François Gilbert Léopold Silly, stage name Gilbert Bécaud, was born on 24 October 1927 in Toulon. His mother is a musician: he is passionate about music very early on and at the age of 9, he enters the conservatory of Nice.
At the age of 20, after the war, he decided to live in Paris and performed in bars and cabarets. He writes and composes songs and collaborates with Edith Piaf (Je t'ai dans la peau). In 1953, he releases his first title. It was a great success and from then on continued concerts throughout France.
In 1995, he went on tour around the world. As early as the 1960s, he continued to release albums that were all very successful, thanks to hits like L'indifférence and Désirée. In 1997, he turns 70 at the Olympia.
He died on 18 December 2001, in Paris.