Serge Gainsbourg (1928–1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in
French pop music, he was renowned for often provocative and scandalous releases which caused uproar in France, dividing its public opinion, as well as his diverse artistic output, which ranged from his early work in
jazz,
chanson, and
yé-yé to later efforts in
rock,
zouk,
funk,
reggae, and
electronica. He is often regarded as one of the world's most influential popular musicians. His lyrical works incorporated
wordplay, with humorous, bizarre, provocative, sexual, satirical or subversive overtones. Gainsbourg's music has reached legendary stature in France, and he has become one of the country's best-loved public figures. He has also gained a cult following all over the world with chart success in the United Kingdom and Belgium with "
Je t'aime... moi non plus" and "
Bonnie and Clyde", respectively. This photo of Gainsbourg was taken in 1981.
Photograph credit: Claude Truong-Ngoc
