Carla Bruni

Carla Bruni, a supermodel-turned-singer-songwriter and the former First Lady of France, has topped the charts while becoming a modern-day icon of chanson française. ∙ Produced by Téléphone founder Louis Bertignac, Bruni’s 2002 debut album, Quelqu’un m’a dit, debuted at No. 1 in France and ultimately sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. ∙ In 2003, she was admitted to France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her contributions to the arts, and Spain presented her with a similar honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III, in 2009. ∙ Her 2008 LP Comme si de rien n’etait, released only months after she became the French First Lady, hit No. 1 on the charts in France—her third straight album to do so. ∙ She joined an all-star lineup at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall in 2009 to help celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday. ∙ A busy collaborator, she’s worked with Harry Connick, Jr., Marianne Faithfull, and Willie Nelson, who joined Bruni on a new version of his classic “Crazy” for her 2017 LP, French Touch.