Georges Moustaki
A wandering troubadour with a gentle voice who penned poetic, timeless hits for French music's greatest stars, from Piaf to Montand.
1934–2013 (age 79)·Musical artist·Birthday: May 3·The Silent Generation
Biography
Georges Moustaki was the quintessential cosmopolitan songwriter, a man whose music seemed to drift like smoke through the Left Bank cafés of Paris. Born Giuseppe Mustacchi in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek-Jewish parents, he adopted France and its language, crafting songs that felt both intimately personal and universally wistful. His breakthrough came when he co-wrote 'Milord' for Édith Piaf, with whom he also had a romantic relationship, launching him into the heart of the French chanson scene. His own performing career took off with the dreamy, philosophical anthem 'Le Métèque,' which embraced his identity as an outsider. Moustaki’s compositions, often built on simple, elegant guitar lines, were gifts to the era's defining voices—Dalida, Yves Montand, Françoise Hardy—infusing their repertoires with a reflective, slightly melancholic poetry. He lived a life of deliberate simplicity, his art forever echoing the romantic, intellectual spirit of mid-century Paris.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Georges was born in 1934, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Georges Was Born
The biggest hits of 1934
#1 Movie
It Happened One Night
Best Picture
It Happened One Night
Georges's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1934Born
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Started school
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Became a teenager
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Could drive
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1952Could vote
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Turned 21
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1964Turned 30
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 40
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 50
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 60
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 70
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Died at 79
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Wrote the classic song 'Milord' for Édith Piaf, which became an international standard.
- His 1969 song 'Le Métèque,' celebrating the outsider, was a massive hit and remains his signature work.
- Authored approximately 300 songs for a who's-who of French music, including Dalida, Yves Montand, and Barbara.
- Maintained a successful five-decade career as both a songwriter and a respected performing artist in his own right.
Did You Know?
He chose his stage name in homage to his musical hero, the French singer Georges Brassens.
Though born in Egypt, he did not hold Egyptian citizenship and was stateless for much of his early life, eventually becoming a French citizen.
He was an avid painter and often exhibited his artwork.
““I am of the race of those who are carried by the wind.””
