Louis Alphonse Gassion

Gassion was born on 10 May, 1881 in Falaise, Calvados to a poor family. His father, Victor Alphonse Gassion, was a horseman in the circus, and his mother, Louise Léontine Deschamps, was the madam of a brothel in Bernay, Normandy. He had seven sisters, two of whom died at a young age. He began his career in the circus with the 'Ciotti' circus, and became a contortionist. At first, he performed with family, then, on his own. [2]

On 4 September, 1914, he married Annetta Giovanna Maillard, an Italian-born cafe singer better known under the stage name of Line Marsa. On 19 December, 1915, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter- Édith Giovanna, who would go on to become Édith Piaf. He left Édith in the care of his mother when she was two years old, after Annetta and her mother Emma had been neglecting her care. They also had a second child, Herbert (3 August 1918 - 22 January 1997).

In 1922, Louis was going to take an engagement in the Caroli circus, but decided to become an independent act, touring with various itinerant circuses. Often, Louis would have Édith sing for the crowds after he performed. This was when she first realised her talent for singing. On 4 June, 1929, Louis divorced Annetta, who became a drunk and drug addict.

In 1932, when Édith left to live with her boyfriend Louis Dupont and friend Simone Bertaut, he married Jeanne Georgette L'Hôte, with whom he had a third child, Dénise, born 8 March 1931.

Louis died of lung cancer on 3 March 1944 in Paris at the age of 62.

In 2007, Louis Gassion was portrayed by Jean-Paul Rouve in Olivier Dahan's biopic of Édith Piaf's life, La Vie en rose.[3]