Fréhel

[3] In her teens, she got a break when she met one of the female music-hall performers who heard her sing and introduced her to show business promoters.

Following her suicide attempt, in 1913 she tried to escape her pain and travelled to Bucharest, Turkey and then to Russia where she remained for more than ten years.

Singing as Fréhel, at the Paris Olympia in 1924 she gave a powerful performance and was soon headlining at the most popular venues in the country.

The most notable films in which she performed were 1931's Cœur de Lilas, based on the Tristan Bernard play, and Pépé le Moko that starred Jean Gabin.

Her 1934 recording Si tu n'étais pas là was featured in the 2001 soundtrack of the film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie).