Bénédicte Grimault (8 April 1966 – 11 August 2020), who performed as Belle du Berry, was a French singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the lead singer of the band

Paris Combo Paris Combo is a musical group based in Paris, France, fronted until her death in 2020 by singer Belle du Berry. The group has an eclectic style, blending elements from the traditional French chanson and pop, American jazz and swing, Roma mus ...

Biography

She was born in

Berry-Bouy Berry-Bouy () is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Geography An area of forestry and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the Yèvre river valley, some northwest of Bourges a ...

, near

Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, t ...

, in France. After studying cinematography in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and becoming attracted to the

punk movement The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature, and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedom ...

, she joined the band Pervers Polymorphes Inorganisés (PPI) and took the stage name Belle du Berry. At the end of the 1980s, the group sang alongside Les Endimanchés at Berry Zèbre, a cinema in Belleville. In 1992, as part of the musical revue Les Champêtres de Joie, she collaborated with

Philippe Decouflé Philippe Decouflé (born October 22, 1961) is a French people, French choreographer, dancer, mime artist, and theatre director.

to choreograph the ballets for the closing of the

1992 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 64 , athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women) , events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines) , opening = 8 February 1992 , closing = 23 February 1992 , opened_by = President François Mitterrand , cauldron ...

. Du Berry took part in the ''Cabaret Sauvage'' from 1994 to 1995 and began her partnership with Australian musician David Lewis, performing with him at the ''Erotica'' and the ''Opus café'', as well as numerous other venues across Paris. From these performances emerged

, which would become highly successful. Their second album, ''Living-Room'', went

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

, and toured for ten years. Lewis and du Berry worked alongside

Roger Planchon Roger Planchon (born 12 September 1931 in Saint-Chamond, Loire, died on 12 May 2009 in Paris), was a French playwright, Film director, director, and filmmaker. Biography Roger Planchon spent his childhood in the Ardèche, notably in Dornas. He fo ...

and

Laurent Pelly Laurent Pelly (born 14 January 1962 in Paris) is a French opera and theatre director. He enjoys a career as one of France's most sought after directors of both theatre and opera, working regularly in the world's most prestigious houses. Biograp ...

in various musical, theatrical, and cinematic performances. Du Berry also wrote for

Lokua Kanza Lokua Kanza (born April 1958) is a singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is known for his soulful, folksy sound. Biography Lokua Kanza was born Pascal Lokua Kanza in Bukavu in the province of Sud-Kivu, in the eastern p ...

and La Trabant. In 2009, du Berry wrote a collection of new songs with Lewis as the trumpeter and pianist. The pair would eventually step back from touring and play their unreleased songs to a minimalistic level. Denis Hénault-Parizel would become their bass guitarist and Rémy Kaprielan would become their drummer. Belle du Berry died of cancer in

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Le Kremlin-Bicêtre () is a Communes of France, commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is from the Kilometre Zero, center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. Le Kremlin-Bicêtre is most famou ...

on 11 August 2020.

Discography

*''Quizz'' (2009)

Filmography

*''

Lautrec Lautrec (; oc, Lautrèc) is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France. Demography Remarkable sites Lautrec is listed among "The Most Beautiful Villages of France" as well as a "Remarkable Site for Taste" thanks to its renowned ...

'' (1998) *''Raoul et Jocelyne'' (2000)

Television

*''Vivement dimanche'' (2002)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Belle du Berry 1966 births 2020 deaths French women singer-songwriters French singer-songwriters 20th-century French women singers 21st-century French women singers Musicians from Bourges Deaths from cancer in France Actors from Bourges