AND A WORD FROM THE GREAT, ELEANORA OWEN

How were you introduced to the life of Edith Piaf?
I was introduced to Madame Edith Piaf when I was ten years old, by my French grandmother, Annie! I began singing at the age of four and Annie wanted me to become familiar with the gorgeous sounds and vocals of Edith Piaf. It was much later in life, when I began learning of her life story.

What made you want to tell her story?
In 2019, I produced my own concert and funny enough, sang one Piaf song… LA VIE EN ROSE. The sold-put crowd went wild for that particular song, so not too long after the concert, my husband and director, Tim Byron Owen and I were dining with our Producer, Georganne Aldrich Heller and I announced that I should do a night of Piaf songs. Well, Tim Byron Owen, being who he is, came up with the brilliant idea for me to write a one-person show as Piaf, and include her songs in it
and… voila! I began writing the script in 2019 and the final draft was completed by early 2020.

Was there anything in your research that you found surprising about her?
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she absolutely HATED NAZIS and that all those rumors about her conspiring with the Nazis were untrue!

Why do you think love kept evading her?
Sadly, Edith Piaf was the reason love eluded her but I doubt she realized that…. or perhaps she did in the end. I believe that her deep-seated abandonment issues sabotaged her.

Do you think Edith Piaf is well known?
Oh, I think Piaf is very well known, in many parts of the world, and even in the U.S…. however, I think in the U.S., it’s a very specific audience that is familiar with her magnificence. One of the many things I enjoy about “BEING PIAF” is the fact I’m able to introduce her to so many who previously had no idea who she was! In fact, after most performances, many audience members approach me, to tell me that they will be buying books about her or will be listening to her songs or watching films about her life. It’s very lovely to hear that!

Where can people go to see future performances?
We have a website where we will announce future shows: https://eleanora003.wixsite.com/piaf. I am also on FB, as ELEANORA OWEN and on IG, as eleanoraowen3,and I regularly announce all things “BEING PIAF“!