Sad news in this weekend as Luxembourg’s 1965 Eurovision representative and winner, France Gall, has passed away at the age of 70.

News regarding the singer’s sad passing broke earlier today as it was confirmed that France Gall, who had been suffering from cancer over the past 2 years, died of an infection at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

The life of France Gall

Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall, known under her stage name France Gall, was born on the 9 October 1947 in the French capital of Paris, entering into a very musically-based family.

Gall first hit the music scene at the young age of 16, where her first single – Ne sois pas si bête (Don’t be so stupid) – received its first ever airplay within her home country of France, selling over 200,000 copies in total.

Singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg helped Gall in her initial search for musical successful, producing a number of the singer’s earlier hits including her second single, N’écoute pas les idoles (Don’t listen to the idols), reaching the top of the French charts in 1964 for 3 weeks.

One of her most successful songs within her career, Sacré Charlemagne, became a hit the following year, peaking at number 1 in the charts and selling over 2,000,000 copies.

Eurovision 1965

In the same year of her ongoing success, Gall was selected to represent Luxembourg at the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest in the host city of Naples, Italy.

Performing the internally-selected entry Poupée de cire, poupée de son – written once again by Gainsbourg – Gall went on to win the competition for the small nation, receiving a total of 32 points from the jury panel.

Gall brought Luxembourg their second victory at the competition, becoming one of the most memorable winning entries of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Post-Eurovision

Gall’s success continued into the years to follow, becoming a multi-talented performer within both the musical and film industry throughout the 60s and 70s.

The 80s saw the rise of Gall’s humanitarian projects, working alongside fellow French artists for the benefit of projects such as S.O.S Ethiopie and Action Écoles, the latter of which provided support for volunteers looking to collect and provide essential food for African nations dealing with famine and drought.

Gall later went on to become a patron of the French charity Coeurs de Femmes, whom she worked with up until her recent death.

Gall withdrew from the music scene in 1997 following the death of her child, having since only made a few public appearances.

The world reacts

Following the announcement of Gall’s passing, many figures from across France have expressed their sadness at the loss of another big French star, having only recently saying goodbye to another music giant of the Yé-yé genre, Johnny Hallyday.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, tweeted a tribute to the French star earlier today, saying that “she leaves behind songs that everyone in France knows and sets an example of a life devoted to others”.

France Gall a traversé le temps grâce à sa sincérité et sa générosité. Elle laisse des chansons connues de tous les Français et l'exemple d'une vie tournée vers les autres, ceux qu'elle aimait et ceux qu'elle aidait.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 7, 2018

Further tweets of tributes and sadness were also received from fellow Eurovision participants, including Amandine Bourgeois and Amir.

Son regard a croisé mon regard
Comme un rayon laser
J'ai été projetée quelque part
Ailleurs que sur la Terre
Au secours…J'ai besoin d'amour#FranceGall

— Amandine Bourgeois (@ABourgeois) January 7, 2018

https://twitter.com/Amir_Off/status/949948815544532993

On behalf of the entire #Eurovision family we would like to extend or deepest condolences to France Gall's loved ones. Here's our tribute to her https://t.co/8x4cE7cI0K pic.twitter.com/zSCLMaKhD3

— Eurovision (@Eurovision) January 7, 2018

Here at ESCToday, we offer our deepest thoughts and sympathies to the family and friends of France Gall.