Music

She was born in 1966 in Forbach, on the German border, into a modest family of seven children.

From the age of eight, with the support of her parents, she sang at local balls and competitions, covering hits by Sylvie Vartan and Claude François in her already recognizable voice. At just thirteen, she was hired by a German cabaret, where she went on to perform every Saturday, for many years. A precocious start to her career for a singer who learns everything on stage while others are still playing with dolls. 

In 1985, the young singer released her first single, “Jalouse”, followed two years later by the hit “Mademoiselle chante le blues”, written by Didier Barbelivien. On her 21st birthday, she took to the legendary Olympia stage for the first time, opening for Julie Piétri. That same year, she was named “Revelation of the Year” at the Victoires de la Musique awards. Tracks from her debut album, such as “Mon mec à moi” and “Quand Jimmy dit”, were taken up by her fans.

The husky-voiced singer conquered France, but she didn't stop there, setting European concert halls alight; her fans from all over the world voted her a great success. In Russia (where she remains a huge success to this day), she was invited to sing at the Kremlin, and in New York the press dubbed her as the “Piaf of modern times”. 

Her subsequent albums were equally successful, confirming her dazzling success. “Je te dis vous” even sold over two and a half million copies worldwide. The Frenchwoman joined forces with Pascal Obispo and Jean-Jacques Goldman (who wrote the verses for “Il me dit que je suis belle”), and was invited by Michael Jackson himself for his “Michael Jackson and Friends for Kosovo” tour. One opus followed another, always attracting large audiences and taking the short-haired singer to perform all over the world. The star even drew a crowd of over 6,000 in China for her “Sexe-Fort Tour”. 

In 2017, the star returned for another tour, after a few difficult years following depression. It's definitely on stage that Patricia Kaas flourishes, even if she's becoming rarer these days. She will soon be back in a new role, sitting in one of the red seats on “The Voice France” as the new juror for the 2025 edition of the famous show, alongside Zaz. “I've been watching the show for fourteen years, waiting for someone to call me,” she confided with a touch of humor. 

(MH with CMa - Photo: © Eienne Tordoir)

Photo: Patricia Kaas on stage at Forest-National in Brussels (Belgium) in November 1990.