The only daughter of her family, Gall had two older brothers, twins Patrice and Philippe.[3] She attendedLycée Paul Valéry, but abandoned her studies when she was required torepeat a grade after failing the previous year.[3]
Encouraged by her father, Gall launched her musical career in 1963, signing withPhilips Records after an audition at theThéâtre des Champs-Élysées.[1][4] To distinguish herself from the established singerIsabelle Aubret, her artistic directorDenis Bourgeois [fr] suggested she adopt the stage name France Gall.[2][3] Inspiration for this name was taken from a recent rugby match between France and Wales (French:France–Galles).[2]
On her sixteenth birthday, her debut single "Ne sois pas si bête", an adaptation of "Stand a Little Closer" by the Laurie Sisters, premiered on French radio and quickly became a success.[1] Bourgeois then askedSerge Gainsbourg – already established as a songwriter for artists such asMichèle Arnaud andJuliette Gréco – to write for Gall. His composition "N'écoute pas les idoles" was released as her second single and reached the top of the charts in March 1964.[1]
Gall as a guest on the Dutch television showJohnny & Rijk in 1965
She soon began performing live, making her debut as the opening act forSacha Distel in Belgium.[3] Through her work with songwriters including Gainsbourg,Alain Goraguer, andJacques Datin, she developed a diverse repertoire navigating betweenjazz,children's songs and other genres.[1] Her collaboration with Gainsbourg continued to yield popular singles, including the 1964 hit "Laisse tomber les filles".
Her performance faced further criticism, with several critics noting that it was "far from perfect" and out-of-tune.[8][9] Despite this, she won the contest with a total of 32 points, receiving the top score from the Austrian, Dutch, Finnish and German juries. Her victory in the Eurovision Song Contest boosted Gall's recognition abroad, and she went on to release German, Italian and Japanese versions of her winning song.
In 1966, Gall released another successful song written by Gainsbourg titled "Les sucettes". Although the song was ostensibly about a young girl who likes aniseed-flavoured lollipops, plays-on-words in the lyrics implied another meaning, alluding to oral sex.[1] Gall was 18 at the time the song was released, and she maintained that she was unaware of the song'sdouble entendres.[1][10] She later stated that this had led her to feel humiliated and betrayed by the adults around her.[11]
Gainsbourg and Gall in 1965
Under Gainsbourg's guidance, Gall subsequently entered an era ofpsychedelic music, resulting in the studio album1968. The album featured a song about a deadlyLSD trip, titled "Teenie Weenie Boppie", and the single "Bébé requin".[1] At the same time, Gall pursued a career in German-language music, releasing songs produced byWerner Müller, such as "Zwei Apfelsinen im Haar" and "Der Computer Nr. 3".
Upon the expiration of her contract with Philips at the end of 1968, Gall separated from Denis Bourgeois and spread her wings. She switched to the record label La Compagnie in 1969, where she recorded several tracks, but did not succeed in finding a coherent style withNorbert Saada [fr] as her artistic director.[12]
She achieved some success with "L'Orage", the French version of "La pioggia", which she performed alongsideGigliola Cinquetti at the1969 edition of theSanremo Music Festival. She also entered the Belgian charts with the song "Les Années folles", an adaptation of "Gentlemen Please" byBarbara Ruskin.[13]
Her 1970 singles, including "Zozoï" and "Les Éléphants", were largely ignored, and La Compagnie went bankrupt within three years of its creation.[12] The early 1970s continued to be a barren period for Gall. Although she was the first artist in France to record forAtlantic Records in 1971, her singles "C'est cela l'amour" and "Chasse neige" faltered in the charts. 1972 marked the last time Gall recorded songs by Gainsbourg – "Frankenstein" and "Les Petits ballons" – which both failed to chart. A brief collaboration withJean-Michel Rivat [fr] as her artistic director also remained unsuccessful.
In 1973, Gall came into contact with Michel Berger, having been struck by his song "Attends-moi".[4] The following year she featured on his track "Mon fils rira du rock'n'roll". At her publisher's request, Berger then began writing for Gall, producing the single "La Déclaration d'amour" in 1974. Their professional collaboration evolved into a romantic relationship, and they married on 22 June 1976.
In 1976, she released the self-titled albumFrance Gall, followed byDancing Disco in 1977 containing the hit song "Si maman si". In 1979, she played the role of Cristal in the rock operaStarmania, produced by Berger and Québecois lyricistLuc Plamondon. The show played for one month at thePalais des congrès de Paris. Gall's performances of "Monopolis", "Besoin d'amour", and her duet withDaniel Balavoine, "Quand on n'a plus rien à perdre", were widely acclaimed.
