Image copyright YouTube Image caption Weldens released her first album in February and was in the middle of a concert tour

An up-and-coming French singer, Barbara Weldens, has died on stage, apparently by being electrocuted.

She had been performing at a church in the picturesque village of Gourdon, in the Lot region of the south-west, when she collapsed. Storms were reported in the area at the time.

Weldens, 35, suffered an apparent cardiac arrest and emergency services were unable to revive her.

She had released her first album this year and had won several awards.

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 collapsed at about midnight on Wednesday while singing in a local festival. Investigators were looking at electrical equipment on the stage to find out what caused the apparent electrical fault.

Image copyright Barbara Weldens Image caption Weldens' first album had attracted critical acclaim

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".</s>An up-and-coming French singer collapsed and died during a festival concert, likely after being electrocuted

Barbara Weldens, 35, was singing at the Festival Léo Ferré in a church in the village of Goudron in the southwest region of Lot, France, on Wednesday when she collapsed after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest.

While the cause of death is still unknown, it is believed that she was electrocuted while performing.

Weldens was performing barefoot and had a live recording device on stage, according to Le Depeche.

Police have launched an investigation into her death but have not speculated on the circumstances.

They are reportedly analyzing several videos taken the night of the festival as part of the investigation.

Weldens released her first studio album, Le grand H de l'homme, earlier this year and had won a young talent award in 2016.

The singer, who grew up in the circus, was in the middle of a tour when she collapsed.

Following the singer's death, the Festival Léo Ferré was canceled.

Organisers of the Pic d'Or, gave Weldens a young talent award in 2016, released a statement, speaking of her energy and talent.

The statement said: 'It was with great emotion that we learned this morning of the death of Barbara Weldens, our Pic d'Or 2016 at a concert last night in Gourdon in the Lot, obviously electrocuted.

'Our team is deeply disturbed by the brutal disappearance of the artist who had appeared on the stage of the Theater des Nouveaux on May 20th, during our last edition.

'A radiant woman, full of energy and talented, and of course we think of all her family and her loved ones.'</s>Barbara Weldens dropped dead on stage at her own concert in France. The French singer was only 35 when she died.

French singer Barbara Weldens died suddenly while performing in France, according to La Parisien.

The up-and-coming young singer was only 35-years-old. The cause of her death is still unknown, but it is speculated to have been electrocution because she performed barefoot or possibly cardiac arrest.

An investigation into Barbara Weldens’ death has been opened, and an autopsy will be performed on her body.

A spokesperson for the French singer told Europe 1 that they “will see in the next weeks if a reevaluation” is necessary. They also told the publication that they plan to determine if and why an electrical malfunction had occurred.

Weldens performed at a church in the French village of Gourdon for the Léo Ferré Festival when she just collapsed on stage suddenly. Paramedics rushed to her side, but she died immediately.

The French singer was scheduled to perform her debut album, Le grand H de l’homme, across France and Belgium over the next few months. She regularly performed with a pianist and acoustic guitarist.

Mediapart reviewed her album and praised her for the “softness of the melodies” and “the feminity and masculinity” of her work.

According to BBC News, one of her biggest musical influences was singer and songwriter Jacques Brel.

Barbara won first place in the Jacques Brel Festival’s Young Talents 2016 contest and the Pic D’Or prize.

The organizers of the Pic D’Or prize made a statement saying that they were “deeply disturbed” by the “brutal disappearance” of the singer who made an appearance on the stage of the Theater des Noveaux on May 20, the Independent reported.

Barbara Weldens spent her childhood in circuses, learning how to juggle, do acrobatics, and trapeze with her parents. She was also a poet, according to her website.

She told Midi Libre newspaper last year that she had “always written poems,” even when she was “little” and that once she had taken piano lessons, all she “wanted to do was compose.”

No further information about the sudden death of French singer, Barbara Weldens, is available at this time.</s>Rising French singer Barbara Weldens reportedly collapsed and died in the middle of a concert. She was 35.

