“Poupée de cire, poupée de son”. Do you recognize the song? Here lies France Gall with Michel Berger. Their story is a Parisian melody of love and music.
France Gall was born Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall in Paris in 1947. Music ran in her veins. Her father Robert Gall wrote songs for Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. Her mother Cécile Berthier was also a singer.
In 1963, Robert Gall encouraged France to record songs. She signed with Philips after an audition. Serge Gainsbourg became her artistic director.
Her first single “Ne sois pas si bête” was released on her 16th birthday. It sold 200000 copies becoming a hit. Gainsbourg wrote “N’écoute pas les idoles” which topped the French charts in 1964.
France Gall represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. She sang Gainsbourg’s “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”. Despite a shaky live performance it won the Grand Prix. The song launched her international career.
In 1966, she released “Les Sucettes” also written by Gainsbourg. The song had double meaning about oral sex. France Gall claimed she was unaware of this implication. This humiliation led her to avoid public appearances. She vowed never to work with Gainsbourg again.
From 1966 to 1972 France Gall regularly recorded in Germany. She had a successful German career with songs by Horst Buchholz and Giorgio Moroder.
France Gall was enthralled by Michel Berger’s music in 1973. They began working together. In 1974, “La Déclaration d’amour” marked a turning point in her career.
France Gall and Michel Berger fell in love. They married in 1976. After their marriage, she only sang songs written by Berger.
In 1978, France Gall starred in “Made in France” at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. In 1979, she took part in the rock opera Starmania composed by Michel Berger.
In 1985, France Gall joined Chanteurs Sans Frontières. She also worked for S.O.S Éthiopie. In 1987, she released the album Babacar. The song “Évidemment” was a homage to their lost friend Daniel Balavoine.
“Ella, elle l’a” a Berger tribute to Ella Fitzgerald topped charts in 1987. France Gall took a break from singing in the early 1990s. She released “Double Jeu” with Berger in 1992.
Michel Berger died of a heart attack in 1992. France Gall was deeply affected but continued their planned performances.
France Gall died of cancer in 2018. She was buried here with her husband and daughter. Their music remains a testament to their enduring love. France Gall and Michel Berger’s Parisian melody lives on.