Dalida 1933 – 1987

Dalida (Egyptian Arabic: داليدا‎): French singer and actress, born of Italian parents as Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, 17 January 1933, Egypt; died 3 May 1987, 54 years of age, Paris France; suicide by overdose of barbiturates.

One of France and Europe’s most celebrated entertainers, Dalida grew up in Cairo and won the Miss Egypt beauty pageant in 1954. Relocating to Paris, she began a singing career that culminated in stardom throughout Europe and the near east in the 1980s. She also acted in Eurpoean films between 1955 and 1968.

Problems in her personal life were compounded by medical problems affecting her eyesight, leading to bouts of severe depression. Only a few days after completing a successful series of live concerts in Turkey, she committed suicide in her Paris house, leaving a note that said “Life is unbearable. Forgive me.”