 In 1935 , a twenty @-@ year old singer named Édith Piaf was discovered in the <unk> by nightclub owner Louis Leplée , whose club Le <unk> , off the Champs @-@ Élysées , was frequented by the upper and lower classes alike . He persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness . Leplée taught her the basics of stage presence and told her to wear a black dress , which became her trademark apparel . Leplée ran an intense publicity campaign leading up to her opening night , attracting the presence of many celebrities , including Maurice Chevalier . Her nightclub appearance led to her first two records produced that same year , and the beginning of a legendary career . 