According to The Independent, Weldens was performing on stage at a church in the small south-west French village of Goudron when she suffered cardiac arrest. Her performance was part of the Leo Ferre festival.

Local media reports indicate Weldens was reportedly electrocuted but the BBC reports police are still investigating the cause of death.

Weldens was an up-and-coming singer and had won a young talent award after released her first album this year.

According to her website, Weldens grew up in the circus before deciding to become a singer.</s>An up-and-coming French singer has died while performing on stage at a concert, according to reports.

Barbara Weldens is understood to have been singing at a church in the village of Goudron in southwestern France when she collapsed on stage. Weldens, who was just 35, is said to have suffered a cardiac arrest. The BBC reports that she may have been electrocuted, and police are investigating the cause of death.

According to a biography on her website, Weldens grew up in the circus, where she learned juggling, acrobatics, and trapeze. She later embraced music, learning how to play the piano and to write songs.

She released her debut album Le Grand H de l’Homme to strong reviews last year and has won several prizes for her songwriting and music.

The organizers of the Pic D’Or prize, which Weldens won in 2016, said in a statement: “It was with great emotion that we learned this morning of the death of Barbara Weldens, our Pic d’Or 2016 at a concert last night in Gourdon in the Lot, obviously electrocuted.

“Our team is deeply disturbed by the brutal disappearance of the artist who had appeared on the stage of the Theater des Nouveaux on May 20th, during our last edition. A radiant woman, full of energy and talented, and of course we think of all her family and her loved ones.”

Watch the video for Weldens’ song “Je Ne Veux Pas De Ton Amour” above.</s>An up-and-coming French singer, Barbara Weldens, has collapsed and died in the middle of a concert at a festival.

The cause of her death is unclear but, according to one report, she was probably electrocuted.

Weldens, 35, had been on stage in a church in the picturesque village of Goudron, in the Lot region of the south-west, when she suffered an apparent cardiac arrest.

She had released her first album this year and had won a young talent award.

Police have begun investigating the cause of her death and have refused to speculate on the circumstances.

Weldens regularly performed with a pianist and acoustic guitarist and was in the middle of a tour. 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.</s>We still can’t believe French singer Barbara Weldens died on stage during a freak accident on July 19. She was an extremely talented singer, and taken from us way too soon. So to honor her life, we’ve put together some fun facts about her.

The music world will never be the same, following the unexpected death of Barbara Weldens, 35, during her July 19 performance at the Leo Ferre festival. The French singer’s death is still unknown, but she collapsed on stage after allegedly getting electrocuted and suffering from cardiac arrest. Following her passing, the organizers of the Pic D’Or prize (which she won in 2016) released the following statement: “It was with great emotion that we learned this morning of the death of Barbara Weldens, our Pic d’Or 2016 at a concert last night in Gourdon in the Lot, obviously electrocuted. Our team is deeply disturbed by the brutal disappearance of the artist who had appeared on the stage of the Theater des Nouveaux on May 20th, during our last edition. A radiant woman, full of energy and talented, and of course we think of all her family and her loved ones.” And they’re right — Barbara was a radiant woman. But she was also so much more than that. Learn more about her below!

1. Barbara released her first album, Le Grand H de l’Homme, in February 2017, and won several awards for it, including the Pic D’Or. She also won the young talent award at the Jacques Brel festival in 2016.

2. Barbara’s first passion was the circus, as she grew up in it and learned juggling, acrobatics, trapeze and other big top acts. She later took on music and learned how to play the piano, as well as write her own songs. Last year, 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”.

3. Barbara regularly performed with a pianist and acoustic guitarist and was in the middle of a tour, according to BBC. She was supposed to perform in more concerts in France and Belgium in the next few months.

4. One of Barbara’s biggest influences was singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, according to her website.

5. Barbara was 35 years old at the time of her death.

Our thoughts continue to go out to Barbara’s family, friends and fans during this heartbreaking time.</s>Tragedy has struck the music world, as one of its up-and-coming voices has been silenced. Barbara Weldens, an award-winning French singer, died in the middle of a performance and many think she was a victim of a horrible accident.

