There's an obituary in this morning's Sacramento Bee, derived from information from the Associated Press.

French singer Gilbert Becaud, a master of the romantic song whose best-known compositions were "What Now, My Love?" and "Let It Be Me," died in Paris on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer. He was 74.

Along with Charles Aznavour and Guy Beart, Mr. Becaud, was among a group of famous French singers known for booming, dramatic songs during the 1950s. He earned the nickname "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" when fans ripped up the chairs at Paris' illustrious Olympia Theater after an electrifying performance in 1954.

He was best known in the United States as a composer whose songs were sung by Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, and Neil Diamond.

"What Now, My Love?" was recorded 150 times by legendary artists such as Sarah Vaughan, Elvis Presley, and Streisand; Sinatra and Aretha Franklin sang it as a duet, and Sonny and Cher also had a famous version.

But Mr. Becaud's favorite rendition was by Judy Garland, whose emotional intensity reminded him of Edith Piaf, the fabled French chanteuse.

He also wrote "Let It Be Me," a 1960 hit for the Everly Brothers,
and "It Must Be Him," recorded by Vicki Carr in 1967.

Charley Maroqani, Mr. Becaud's agent, said the singer died of lung cancer on his houseboat on the Seine in Paris, surrounded by family and friends.

Compiled from the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press.