Singer-Songwriter Dies in His Sleep: Charles Dumont Was 95

Legendary French singer-songwriter Charles Dumont has died. Best known for his work with Edith Piaf, including composing her classic “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” or “I Regret Nothing” which is familiar to fans of Inception, if anything. He was 95.

According to Lemonde, he passed on Sunday, Nov. 17, following a long fight with illness. His legacy was sealed long ago, but a lot of obituaries share the anecdote Dumont told in a 2018 interview about bringing the iconic song to Piaf.

“Piaf had already fired me three times, I didn’t want to see her again. But Michel Vaucaire, who wrote the lyrics, convinced me to try again in 1960. When she learned that I would be there, she screamed, demanding that the date be canceled,” he said in 2018.

“We still came to her home. She let us in. I played the piano piece. And… we didn’t leave each other,” he continued. “At that time she was at her worst, and this title brought her the resurrection.”

According to BBC News, Dumont and Michel Vaucaire would compose 30 songs for Piaf before she passed in 1963. The song helped to launch her into international stardom after an early life on the streets in Paris.

Apart from Piaf, Dumont has also written music for Jacques Brel, Juliette Gréco, and Barbra Streisand. He also had quite a successful solo career in the 1970s. Rest in peace.