Music fans everywhere are in mourning over such a pointless – and possibly preventable – loss. While the exact cause of Barbara Weldens’ death has yet to be determined, many suspect that the 35-year-old singer may have been fatally electrocuted during her July 19 performance at the Leo Ferre festival. The French singer was on stage in the village of Goudron in the Lot region of southwest France, per NME, when she suddenly collapsed. She reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest, one that she would not survive, as she would later be pronounced dead.

Barbara had a camera on stage at the Church of the Cordeliers, according to Metro. She also was barefoot, and some reports claim she touched an electric device during her performance. This has led many to suspect she was the victim of a freak accident, but the investigation is still ongoing. Police will “see in the next weeks if a requalification is necessary.” The rest of the festival has been cancelled in respect of Barbara’s passing.

Such is the heartbreaking end to a short but promising career. Barbara released her debut album, Le Grand H de l’Homme, in 2016, receiving strong reviews for her songwriting and musical composition. This is amazing considering she claims to have grown up in the circus, learning juggling, acrobatics, trapeze and other big top acts. It seems that Barbara’s true love was music, as she later embraced her passion, learning how to play the piano and write her own songs. Her talent was undeniable, as she won the Pic D’Or prize in 2016.

“It was with great emotion that we learned this morning of the death of Barbara Weldens, our Pic d’Or 2016 at a concert last night in Gourdon in the Lot, obviously electrocuted,” the organization said upon news of Barbara’s death. Our team is deeply disturbed by the brutal disappearance of the artist who had appeared on the stage of the Theater des Nouveaux on May 20th, during our last edition. A radiant woman, full of energy and talented, and of course we think of all her family and her loved ones.” Sadly, in a blink of an eye, that radiant energy was suddenly ended.

Our thoughts go out to Barbara’s family, friends and fans during this heartbreaking time of loss.</s>French singer Barbara Weldens died unexpectedly while performing onstage during a concert in her native France. She was 35.

The cause of her death remains unknown and is speculated to be electrocution, as she performed barefoot, or cardiac arrest. An investigation has been opened and an autopsy will be performed, according to La Parisien.

She was performing in a church in the French village of Goudron as part of the Léo Ferré Festival when she collapsed onstage, local reports stated. Paramedics rushed to her aid but were unable to revive her.

Weldens won the first prize in the Jacques Brel Festival's Young Talents 2016 contest and the Pic D'Or prize and released her debut album, Le grand H de l'homme. Weldens was set to perform across France and Belgium over the coming months.</s>French singer Barbara Weldens died while performing on stage at a concert, according to NME. She was 35.

Weldens was singing at a church in the village of Goudron in southwestern France as part of the Festival Léo Ferré when she collapsed mid-song. There are conflicting reports regarding her cause of death with some reporting that she suffered a cardiac arrest and the BBC saying that she may have been electrocuted. Police are investigating, and the remainder of the festival has been canceled.

According to a biography on her website, Weldens grew up in the circus and took a particular liking to juggling, acrobatics and trapeze. She later learned how to play the piano and began writing and performing her own songs.

Her debut album, Le Grand H de L’Homme, was released last year and met with critical praise and several awards for her songwriting and music.

The organizers of the Pic D’Or prize, which Weldens won in 2016, said in a statement, according to NME, “It was with great emotion that we learned this morning of the death of Barbara Weldens, our Pic d’Or 2016 at a concert last night in Gourdon in the Lot, obviously electrocuted.

“Our team is deeply disturbed by the brutal disappearance of the artist who had appeared on the stage of the Theater des Nouveaux on May 20th, during our last edition. A radiant woman, full of energy and talented, and of course we think of all her family and her loved ones.”
Singer Barbara Weldens, whose recently released first album had won several awards, collapses and dies on stage while singing in Festival Léo Ferré in Gourdon in southwestern France. The 35-year-old singer and poet apparently was electrocuted.