Patachou

A symbol of the Parisian gouaille where she was born, and of the sweet perfume of post-war Montmartre, Patachou (born Henriette Ragon in 1918) is the link between Aristide Bruant, George Brassens and Left Bank chanson. A hostess in the cabaret she ran with her husband Jean Billon, the Patachou at the foot of the Butte Montmartre, the revue leader became a singer at the Paris Olympia and represented the capital around the world. After launching the careers of Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour, Hugues Aufray, Georges Brassens and Michel Sardou, "Lady Patachou" scored a hit with songs like "Bal chez Temporel", "On n'est pas là pour se faire engueuler", "La Complainte de la Butte", "Gamin de Paris" and "Le Tapin tranquille". Patachou stopped her singing career at the end of the 1970s to devote herself to the Eiffel Tower restaurant, which she managed, and, from 1979, to film, theater and television. She died on April 30, 2015 at the age of 96, six years after receiving the insignia of Officier de la Légion d'honneur.

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