Juliette Gréco

The well-known French chanteuse and actress Juliette Gréco was born in Montpellier on February 7th, 1927. As a teenager during World War Two, she was arrested by the Gestapo after becoming involved with the Résistance. Fortunately she escaped the fate suffered at the hands of the Gestapo by many other French citizens and, after a period of imprisonment lasting several months, she was released from her incarceration in Fresnes prison and returned home. After the war she immersed herself in the bohemian culture which had become popular in France amongst intellectuals. The lifestyle was a reaction to the austerity and hardship the singer had endured during the war. Gréco frequented St. Germain cafe society, associating with figures like Jean-Paul Sartre and Jean Cocteau; during this period she began a relationship with the American jazz musician Miles Davis. Gréco forged a successful career both as a singer and as an actress and remains one of France's most popular icons. She had an acclaimed voice, perfectly suited to the French chanson style but had always been modest and even surprised by the extent of her success. Following a history of heart problems, she passed away in her Ramatuelle home on September 23rd, 2020, aged 93. She leaves behind a legacy of almost thirty studio albums and twenty hit singles in her native France including "Jolie Môme", “Sous le ciel de Paris” and "Déshabillez-moi".