Their love was characterized by passionate exchanges of letters and brief reunions between Piaf's tours and Cerdan's boxing matches. However, their romance faced obstacles, including distance and the pressures of their respective careers. In 1949, Marcel Cerdan embarked on a journey to New York to prepare for a rematch with Jake LaMotta. Edith Piaf was eager to join him but was recovering from a car accident and unable to travel immediately. Tragically, Cerdan's trip to New York ended in disaster when the plane he was traveling on crashed in the Azores Islands, claiming his life on October 27, 1949.

The news devastated Piaf, who was deeply in love with Cerdan. She was inconsolable and plunged into a period of profound grief, mourning the loss of her beloved Marcel. She immortalized their love in some of her most poignant songs, including "Hymne à l'amour" and "L'homme à la moto," which reflected the intensity of their relationship and her enduring sorrow after his untimely death.

Their love story, though brief, remains one of the most poignant and tragic romances in French history, symbolizing the depth of passion and the enduring impact of love even after the loss of a beloved partner.