Gilbert Bécaud

AKA:

Monsieur 100,000 Volts

Birth Name:

François Gilbert Léopold Silly

Birth Date:

October 24, 1927

Birth Place:

Toulon, France

Death Date:

December 18, 2001

Place of Death:

On his houseboat, River Seine, Paris, France

Age:

Cause of Death:

Lung cancer

Cemetery Name:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Claim to Fame:

Music

Gilbert Bécaud was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love". He remained a popular artist for nearly fifty years, identifiable in his dark blue suits, with a white shirt and "lucky tie"; blue with white polka dots. His favourite venue was the Paris Olympia under the management of Bruno Coquatrix. He debuted there in 1954 and headlined in 1955, attracting 6,000 on his first night, three times the capacity. Bécaud composed over 450 songs and sold millions of records over the years, and seemed almost never to spend an evening away from a stage - in one year he gave 249 concerts. He sang in six languages, a fact that helped his overseas tours, but was always happiest at the Olympia in Paris, where he topped the bill more than 30 times.

Fun Facts

In addition to being a top performer and concert draw, Gilbert Bécaud was a successful composer working with Edith Piaf and also collaborated with Neil Diamond on two of Diamond’s biggest-selling hits, Love On The Rocks and September Morn. He later penned the song ‘It Must Be Him’ for the renowned singer Vikki Carr. The song went on to become a massive hit and Gilbert’s creativity was well-appreciated. In fact he was covered by multiple artist both in England and the USA including Sammy Davis Jr, Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

16 Rue du Repos, 6ème division, Chemin Lesseps

Paris, , 75020

France

Europe

Map:

Cemetery map of Cimetière du Père Lachaise in Paris, France.

Grave Location:

Division 45, Avenue Transversale No. 1, Line 1

Grave Location Description

As you make your way through the cemetery, find Avenue Transversale No. 1 and Gilbert Bécaud is buried at the intersection of Avenue Transversale No. 1 and Chemin Laplace just 2 graves away from the French actress Marie Trintignant in Division 45.