Yves Montand

Yves Montand was born on October 13, 1921 in Monsummano Terme, Tuscany, Italy as Ivo Livi.

In the late 1940s, he recorded the four greatest hits composed by Henri Betti : "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" (lyrics by Édith Piaf) in 1947, "C'est si bon" (lyrics by André Hornez), "Rien dans les Mains, rien dans les Poches" (lyrics by André Hornez) and "Maître Pierre" (lyrics by Jacques Plante) in 1948.

Dated famous French singer Édith Piaf from 1944 to 1946.

In October 1947, Henri Betti offered to Yves Montand singing two songs he has composed : "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" (lyrics by Édith Piaf) and "C'est si bon" (lyrics by André Hornez). Yves Montand recorded "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" with Jean Marion and his Orchestra but not "C'est si bon". After the success of the recording of "C'est si bon" by Les Soeurs Étienne with Raymond Legrand and his Orchestra, he decided to record it. He recorded the song on 11 May 1948.

Came from a working-class (docklands) Marseilles family. Left school at eleven and held various jobs in bars, factories and a hair salon. He first performed in amateur theatrics at the age of seventeen. His breakthrough came in his twenties, while singing in Parisian music halls. There he was spotted by Edith Piaf. He lived with her for two years. She became his mentor and co-star in several films, until his first solo success in "Le Salaire de la Peur" in 1953.

Toured as a jazz singer in the Soviet Union in 1956 and in 1963, and met with Nikita Khrushchev. Became critical of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, then made a movie about socialist dictatorship.

Had a well-publicised affair with Marilyn Monroe in 1960, while filming The Billionaire (1960).

In her book "My Lucky Stars", Shirley MacLaine wrote that before filming on My Geisha (1962) began, Montand bet her husband Steve Parker that he could seduce her. Parker, whom MacLaine learned later, was having an affair at the time, took Montand up on the bet; Montand won.

Montand's father, Giovanni Livi, was a locally important figure in the French Communist Party in Marseilles when Montand was in his teens. Montand himself later joined the Communist Party and remained a member until 1968, when he broke with the Party in response to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Montand is often erroneously credited with playing a German officer (mainly seen in long shots) in Kelly's Heroes (1970). The character is actually played by the credited actor David Gross, who strongly resembles Montand.

Became the first popular singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House, in 1982.

He was an actor, known for Jean de Florette (1986), The Wages of Fear (1953) and The Billionaire (1960). He was married to Simone Signoret.

President of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show _"Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988)_.

Anne Fleurange accused him of being the father of her daughter, who she said was conceived while she and Montand were working on Vincent, François, Paul and the Others (1974). She sued him to obtain a DNA sample, but he refused. After his death, Fleurange obtained a court ruling to have his body exhumed. On 11 March 1998, a paternity test proved that Montand wasn't the father of her daughter.

In 2016, Lambert Wilson released the album "Wilson chante Montand" in which he sings the songs of Yves Montand. The musical arrangements of the 17 songs on the album were made by Bruno Fontaine. Among the 17 tracks there is "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai ?" composed by Henri Betti with the lyrics of Édith Piaf in 1947.