Jane Birkin, the British-French singer, actress and style icon who was catapulted to fame by her tumultuous relationship with singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, has died, a close source said on Sunday. She was 76.
Birkin had been suffering from health problems in recent years that had forced her to cancel concerts.
Jane Birkin in dates
Key dates in the life of British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin, who spent most of her life in France:
- December 14, 1946: Born in London, her mother an actress.
- 1965: Aged 17, marries James Bond composer John Barry with whom she has a daughter, Kate. They divorce three years later.
- 1966: Comes to public attention in the swinging sixties classic film "Blow Up" by Michelangelo Antonioni, which wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
- 1968: After moving to Paris, she meets famous French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. They start a turbulent 13-year musical and romantic partnership.
- 1969: Her steamy duet with Gainsbourg, "Je t'aime, moi non plus", causes a scandal.
- 1984: Hermes creates the Birkin bag, which becomes a celebrity favourite.
- 1985: First of three nominations at the Cesars, France's Oscars, for "La Pirate" directed by Jacques Doillon, her partner from 1980 to 1992.
- 1987: Performs in her first concert, at the Bataclan in Paris.
- 1998: Makes her first record without Gainsbourg, "A la legere".
- 2001: Made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to acting and British-French cultural relations.
- 2007: Directs her first film for cinema, "Boxes", which is given a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
- 2013: Apparent suicide of her daughter Kate Barry. She by then has two other daughters, Charlotte with Gainsbourg, and Lou with Doillon.
- 2021: Suffers a minor stroke