Marianne James
Marianne James (born 18 February 1962) is a French singer, writer, actress, TV host and fashion designer. She has co-presented the French coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest.[1]
Marianne James
18 February 1962
Montélimar, Drôme, France
Opera, pop
singer, actress, writer, TV Host, fashion designer
1981–present
Early life[edit]
Born in Montélimar, Marianne Gandolfi grew up in the family shop, Place du Marché, with her father Maurice, chocolatier pastry chef and nougatier, her mother Jacqueline, from whom she gets her Italian origins, and her sister Pascale, four years older than her.[2]
She took guitar lessons at the age of 11 with Antoine Petrucciani, known as "Tony", a renowned jazz guitarist and father of pianist Michel Petrucciani. From the age of 15 to 23, she took advantage of her holidays to sing in the streets with her sister and a friend.[3]
In 1980, after creating her first group "The Swingums", she graduated with a degree in musicology from Sorbonne University and won a first prize for singing at the Conservatoire de Paris.
In 1981, Marianne James joined the band "Les Démones Loulou" with whom she opened for William Sheller at the Olympia. She continued to sing in the streets of Paris.[4]
Personal life[edit]
Discreet about her private life, Marianne James officialised her couple with Bertrand Edl, marketing strategy advisor, during the French Open in June 2017.[5] In 2022, she announced their separation.[6]