Gillian Hills, a “ye ye girl,” was born in Cairo. She was discovered in France by Roger Vadim in 1958, but made ‘Beat Girl’, her first film, in England. ‘Beat Girl’ (1960) is about a rebellious girl who goes out to nightclubs where rock & roll music plays. Adam Faith also had a part in the movie.
Quickly typed as “the British Bardot,” Gillian lived between France (her mother was french) and England (her father was english). She recorded six EPs for the Barclay label between 1960 and 1964 and one more for AZ Records in 1965. She turned up alongside Jane Birkin in the film “Blow Up,” but her film appearances decreased and she became quite elusive after the 70’s. She retired from the show business shortly after.
Fondness for French pop singers from the 60’s “ye ye girls” has kept her singles in the public ear, and along with her counterparts in the USA or the UK, from Nancy Sinatra to Petula Clark, Gillian Hills continues to bring us back to an era when “cool” was fresh. |
