Introduction
Annetta Giovanna Gassion (née Maillard; 4 August 1895 - 6 February 1945), was best known as the mother of singer Édith Piaf, considered France's national Chanteuse, billed as Line Marsa; she was a cabaret singer and circus performer.
Biography
Born as Annetta Giovanna Maillard, was born on 4 August 1895 in Livorno, Italy to French parents who were on tour as part of a travelling circus troupe. Her father, Auguste Eugène Maillard, came from the Loire region of France. Her mother, Emma "Aicha" Saïd Ben Mohamed was the daughter of Saïd ben Mohamed, of Shilha Berber origin, born in Mogador, Morocco, and Margherita Bracco, who was born in Murazzano, Piedmont, Italy.
Her stage name, Line Marsa, was inspired by La Marsa, a port in Tunisia, according to her son Herbert. Although said to have a voice similar to that of her daughter's, she never achieved any success.
On 4 September 1914, she married Louis Alphonse Gassion, a circus contortionist. The following year, on December 19, she gave birth to their first child, Édith Giovanna, who would become Édith Piaf. On 31 August 1918, she gave birth to their second child, Herbert. Édith was raised by Annetta's mother, Emma, from 1915 to 1918, when she was sent to Louis Gassion's mother instead because of Annetta and Emma's neglect of her.
Annetta and Louis were divorced on 4 June 1929 because she had become a drunk and a drug addict. She did not remarry.
Annetta died on 6 February 1945 of a drug overdose in Paris. She was not buried with her daughter like Louis Gassion, at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
In popular culture
Maillard was portrayed by Clotilde Courau in Olivier Dahan's 2007 Piaf biopic, La vie en rose.