Juliette Greco

Juliette Gréco was a French singer and actress who became an icon of the post-war Parisian culture. She was known for her distinctive voice, her elegant style, and her interpretation of songs by various poets and writers. She was also a muse of the existentialist movement, associated with Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Jacques Prévert, and Boris Vian. Gréco was born in Montpellier in 1927 to a Corsican father and a mother who became active in the Resistance during World War II. She and her sister were arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 and imprisoned in Fresnes. Her mother and sister were deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp, but survived and returned after the liberation. Gréco moved to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1945 and began her artistic career as an actress and a singer. She made her debut in the play Victor ou les Enfants au pouvoir in 1946 and hosted a radio show dedicated to poetry. She started singing in cellar clubs and cafes, where she met many of the writers and artists of the Left Bank. She sang songs with lyrics by Prévert, Vian, Queneau, Sartre, and others, set to music by Joseph Kosma, Henri Crolla, or herself. She became famous for her songs "Si tu t'imagines", "Les Feuilles mortes", "L'Éternel féminin", and "Je suis comme je suis". She also had a romantic relationship with the American jazz musician Miles Davis in the late 1940s. In the 1950s, Gréco pursued a film career in France and abroad, working with directors such as Jean Cocteau, Jean-Pierre Melville, Orson Welles, and Otto Preminger. She starred in movies such as Orphée (1950), The Sun Also Rises (1957), Bonjour Tristesse (1958), and Crack in the Mirror (1960). She also continued to sing and record albums, collaborating with Charles Aznavour, Léo Ferré, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, and Georges Brassens. She had a hit with "Paris Canaille" in 1962. In the 1960s and 1970s, Gréco adapted to the changing musical trends and sang songs by new composers such as Guy Béart, Julien Clerc, Michel Berger, and Gérard Jouannest, who became her third husband in 1988. She also appeared in several TV shows and movies, such as Belphégor (1965), The Night of the Generals (1967), and The Medusa Touch (1978). She sang "Déshabillez-moi" in 1967, a provocative song that became one of her signature tunes. In the 1980s and 1990s, Gréco continued to perform on stage and record albums, mixing old and new songs. She also published several books of memoirs and interviews. She received many honors and awards for her artistic achievements, such as the Grand Prix de la chanson française (1984), the Grand Prix du disque de l'Académie Charles Cros (1986), the Legion of Honor (1984; 2012), and the Victoire de la musique for lifetime achievement (2009). In 2015, Gréco announced her farewell tour titled "Merci", which was cut short by a stroke that left her unable to sing. She died on 23 September 2020 at her home in Ramatuelle at the age of 93. She was buried at the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. She is survived by her adopted daughter Julie-Amour Rossini, her granddaughter, and her great-grandson.