July 17, (THEWILL) – British-born singer cum actress, Jane Birkin, has died at 76.
However, the cause of her death and other details are not known.
Birkin had been suffering from health problems in recent years that had forced her to cancel concerts.
The late singer catapulted to fame through her turbulent relationship with legendary singer-songwriter, Serge Gainsbourg, and her heavily accented French, which became one of her signatures in her adopted home.
In 1984, Hermes named one of its handbags after her, which remains a sought-after status symbol.
Born in London, Birkin crossed the Channel in 1968 at the age of 22, to star in a film alongside Gainsbourg, who was 18 years her senior.
It was the start of a 13-year relationship that made them France’s most famous couple, in the spotlight as much for their bohemian and hedonistic lifestyle as for their work.
Birkin, with her soft voice and androgynous silhouette, quickly became a sex symbol, recording a steamy duo with a growling Gainsbourg in 1969, “Je t’aime… moi non plus.”
Banned on radio in several countries and condemned by the Vatican, the song was a worldwide success.
“He and I became the most famous of couples in that strange way because of ‘Je t’aime’ and because we stuck together for 13 years and he went on being my friend until the day he died. Who could ask for more?” Birkin told CNN in 2006.
The daughter of an actress and a naval officer, Birkin married John Barry, with whom she had a daughter, Kate. The marriage lasted three years.
She moved to France after meeting Gainsbourg on the set of a romantic comedy, in which he was her co-star.
They had a daughter, Charlotte, who became a hugely successful actress and singer.
