January 22, 2009

  • Famous Belgians

    There is always a point in some dinner party or another when someone challenges another to name five famous Belgians. I have always been able to name enough to satisfy the challenge; Hervé (Georges Remi) author of the Tintin books, Rene Magritte, Georges Simenon (author of Maigret crime novels), Jacques Brel, Plastique Bertrand (remember the song Ça Plane Pour Moi'???) and let's not forget Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston aka Audrey Hepburn.

    This morning I have another one to add to the list - Sister Adel aka Soeur Sourire aka The Singing Nun aka Jeanne Deckers. I got in from walking Fintan and put the TV on to watch the news with my breakfast but TCM was on from last night and the film The Singing Nun starring Debbie Reynolds was on. I saw this film ages ago of course but had forgotten it and the story of the young Dominican nun whose voice and self-penned songs so enchanted the authorities of the convent that they allowed her to record her music for sale to visitors. I've since read that she thought the film was a fiction and didn't think much of it at all.

    Sadly though the film ended up on a high the reality wasn't so positive. Sister Adel decided to leave the convent and the order in 1966 (the year the film was released I believe) because she felt that she could better serve God in the community. Her recording contract was pulled in the same year and she failed to reignite her singing career. She worked with autistic children and opened a school. In the 1970s the Belgian government announced that she owed a considerable amount of money to them for taxes on the earnings from her singing career, she responded by telling them that she had given most, if not all of that money to the Order and that therefore she didn't really owe anything. This battle continued over several years causing her to fall into further debt and on March 29 1985 she committed suicide with her life partner Annie Pecher in their apartment in Wavre, Belgium citing the financial problems as the reason for taking their lives. Tragically on the very same day that they died the Belgian preforming rights society awarded Jeanne Deckers a considerable amount of money which would have solved all her financial problems.

    Sad huh? I thought I'd paste in the song that topped the charts all over the world and we can all hear again the voice that helped comfort the grieving in the post-President Kennedy world.

     

     

Comments (5)

  • I remember the song though I didn't see the film. It's sad to read that her life wasn't as happy as expected. To commit suicide is a dreadful end to a comparitively short life. RIP. It's certainly a very catchy tune- and one that will " float " in my brain for the rest of the day   Marie

  • What a sad story. Thanks for sharing this with us. The idea that one that gives so much can be hurt this way is heart breaking. You're quite impressive that you can name Belgians like that. I'm impressed but then again I'm just a landlocked Yankee!

  • I guess that proves suicide is never the solution...you are walking out on a movie that is not finished!

  • That is a sad and tragic story. She lost her faith in everything. Great blog, I love it when I learn something new. Yay!

  • Great blog Colin. Very sad about her commiting suicide.

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