This week, I was saddened to hear of the death of Jane Birkin. Among the many tributes to this special woman, I saw President Macron claiming her as a French icon! She was, in fact, English, although she was beloved by the French and forever synonymous with her great love affair with the French singer songwriter Serge Gainsbourg.
I was lucky enough to see her in concert, singing the songs that Gainsbourg wrote for her. Yet, she was much more than a muse, she had her own light, that shone through no matter the tribulations of her life. A truly beautiful woman, inside and out.
I have taken my title for this small tribute to her from a fascinating film about Serge’s life called ‘Gainsbourg – Vie héroïque’ (Gainsbourg – A Heroic Life). Here is a short scene that shows their first meeting:
