An all-female trio formed in Paris in 1976, Belle Époque scored a hit with a disco cover of "Black Is Black", popularized by Los Bravos. Comprising singers and backup singers Evelyne Lenton, formerly known as Evy, Cape Verdean Giusy Fortes and American Marcia Briscoe, Belle Époque scored an international hit in 1977 with "Black Is Black", which reached No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in the UK and Germany, and No. 21 in the US dance charts. Two further hits followed, "Miss Broadway" (No. 8 in Germany), which gave its name to the first album, and "Bamalama " (No. 38 in Germany), the title track of the second album. The group went on to produce the album Now (1979), before splitting up. France's Evy had already enjoyed success with several singles and EPs in the yéyé era of the 1960s. Born Évelyne Verrecchia in Angers on December 16, 1945, she died in Pordenone (Italy) on April 22, 2026, aged 80.
