UK-born Jane Birkin, a famous style icon and singer known for her turbulent relationship with singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, has died at the age of 76.
Jane Birkin was born in London but lived most of her life in FranceImage: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
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British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin has passed away in Paris at the age of 76, the French Culture Ministry said on Sunday.
The London-born entertainer suffered from health problems in recent years that forced her to cancel concerts. She had a mild stroke in 2021.
Birkin first became famous internationally in 1969 when she and her lover, the late French musician Serge Gainsbourg, sang the controversial hit song "Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus" with sexually explicit lyrics.
Finding love in Paris
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in London in December 1946. Her mother was an actress Judy Campbell and her father a naval officer David Birkin.
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Her first marriage came at 17, when Birkin married composer John Barry, himself famous for composing the iconic "James Bond" theme. Birkin and Barry had a daughter, Kate, but their marriage fell apart after only three years.
In 1966, Birkin appeared nude in Michelangelo Antonioni's film "Blow-Up" as a part of a threesome sex scene.
Two years later, on a set of a romantic comedy in Paris, she met French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. Although Gainsbourg was 18 years older, the two started a 13-year-long relationship that prompted Birkin to permanently move to Paris and eventually made them France's most famous couple.
The two also had a daughter, Charlotte, who has become a successful actress and singer in her own right.
The musical and romantic relationship between Birkin and Gainsbourg was notoriously turbulentImage: Reg Lancaster/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Moving away from Gainsbourg
Birkin built her career and image in the 1970s, forming an iconic look which include flared jeans, mini dresses and messy bangs. In 1980, she left Gainsbourg to focus on her movie career, which also included art house productions with many of France's leading directors.
However, Birkin and Gainsbourg continued to cooperate professionally, with Gainsbourg writing songs for her after their split. The songwriter, who struggled with alcoholism, died of a heart attack in 1991 at the age of 62.
Birkin continued to pursue her music career after Gainsbourg's death, releasing "A la Legere" in 1998, writing the album "Arabesque" in 2002 and publishing a collection of live recordings, "Jane at the Palace" in 2009.
Birkin suffered from health issues in recent years that forced her to cancel concertsImage: Martial Trezzini/AP Photo/picture alliance
Bag named 'Birkin'
The actress also left her mark in the world of fashion. In 1984, French luxury label Hermes named one of its handbags after her.
It is said that in 1981 Birkin was on a flight next to the late Jean-Louise Dumas, then CEO of Hermes. Birkin had tried to put her luggage in the overhead compartment and famously complained that she had yet to find a purse big enough to hold all of a woman's belongings. This prompted Dumas to prototype a bag that would become the iconic Birkin.
In 2015, Birkin asked Hermes to drop her name from the bag after animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals alerted her to the cruel farming practices of crocodiles for their leather. She later relented after Hermes investigated the practices and found them to be an "isolated irregularity."
Sex sells: 11 scandalous songs in Germany
It's almost unimaginable nowadays, but "Je t'aime" by Jane Birkin stirred an uproar in the late 1960s. Here are 11 well-known songs considered just as scandalous - also in Germany.
"My best publicity comes from the Vatican," composer Serge Gainsbourg once said. His song "Je t'aime," which he performed together with Jane Birkin in 1969, stirred an uproar not only in Rome. Their erotic number was even outlawed in many countries and German broadcasters refused to play the song at times. At the time, songs about sex were often indexed.
Image: Zuma/imago images
Hair's ménage à trois
The musical "Hair" enjoys cult status and fans continue to flock to theaters when it is shown. When it was presented on stage in Munich in 1968, it caused a scandal. It was claimed that in the musical, "three people were rolling around on the stage," alluding to a ménage à trois. In response, producer Werner Schmid added a blanket to the problematic scene.
Image: Getty Images
Double criticism of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'
Christians and Jews were equally critical of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar," gathering for a protest before its premiere on Broadway in 1971. Whereas some Jews saw it as anti-Semitic, some Christians felt insulted by its presentation of Jesus.
Image: Getty Images/L. Burt
Udo Lindenberg's 'Bodo Ballermann'
German singer Udo Lindenberg's song "Bodo Ballermann" irked a lot of people in 1976, as it contained the German verb "bumsen," which is a crude reference to sex. Public German television even changed the text, and some broadcasters refused to play the song.
Image: AP
Don't call that number
In 1981, the German song "Skandal um Rosi," the only big hit by the group Spyder Murphy Gang, attracted a lot of attention. Since the word "Nutten" (whores) came up in the text, broadcasters in Bavaria boycotted the song. Also, a telephone number mentioned in the text resulted in a lot of trouble - because it really existed. It was quickly removed from the listing, and has not been issued since.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Bajzat
Falco's 'Jeanny'
Until the 1980s, music containing topics such as sex, drugs, suicide and violence was often censored. In the early 90s, far-right political songs were often censored as well. Austrian singer Falco, who was very successful with "Amadeus," even in the US, got himself into deep trouble with "Jeanny" in 1985, as it contained a sex murder. Both the music and the video were censored.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Just say no to drugs
Peter Tosh came under fire for calling for the legalization of marijuana in his song "Legalize It." Besides, the Rastafarian admitted to smoking pot himself. That's why he was not allowed to perform in Munich in 1983 and his album ended up on the index.
Image: Imago/ZUMA Press
Incest reference banned
The German punk group Ärzte broke all records when it comes to censorship. They were not allowed to make some of their songs accessible to minors, among them the song "Geschwisterliebe" (Love between siblings) from 1987, as the text alluded to sex between a brother and a sister.
Image: picture-alliance / Jazz Archiv H
Enfant terrible: Rammstein
Hardly any other German band is as controversial as Rammstein, which is Germany's best-known band outside the country. In 2009, their album "Liebe ist für alle da" (Love is there for everybody) was censored in Germany. It was claimed that the band was glamorizing sadomasochistic practices and encouraging people to have unprotected sex.
Image: picture alliance/CITYPRESS24
Political arrests in Russia
On February 21, 2012, four masked women stepped in front of the altar of a Moscow cathedral. In an improvised concert, the Russian punk band Pussy Riot screamed out its anger against President Putin. Despite international protests, the four women were sentenced for being rowdies. German politicians also called for their release, and in December 2013 the last remaining activist was released.
Image: picture alliance / dpa
Bushido - permanently on the index
In 2013, rapper Bushido was heavily criticized for homophobic passages, and even calls for violence against gays, women and politicians in his song "Stress ohne Grund" (Stress without a reason). The video accompanying the song was blocked on the internet and the song itself ended up on the index. Bushido sued on the grounds of artistic freedom and won the case.
