Theophanis Lamboukas (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
: Θεοφάνης Λαμπουκάς; 26 January 1936 – 28 August 1970), professionally known as Théo Sarapo (), was a French singer and actor.
Biography
Sarapo was born in Paris to
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
parents. He scored a hit with Piaf in 1962 with the song "À quoi ça sert l'amour?" (What Good Is Love?) and solo hits with "La maison qui ne chante plus" (The House Which No Longer Sings), and "Ce jour viendra" (That Day Will Come); its English-language version, "
Our Day Will Come
"Our Day Will Come" is a popular song composed by Mort Garson with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was recorded by American R&B group Ruby & the Romantics in early December 1962, reaching #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Ruby & the Romantics' ori ...
", was covered by
Ruby & the Romantics and others.
When he began singing with Piaf, Sarapo's voice was rather nasal, but over the next few years his tone mellowed. His other hits included "La Ronde" (The Round) and "Nous n'étions pas pareils" (We Weren't Alike).
As an actor, Sarapo's best- known film was ''
Judex
Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...
'', directed by
Georges Franju
Georges Franju (; 12 April 1912 – 5 November 1987) was a French filmmaker. He was born in Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine.
Biography Early life
Before working in French cinema, Franju held several different jobs. These included working for an ins ...
, which was being filmed at the time of Piaf's death.
Upon Piaf's death, French law transferred her seven million francs' worth of debts directly to Sarapo. This led to his eviction on Christmas Day 1963 from the apartment they shared on Boulevard Lannes.
Sarapo, who was 34 at the time, died in a hospital in
Limoges
Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...
, France, after an automobile accident on 28 August 1970 in the nearby town of
Panazol
Panazol (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in west-central France. It is an eastern suburb of Limoges.
Panazol is the third largest town in the department (by population), after Limoges and Saint-J ...
on road RN 141. He is buried with Piaf and her daughter Marcelle (the child Piaf had with Louis Dupont, her onetime lover), in
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world.
Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...
in Paris. The inscription on their tomb translates as "Love Conquers All". Édith's father,
Louis Alphonse Gassion, is also buried there. His name is engraved on the right side of the tombstone along with Édith's and Théo's. Daughter Marcelle's name appears on the opposite side. Etched at the foot of the tomb are the words "Famille (Family) Gassion-Piaf."
Personal life
Sarapo was the last in a long line of Piaf discoveries (including
Yves Montand
Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.
Early life
Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...
,
Les Compagnons de la chanson
Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French harmony vocal group, formed in 1946 from an earlier group founded in Lyon, France in 1941. Their best known song was " Les trois cloches" recorded with Edith Piaf in 1946. Consisting of eight or nine mem ...
,
Georges Moustaki
Georges Moustaki (born Giuseppe Mustacchi; 3 May 1934 – 23 May 2013) was an Egyptian- French singer-songwriter of Greek-Jewish origin. He wrote about 300 songs for some of the most popular singers in France, including Édith Piaf, Dalida, Fran ...
,
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 ...
, etc.). Sarapo often recorded and performed in concert with Piaf during their marriage.
He was the second (and final) husband of
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 ...
. Formerly a hairdresser, he was 26 years old when he married the 46-year-old Piaf. He was introduced to her by Claude Figus, Piaf's secretary.
His stage name "Sarapo", as pronounced in French, is
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
for "I love you" (Σ'αγαπώ, ''s'agapo'') and was chosen by Piaf herself.
External links
*
A biography by Theo's younger sister, Christie Laume
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamboukas, Theophanis
1936 births
1970 deaths
Road incident deaths in France
Modern Greek-language singers
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
French people of Greek descent
20th-century French male singers
French male actors