PARIS, France (CelebrityAccess) — Françoise Madeleine Hardy, the French singer-songwriter, actor, and pioneer of the French yé-yé sound, known for hits such as “Tous les garçons et les filles” has died. She was 80.
Her passing was announced by her son, Thomas Dutronc, on social media, stating, “Mom is gone” but providing no additional details. The French newspaer Le Monde reported that Hardy died from laryngeal cancer in Paris, on June 11th.
One of the best-selling singers in French history, Hardy played a significant role in French music, and fashion, and was awarded the Grande médaille de la chanson française, an honor bestowed by the Académie française, in recognition of her contributions to French music in 2006.
Born and raised in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, Hardy made her professional debut in 1962 with the yé-yé hit “Tous les garçons et les filles” and was quickly propelled to international fame as the “Yeh-Yeh Girl From Paris!.”
After spending several years on the road as a touring artist, she performed her final live shows in Kinshasa, Congo, in 1967.
After stepping away from life as a touring artist, she continued to successfully record new music, working with songwriters such as Serge Gainsbourg and Catherine Lara, and as a songwriter in her own right. Her credits include hits such as “Le temps de l’amour,” “Tous les garçons et les filles,” and her melancholic signature hit “Mon amie la rose.”
Along with her career as a musician, Hardy was featured in several film roles, including the 1965 screwball comedy, “What’s New Pussycat,” and John Frankenheimer’s 1966 racing drama, “Grand Prix,” among others.
Hardy also pursued an interest in astrology and published several books on the topic, along with an autobiography and the 2014 novel, “L’amour Fou.”
In her later years, she battled MALT lymphoma, a rare form of cancer that affects mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and was hospitalized for treatment in 2015.
In 2021, she became an advocate for physician-assisted suicide, telling RTL’s Flavie Flament: “It’s absolutely appalling, but for the moment I’m reassured. I manage to cook for myself. As long as I can do that, okay! But if it does become even worse, if I am weakened to the point of not being able to do anything, I would seriously think about euthanasia. I cannot stay like this waiting for death to come, because I cannot live any more. I can’t do the things that my life requires.”
