France Gall | Artist
Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall aka France Gall was a French pop singer born 1947 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The epitome of the French yé-yé movement, France Gall was an ambitious young woman with a face almost as striking as her voice. Encouraged by her father Robert Gall, a songwriter best known for writing the lyrics to Charles Aznavour's "La mamma", France Gall started recording songs at the age of sixteen. To distinguish herself from the established singer Isabelle Aubret, her artistic director suggested she adopt the stage name France Gall. Inspiration for this name was taken from a recent rugby match between France and Wales (French: France–Galles). After the release of her first single "Ne sois pas si bête" in 1963, Gall had a string of successful Yé-yé and lolita-pop singles that were mostly written by her father ("Sacré Charlemagne") or Serge Gainsbourg ("Laisse tomber les filles"). In 1965, at the age of 17, she won the tenth edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", representing Luxembourg. She soon began performing live, making her debut as the opening act for Sacha Distel. Through her work with songwriters including Gainsbourg, Alain Goraguer, and Jacques Datin, she developed a diverse repertoire navigating between jazz, children's songs and other genres. Her collaboration with Gainsbourg continued to yield popular singles, including the risqué "Les sucettes" (lollipops) which alluded to oral sex. Under Gainsbourg's guidance, Gall subsequently entered an era of psychedelic music, resulting in the studio album 1968. The album featured a song about a deadly LSD trip, titled "Teenie Weenie Boppie", and the single "Bébé requin". Over her career Gall recorded 15 studio albums plus numerous EP's and over 100 Singles, many of which were hits. Outstanding albums include France Gall (1965), Baby Pop (1966), 1968 (1968), and Babacar (1987). Also recommended is the comprehensive CD box-set France Gall: Intégrale Philips - 1963-1968 (2001). Gall's daughter Pauline, who had cystic fibrosis from birth died in 1997, aged nineteen. Following the death of her daughter, Gall only made occasional public appearances. She was a patron of the French charity Cœurs de Femmes and a regular poker player until her death. She died on January 7th 2018, aged 70, after a two-year battle with a cancer. She was buried with her husband and daughter at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.
Artist Website: wikipedia/France_Gall
Featured Albums: France Gall
Related Artists: Michel Berger, Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Goraguer
