Trivia

Became infamous for his provocative and controversial appearances on French television in the 1980s, often showing up unshaved and drunk.

Discovering that Gainsbourg made his wife Rita Marley sing erotic lyrics, Bob Marley was furious.

Many French celebrities including Catherine Deneuve, Johnny Hallyday, Françoise Hardy and Isabelle Adjani attended his funeral (7 March 1991).

His home on rue de Verneuil in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district in Paris is still covered in graffiti and poems.

He was said to smoke five packs of unfiltered Gitane cigarettes a day.

Due to his explicit eroticism, his song "Je t'aime...moi non plus", sung by his then lover Jane Birkin, became his biggest international hit in 1969. Ironically, he recorded the original version with Brigitte Bardot, who later pleaded him not to release it, one year before.

Being a guest on Michel Drucker's Saturday night live show, he was interviewed together with Whitney Houston and exclaimed to the host "I want to f... her!".

Wrote for his god-daughter France Gall the winning song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" at 10ème Concours Eurovision de la chanson 1965 (1965).

Had a heart attack in May 1973. At a press conference from his hospital bed he announced he would reduce his chances of another heart attack by "increasing his intake of alcohol and cigarettes". He continued to smoke during his stay at the hospital, hiding cigarette ends in pill bottles.

Buried in the exclusive Montparnasse cemetery Paris, France.

French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director, becoming a musical legend due to his varied style and individuality.

Born to Joseph Ginsburg (1896-1971) and Olia Bessman (1894-1985), Ukrainian Jews who fled to France after the 1917 Russian Revolution, he grew up with an older sister, Jaqueline (born in 1926) and a twin sister, Liliane. His elder brother Marcel died at an early age.

Had two children from Elisabeth Pancrazzi (also known as Béatrice Pancrazzi): Natacha (born on August 8, 1964) and Paul (born in Spring 1968).