Barbara (singer)

Barbara
Barbara in Amsterdam in 1965
Background information
Birth nameMonique Andrée Serf
Born9 June 1930
Paris, France
Died24 November 1997 (aged 67)
Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • actress
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
Years active1958–1996
LabelsUniversal Music Group

Monique Andrée Serf (9 June 1930 – 24 November 1997), known as Barbara, was a French singer. She took her stage name from her grandmother, Varvara Brodsky, a native of Odesa, Ukraine. Barbara became a famous cabaretière in the late 1950s in Paris, known as La Chanteuse de minuit ('the midnight singer'), before she started composing her own tracks, which brought her to fame. Her most famous songs include "Dis, quand reviendras-tu ?" (1962), "Ma plus belle histoire d'amour" (1966) and "L'Aigle noir" (1970), the latter of which is said to have sold over 1 million copies in just twelve hours.