In 1980, Gall had her first number one hit in France since "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" with the song "Il jouait du piano debout". The song became the opening track of the albumParis, France. The following year, she collaborated with British singerElton John on the songs "Les Aveux" and "Donner pour donner".
Paris, France was followed by the albumsTout pour la musique in 1981, featuring the song "Résiste", andDébranche! in 1984. In 1985, Gall joinedChanteurs Sans Frontières, on the initiative ofValérie Lagrange.[1] With Berger and Balavoine, she was also involved in the humanitarian action groupAction Écoles [fr].[4] On 14 January 1986, during a trip to Africa, Balavoine died in a helicopter crash. The 1987 song "Évidemment", written by Berger and sung by Gall, is a homage to their lost friend, and appeared on the albumBabacar.[1]
On the same album, the title track "Babacar" recounts Gall and Berger's encounter with a mother inDakar, Senegal, who asked Gall to adopt her child. They chose to provide financial aid instead, using the song's proceeds to secure housing and education for the family.[4] Another track from the album, "Ella, elle l'a" – a tribute toElla Fitzgerald – topped the pop charts in several countries in 1987 and 1988.[1]
In the early 1990s, Gall and Berger produced a joint album titledDouble jeu, which they released on 12 June 1992.[14] Following its release, they announced a series of concerts at several Parisian venues. However, Berger unexpectedly died of a heart attack on 2 August 1992. Although Gall was strongly affected by Berger's death, she wanted to complete the project as they had planned. She decided to commit to the performances atBercy Arena and promoted the songs that she and Berger had recorded together.
After residing inLos Angeles for some time, Gall released her sixteenth and final solo albumFrance in 1996. The same year, she headlined at the concert venueOlympia.[citation needed] In 1997, she announced her retirement from the music industry.
In retirement, Gall limited herself to occasional public appearances. As a farewell to her musical career, the documentaryFrance Gall par France Gall was shot and broadcast in 2001. She achieved renewed commercial success in 2004 with the compilation albumÉvidemment, which charted in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. In 2007, she participated in theFrance 2 documentaryTous pour la musique, marking the fifteenth anniversary of Michel Berger's death.[citation needed]
In 2015, she launched thejukebox musicalRésiste [fr], which she wrote with her partnerBruck Dawit. The show featured songs written by Michel Berger throughout his career. In late 2024, nearly seven years after her death, the compilation albumPlus haut appeared, featuring the previously unreleased 1974 recording "La Prisonnière".[15] The song was recorded as part of the unfinished projectAngelina Dumas, a musical Gall and Berger had been developing inspired by the story ofPatty Hearst.[16]
Gall had been in relationships with singersClaude François andJulien Clerc, before marryingMichel Berger on 22 June 1976.[2] They had two children together, Pauline (born 1978) andRaphaël (born 1981).[2][17] Her daughter Pauline was diagnosed withcystic fibrosis shortly after birth. Gall and Berger placed their hopes in advances in medical research while keeping details of Pauline's condition private. The couple agreed to alternate their professional commitments in order to care for their daughter.
Berger died of a heart attack in 1992 at the age of 44. In April 1993, Gall was diagnosed withbreast cancer, which was successfully treated.[citation needed] Pauline died in December 1997.[18] Following the death of her daughter, Gall only made occasional public appearances.[18] She was a patron of the French charityCœurs de Femmes and a regularpoker player until her death.[19]
On 7 January 2018, Gall died, aged 70, of an infection after a two-year battle with a cancer of undisclosed primary origin, at theAmerican Hospital of Paris inNeuilly-sur-Seine.[20] French presidentEmmanuel Macron responded to the news of her death onTwitter, stating: "She leaves behind songs that everyone in France knows and set an example of a life devoted to others".[21] She was buried with her husband and daughter on 20 Avenue Rachel (division 29) atMontmartre Cemetery in Paris.[citation needed]
^Martine Bordeneuve. Jukebox Magazine, No. 20, July–August 1988. Quoted in French Wikipedia articlePoupée de cire, poupée de son, access 20 February 2012. Original text: « Le 20 mars, devant 150 millions de téléspectateurs, la voix tremblante et le teint pâle, elle interprète sa chanson. Plébiscitée par le jury à la majorité absolue, elle se trouve propulsée à la première place. ... »
^France Gall par France Gall, autoportrait télévisé (France 3, 2001), quoted in theFrench Wikipedia article about France Gall. Original quote: "C'est quelqu'un que j'avais du plaisir à voir parce que je l'admirais et j'aimais ce qu'il écrivait. Et j'aimais bien sa timidité, son élégance et son éducation. C'était très agréable comme relation. [...] J'étais très impressionnée que cet homme travaille pour moi et s'intéresse à moi ..."
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