Suzy Solidor

Suzy Solidor (1900-1983) was a French singer , actress and novelist. She was used as model with many painters.

She was born the December 18th 1900 with Saint-Servan-on-Sea in the district from the Magpie, under the name of Suzanne Louise Marie Marion , girl of Louise Mairie Adeline Marion, 28 years unmarried mother. She dies the March 31st 1983 with Nice and is buried with Cagnes-sur-Mer where she resided.

Suzy Solidor did not hide to say that it had as a distance ancestor the corsair Surcouf. Indeed, his/her mother was the chambermaid of Robert Henri Surcouf, ship-owner, lawyer, deputy of Saint-Malo, going down from the family of the famous corsair. Small Suzanne would have been the fruit of their loves ancillaires. His/her mother married on September 10th, 1907 Eugene Prudent Rock which recognized small Suzanne, then 7 years old, which took consequently the name of Suzanne Rocher . The family will settle then in the district of Solidor in Saint-Servan, who will give him his name of scene later. She learns how to lead in 1916, and will be undoubtedly one of the first Breton ones to have obtained her license. Little before the armistice of 1918, one will see it driving ambulances on the face of Oise, then of Aisne.

After the war, it settles in Paris, becomes mannequin, in particular at Lanvin. She sings in various cabarets and secures a great notoriety quickly. It is at that time of its life that it meets Yvonne de Bremond d' Ars, which will become his/her partner and with which it will be initiated with the trade of antique dealer. After their separation, Suzy Solidor will have several connections, including one with the aviator Jean Mermoz.

During its career, it will hold several cabarets, of which “Parisian life” street Saint-Anne in Paris, with the mode as from 1933-1935 until 1946. During the Occupation, its establishment will be attended by many German officers. Besides Suzy Solidor will judge good to add to its repertory a French adaptation of the German song " Lili Marleen ", very appreciated by the soldiers of the Wehrmacht, certain units while having even made a song of walk… It is included/understood since with the Release, it was translated in front of the commission of purification of the artistic mediums, which will inflict a blame to him and a prohibition will impose to him to exert during 5 years. At the conclusion of its period of " pénitence" , it will open in 1952 a new cabaret in Paris, it “At Suzy Solidor”, street Balzac, which it gave up with the beginning of the year 1960 to withdraw with Cagnes-sur-Mer. It will then open a store of antiquities on the heights of Cagnes, then a cabaret, places High-of-Cagnes castle, decorated with 225 of its portraits, where it will sing until 1967.

It remains one of the emblematic figures of the Thirties with its physique androgyne, its hair fair and its fringe with the square, its serious voice and its agitated love life, the more so as it was not deprived, in some of these songs, to celebrate the love lesbian, his loves and his/her friend (E) S. It will contribute to give a great visibility to the homosexual medium Parisian of the Mad years.

Famous model with the sculptural body, it was portraiturée by more than 200 painters, in particular, Vlaminck, Picabia, Tamara de Lempicka, Man Ray, Jean-Gabriel Domergue, Jean Dominique Van Caulaert, Fabianno, Van Dongen, Marie Laurencin, Bacon and Cocteau. In 1973, it gives to the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer forty its portraits, which appear today among major works of the museum of the city (Grimaldi museum-castle).

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