Edith Piaf's last husband, Théo Sarapo!

Their famous duet

She was trying to keep up with Judy Garland.

The greatest talent mismatch until Barbra sang with Don Johnson.

R2 even so... Vincent was a hollywood director and offered movie opportunities for Judy. But Theo was just a very young hairdresser. Edith was already dying so what's the point?

Companionship, R4?

Theo married Piaf for the same reason that any homo marries a fish: money and bearding!

And Piaf was not in financial trouble, at the time of her death she owned a magnificent villa on the French Riviera.

R6 He inherited Piaf's seven million francs worth of debts, after her death. He later was evicted from the apartment they shared on Boulevard Lannes on Christmas Day 1963.

R5 but why would Theo do it ? The debts, the awful burden of Edith's sicknes....

I think he had diva worship syndrome, but the big question really is why did she marry him?

R8, it would be hard to say no when the biggest living legend in your trade makes the offer, no? I know I'd have found it impossible to not associate my name with that of a literal historical figure if I'd had the chance. It's not all about sex.

at least for Theo

His life was high drama.

Wow, I didn't know that his lover (and her secretary) committed suicide after they got married!! Do you think the marriage was the reason?

I know she was sick and times were different, but, man, that's a hard 46.

Poor Theo. He didn’t even make it into La Vie en Rose with Marion Cotillard, did he?

He wasn’t a bad singer and he was rather handsome and sexy.

Shades of Rory Stewart

R15 La vie en rose was completely far off anyway. It's not known as a good movie, Marion's performance is the only good thing about it. It left out the thing that turned Edith into a French national treasure.... WWII. It still shocks people how they left out her time during the occupation AND George Mustaki AND her only child.

R13 Piaf died a few weeks before on October 10, 1963. As her secretary, he knew all her finances. You can draw your conclusions.

She was an extraordinary singer, but she was a sick woman - riddled with rheumatoid arthritis since childhood, she self medicated with alcohol and narcotics. Her one true love died in 1949 in a plane crash, and she took on protégés she turned into successes.

There was non autopsy on her death, but she likely died of cancer and had been ill several years before marrying Sarapo. I suspect that as a Greek citizen in Pre-EU France, marriage was his best pathway to French citizenship. It required them to live together for four years before he could apply.

Édith had better taste in decades-younger gay husbands at the end of her life than Judy Garland.

Church of Saint Vincent de Paul in Chelsea (area of Manhattan, NYC) where Edith Piaf was marred (Marlene Dietrich was maid of honor) has been closed, sold and in process of demolition. A luxury hotel or housing (not sure which) will rise in it's place.

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Sorry, Piaf married her first husband (Jacques Pills) in NYC, not M. Sarapo.

By all accounts Edith Piaf and Theo Sarapo were a love match. Stranger pairings occurred previously and since; Jack Wrangler and Margaret Whiting come to mind.

Not to mention Celeste Holm and her beau, and Martha Raye and hers.

R23 It's sweet you relied on one of his greek orthodox family members as a source. That's some outstanding research. Are you going to rely on George Michael's greek orthodox relatives as a source for his heterosexuality next?

His sister, who wrote the post at r23--which does not describe "a love match"--also overshares that

[quote]I turned totally to the Lord Jesus Christ and read the Bible every day for direction, love and comfort.

She is writing three books (about Piaf, about her brother, and about herself) and seems totally like someone who would be honest about a gay brother!