. He is best known as a novelist and for his songwriting partnership with Jacques Dutronc. Early life Lanzmann spent the early part of his life in Auv ...
and music by Paul-Jean Borowsky * 1971 — "Chasse neige", words by Étienne Roda-Gil and music by Julien Clerc * 1972 — "Frankenstein", words and music by Gainsbourg * 1972 — "5 minutes d'amour", words by Jean-Michel Rivat and Frank Thomas, music by Roland Vincent * 1973 — "Plus haut que moi", adaptation by Yves Dessca and Jean-Michel Rivat of "Maria vai com as outras" by Toquinho and
Vinicius de Moraes Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed "O Poetinha" ("The Little Poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwrig ...
* 1973 — "Par Plaisir", words by Yves Dessca and Jean-Michel Rivat, music by Roland Vincent * May 1974 — "La Déclaration d'amour", words and music by Michel Hamburger (Michel Berger) * October 1974 — "Mais, aime la", words and music by Berger * 1975 — "Comment lui dire", words and music by Berger * April 1976 — "Ce soir je ne dors pas" * June 1976 — " Ça balance pas mal à Paris" (duet with Michel Berger), words and music by Berger * May 1977 — "Musique", words and music by Berger * October 1977 — "Si, maman si" * January 1978 — "Le meilleur de soi-même" * March 1978 — "Viens je t'emmène", words and music by Berger * January 1979 — "Besoin d'amour", words by
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon (born March 2, 1942) is a French Canadians, French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. His work includes the musicals Starmania (musical), ''Starmania'' and Notre-Dame de Paris (musical), ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brot ...
and music by Berger * June 1980 — "Il jouait du piano debout", words and music by Berger * October 1980 — "Bébé, comme la vie", words and music by Berger * October 1980 — "Donner pour donner" (duet with
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
), words by Michel Berger and
Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin co-wrote th ...
, music by Michel Berger — Archives INA : Reportage Antenne 2, 1981 * 1981 — "Tout pour la musique", words and music by Berger * 1981 — "Résiste", words and music by Berger * May 1981 — "Amor También", words and music by Berger * 6 April 1984 — "Débranche", words and music by Berger * 17 September 1984 — "Hong Kong Star", words and music by Berger — Archives INA : Extrait de "Hong Kong Star", Antenne 2, 1984 FR No. 6 * 4 February 1984 — "Calypso", words and music by Berger * 20 May 1984 — "Cézanne peint", words and music by Berger * 3 April 1987 — " Babacar", words and music by Berger FR No. 11 GER No. 14 * 24 August 1987 — " Ella, elle l'a", words and music by Berger FR No. 2 GER No. 1 NL No. 38 * 7 March 1988 — " Évidemment", words and music by Berger * 12 September 1988 — "Papillon de nuit", words and music by Berger * 20 March 1989 — "La chanson d'Azima" * 29 May 1992 — "Laissez passez les rêves", words and music by Berger, duet with Michel Berger * 12 October 1992 — "Superficiel et léger" * 15 January 1993 — "Les élans du coeur" * 6 May 1993 — "Mademoiselle Chang" (live) * 5 November 1993 — "Si, maman si" (live) * December 1993 — "Il jouait du piano debout" (live) * 2 February 1994 — "La négresse blonde" (live) * 15 March 1994 — "Paradis Blanc" (live) * 14 November 1994 — "Les princes des villes" * 15 March 1996 — "Plus haut" * 5 November 1996 — "Privée d'amour" * 25 October 1996 — " Message personnel" * 14 February 1997 — "Résiste" (remix) * 15 May 1997 — "Attends ou va-t'en" (live) * 2004 — "Zozoï" — Reissue of 1970 single * 20 August 2004 — "La seule chose qui compte" * 24 October 2024 — “La prisonnière” (recorded in 1974)


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Clips from INA archives

Official website managed by WEA Music
(offline)
France Gall biography on RFI
(offline)

(offline)
French forum of France Gall & Michel Berger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gall, France 1947 births 2018 deaths 20th-century French women singers Burials at Montmartre Cemetery Deaths from cancer in France Eurovision Song Contest winners French child singers French poker players French women pop singers German-language singers of France Knights of the Legion of Honour Philips Records artists Singers from Paris Yé-yé singers