Dalida (1933-1987)

Dalida

SINGER (FRANCE)

BORN 17 Jan 1933, Cairo: Shoudra - DIED 3 May 1987, Paris
BIRTH NAME Gigliotti, Yolande Christina
CAUSE OF DEATH suicide with sleeping pills
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière de Montmartre, 20 Avenue Rachel (division 18)

Daughter of the first violinist of the opera in Cairo. She started as a model and as an actress she debuted in "A Glass and a Cigarette" by Niazi Mustapha in 1955. On December 24, 1956 she took a plane to Paris. She started calling herself Dalida and soon established a successful singing and dancing career. Soon she became famous with her hit "Bambino" and in 1957 she was supporting act at the Olympia for Charles Aznavour as well as Gilbert Becaud. She had another hit with "Gondolier" at Christmas in 1957.

1960 was a top year with success all over Europe and on April 8, 1961 she married her discoverer Julien Morisse. Only three months later she eloped with the painter Jean Sobiesky and her marriage was over. Morisse committed suicide in 1970. She travelled to many countries and her relationship with Sobiesku ended in 1963.

In 1966 she fell in love with the Italian singer Luigi Tenco. After she failed to win the San Remo festival with his song "Ciao Amore", Luigi commited suicide. One month later she tried to kill herself with sleeping pills at the Prince de Galles hotel in Paris. She spent five days in coma and it took her months to recover. From 1972 to 1981 Richard Chanfray was her lover. He killed himself in July 1983 by inhaling gas from his car.

She had many more hits and toured the world, until in 1986 she played the leading part in the French-Egyptian movie "Le Sixième Jour". She received a very warm welcome in Cairo and seemed to feel reborn. But after her return in Paris she changed her will, sold her car, lowered the blinds of her bedroom, wrote a note and killed herself with sleeping pills.

Related persons
• performed work of Marnay, Eddie

Images
The grave of Dalida at the Montmartre cemetery, Paris. Picture by Androom (8 Mar 1995)	The grave of Dalida at the Cimetière de Montmartre, Paris. Picture by Androom (03 Nov 2022)