Elly Stone

Elly Stone (born May 30, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American singer and actress best known for her interpretations of the music of Jacques Brel.

Stone was born in Brooklyn and attended The High School of Music & Art in Manhattan.

Stone began her career in the 1950s, singing in a variety of off-beat venues ranging from a carnival to a burlesque show. In 1962, she was Barbra Streisand’s understudy for the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale. In 1968, she achieved recognition as one of the stars of the Off-Broadway revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, which was co-written by her husband, Eric Blau.

Stone stayed with the Off-Broadway production for two years, and appeared with Brel in a 1970 French television special. She later starred in the 1972 Broadway incarnation of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and in the 1975 motion picture version, produced by the American Film Theatre. Although she appeared in other theatrical productions and enjoyed success as a cabaret and concert headliner, including a 1980 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City celebrating her 25th anniversary in the entertainment industry, Stone’s identification with Brel remained strong. In 2006, she provided an Off-Broadway revival of the revue Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris with previously unseen English-language translations by Eric Blau of Brel’s music.

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