Jane Birkin

It would be unfair to class the actress and singer Jane Birkin – born December 14, 1946, in Marylebone, London - as a one hit wonder but she will forever be associated with just one song: “Je t'aime... moi non plus,” a track which upon its release in 1969 achieved a fame and notoriety which far exceeded expectations. The track was a collaboration between Jane Birkin – who was, by then, a successful actress - and her mentor and partner Serge Gainsbourg who was a French singer and actor. “Je t'aime... moi non plus” was considered to be too sexually explicit even for the swinging ‘60s and it was banned by many radio stations across Europe, including the BBC. Fontana, the original distributor, panicked and withdrew the track from sale and the song was immediately picked up and released again on the Major Minor label. This led to the bizarre situation of the same song simultaneously occupying two chart positions, one reflecting Fontana's sales and the other Major Minor's. It eventually went on to sell over four million copies, was the highest selling foreign language record ever sold in the UK, and the first time a number 1 record had been banned by the BBC. Jane Birkin had always considered herself an actress rather than a singer and has only released 13 studio albums in a career spanning almost 50 years. Her catalog of albums included Di Doo Dah (1973), Lolita Go Home (1975), Baby Alone in Babylon (1983), Rendez-Vous (2004), and Enfants d’Hiver (2008). In 2017, she released Birkin/Gainsbourg: Le Symphonique, a collection of songs Serge Gainsbourg wrote for her during their relationship. In 2020, Jane Birkin returned with the studio album Oh! Pardon Tu Dormais… Throughout her professional career, Jane Birkin received many honors and awards including Best Actress at the 1985 Orleans Film Festival. She was also appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2002 and Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2022. She was also honored with The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as Chevaliers (2013) and the French Ordre National du Mérite in 2004 and 2015. Jane Birkin died in Paris, France on July 16, 2023, at the age of 76.