Marie‑Paule Belle, French singer of “La Parisienne”, dies at 80

Marie‑Paule Belle, the celebrated French singer‑composer‑pianist best known for the 1976 hit “La Parisienne”, died on 25 July 2026 at the age of 80. She passed away in Neuilly‑sur‑Seine, near Paris, after a long battle with cancer, which she had spoken about publicly, even publishing a poem titled “KO!” in 2024.

Born on 25 January 1946 in Pont‑Saint‑Maxence, Oise, and raised in Nice, Belle began her career after winning a televised contest in 1969. She made her first television appearance in 1973 on Philippe Bouvard’s show, performing “Wolfgang et moi” and “Nosferatü”. Her signature song, “La Parisienne”, released in 1976, earned a gold record and secured her place in French popular music. The song’s witty lyrics portray a provincial woman navigating life in Paris, set to a melody she composed that evokes Offenbach’s operettas.

Belle’s repertoire blended humour, social commentary and lyrical finesse, tackling topics such as euthanasia and homosexuality. She partnered with Belgian writer Françoise Mallet‑Joris, who co‑wrote many of her texts. Throughout her five‑decade career she performed at the Olympia, recorded numerous albums, and received the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Ordre national du Mérite. In May 2026 she gave a final farewell recital titled “Au revoir et merci” at the Théâtre de Passy.

Her death was confirmed by her press office to AFP, prompting tributes from fellow artists including Serge Lama and the French Ministry of Culture.