Singer Madeleine Peyroux’s Paris and Blues Connection



Madeleine Peyroux

Yesterday on the CBS Sunday Morning show, journalist Terrell Brown talked with singer Madeline Peyroux.  Some interesting facts surfaced regarding the singer’s upbringing and how she became a professional.  The interview also revealed a little about her evolution towards the genre of music she now sings.

Terrell Brown

To introduce the segment about Peyroux, show host Charles Osgood said, “Not that long ago, Madeleine Peyroux was an American in Paris, singing with hat in hand.” 

Some of the singer’s Paris experiences highlighted later in the interview will be mentioned further along in this Paris Related Pieces post.

Early in the segment it was mentioned that Peyroux, who is 40 years-old, had at different times in her career been called a jazz singer, a folk singer, and a country singer.  Now,  she defines herself as a blues singer. When part of a video showing her performing on stage was played, one could hear strong influences of Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith in her voice.

Following is more about her Paris experiences.  When she was a child,  the interview revealed, she lived in Paris with her mother, Deidre Westgate, who still lives there.

In Paris, young Madeleine picked up a guitar for solace when she didn’t fit in at the French school in which she was enrolled.  She left school at the age of 15 and began singing on the streets, where people encouraged her to continue and develop herself as a singer.

Eventually Peyroux returned to the States.  She lives a quiet life in NYC, in Brooklyn. 

When asked if she is happy now, Madeleine Peyroux said yes, she’s happy with a little bit of pain to share with her fans.