French dancer, singer and actress Guesch Patti (1946-2026) has died. The artist, who became famous for the hit "Étienne", passed away during the night from Sunday to Monday at the age of 80 after a long illness. This was announced by her agency on Monday, as reported by "Le Monde".
The breakthrough with "Étienne"
In their statement, the agency paid tribute to the deceased. Guesch Patti leaves behind "the memory of a woman who was full of joie de vivre in her artistic expression". The singer's birth name was Patricia Porrasse. Before her music career, she had been trained as a dancer at the Paris Opera. She achieved great fame in 1987: In France and abroad, her song "Étienne" with its suggestive verses caused a sensation.
In the black-and-white video, she appeared in a corset and fishnet stockings. The success of this one piece overshadowed the rest of her work. The artist described herself as a "chameleon" and stated, according to "Le Monde", that she liked to work quietly with all forms of art.
Guesch Patti made it clear in 2001 how much the worldwide success had shaped her career. At that time, she was on stage in Paris with a contemporary dance production, her true passion. Speaking to the news agency AFP, she said how much the success of "Étienne" had taken over her career - even though it had earned her the French music award Victoire de la musique. "I don't want to go through again what I experienced with 'Étienne'", she said. "I want to protect myself from a new media frenzy. I've had enough of it."
A year later, according to "Le Monde", she spoke again about the burden of fame on the French channel France 3. "I think there was a kind of pressure that came down on me that didn't fit my character at all", she said. It had affected her that the music industry had treated her "like a product" at the time.
