#OBITUARY: Françoise Hardy has died aged 80

French singer-songwriter, actress and model Françoise Hardy has died after a long period of ill health, aged 80. Whilst France, she represented Monaco in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest.

Françoise was born in Paris in 1944. After a troubled childhood she learned to play the guitar and wrote her own songs. She made her début in 1962 with the song Tout les garçons et les filles. It charted all over Europe and made No.1 in several places.

In 1963, Télé-Monte Carlo selected Françoise to sing for the principality at the eighth Eurovision Song Contest in London. She sang her own composition L’amour s’en va and finished fifth out of 16 participants.

She continued to have hits mainly in the Francophone world to as late as 2012. She was also known for her work as a model. Possibly her most famous look was a gold dress made by Pace Rabanne.

She had a son, Thomas, with musician Jacques Dutronc, in 1973. During later life, she had several health issues. She died of laryngeal cancer on 11 June.

Eurovision Ireland’s thoughts are with Françoise’s family at this time.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland