Pia Colombo (6 July 1934, in

Homblières Homblières () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History According to Abbot Berner (''Bernerus Humolariensis Abbas'') who wrote the Vita of Hunegund (''Vita Sanctae Hunegundis Virginis Humolariensis'') ...

, Aisne, France – 16 April 1986) was a French singer of Franco-Italian origin, been born Eliane Marie Amélie Pia Colombo who acted in radio, cinema and television between 1956 and 1981.Cf. Archives du nouvel Observateur: ''Chanson: Piaf et colombe'' – Article de Michèle Manceaux (en 1 pleine page) paru dans Le Nouvel Obs 109 du 14 décembre 1966. Her father was from

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

and her mother came from the

Nord Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to: Acronyms * National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization * New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US Film and televisi ...

. She was compared to

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; 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. Pia ...

and was believed to be her successor when Piaf died in 1963 but Colombo was too intellectual for the taste of the general public.

Path

Politically committed, Colombo was a big interpreter of the work of her husband, the composer Maurice Fanon, and of

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

Georges Brassens Georges Charles Brassens (; 22 October 1921 – 29 October 1981) was a French singer-songwriter and poet. As an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his elegant songs with their harmonically complex music for voice and guitar and a ...

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was an Austrian composer (his father was Austrian, and Eisler fought in a Hungarian regiment in World War I). He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artisti ...

and others. In the 1960s she acted in

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 ...

's productions of

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's works. She acted in the Popular National Theatre,

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 ...

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Olympia of Paris, Bobino,

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and popularised the songs of

Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death. He released s ...

. Colombo died of cancer when 51 years old and her body was buried in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures ...

in Paris.

Integral recordings

* Pia Colombo – À Casa d'Irène (1964–1965) * Pia Colombo – Florilège (1959–1971) * Pia Colombo – Le bal de quartier (1959–1962) * Pia Colombo – Le Mauvais Larron (1957–1964) * Pia Colombo – Tique Taque (1959–1960) * Pia Colombo – Le métèque (1967–1969) * Pia Colombo – Adagio Nocturne (1971) * Pia Colombo – Chante

(1969)

Prizes

* ''Coq d'Or of the chanson française 1959'': Them flonflons du bal. * Prix of l'Académie Charles-Cros of the Chanson (1969)

Cinema

* 1969:

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Oli ...

– Film by

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

. - Estaminet Singer * 1969: '' Une si simple histoire'' – Film by

Abdellatif Ben Ammar Abdellatif Ben Ammar ( ar, عبد اللطيف بن عمار; 25 April 1943 – 6 February 2023) was a Tunisian film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Tunis on 25 April 1943, Ben Ammar studied mathematics at the . He then turned to ...

* 1974: ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

Cf
fiche ''Parade'' (1974) Jacques Tati
(consultation du 11 mars 2010).'' – Film by

Jacques Tati Jacques Tati (; born Jacques Tatischeff, ; 9 October 1907 – 5 November 1982) was a French mime, film-maker, actor and screenwriter. In an ''Entertainment Weekly'' poll of the Greatest Movie Directors, he was voted the 46th greatest of all time ...

- Circus performer (Last appearance)

Publications

* Revue Lectures D'Aujourd'hui N°411 1960: Pia Colombo. * L'Humanité: "To l'Olympia, l'embarras du choix avec GB, Pia Colombo" – * Him Nouvel Observateur: Chanson: Piaf et Colombe * L'Aurore: "Pia Colombo s'oppose à

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

" – 1979 * The genèse et l'enregistrement du titre "The

Rue des Rosiers The Rue des Rosiers, which means "street of the rosebushes," is a street in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. It begins at Rue Malher and proceeds northwest across Rue Pavée, Rue Ferdinand Duval, Rue des Écouffes, and Rue des Hospita ...

" 1967 * "Him Nightclub rive gauche" – Livre écrit pair Gilles Schlesser (Éditions l'Archipel) 682 pages – Cahier photo 16 pages. * L'Humanité: "Pour maurice Fanon" 1991 * "Mémoires d'A Nightclub: L'Écluse" of Marc Chevalier – Éditions La Découverte (1987)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colombo, Pia 20th-century French actresses Cabaret singers 1986 deaths 1934 births Deaths from cancer in France French film actresses French voice actresses French television actresses Radio actresses French people of Lombard descent French people of Italian descent 20th-century French women singers