French Singer Barbara Weldens Dies On Stage At 35

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Barbara Weldens, an up-and-coming French singer, died after collapsing in the middle of a performance Wednesday in the Lot region of France. The 35-year-old reportedly suffered cardiac arrest, possibly caused by electrocution, according to police, who are investigating.
Weldens, who released her first studio album Le grande H de l'homme ("The big M in man") last February, came from an entertainment background and was a promising young talent.

She had become a singer after growing up in the circus, according to her website. Among her biggest influences was the singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. In 2016, she won the young talent award at the Jacques Brel festival.
She had been performing at a church in the picturesque village of Goudron, in the Lot region of the south-west, when she collapsed. Storms were reported in the area at the time.



Weldens regularly performed with a pianist and acoustic guitarist and was in the middle of a tour. She was due to give further concerts in France and Belgium in the coming months.

Although little known, her February 2017 album Le grand H de l'homme (Man with a capital M) had brought national acclaim. A review on the Mediapart website praised the "softness of the melodies" and "the femininity and masculinity" of her work.
She told Midi Libre newspaper last year: "I've always written poems, even when I was little. Then I took piano lessons as a teen. All I wanted to do was compose".