Since the announcement of the death of the Franco-British actress and singer this Sunday, many tributes have come to salute the memory of Jane Birkin, who died at the age of 76.
Icon of an era, Jane Birkin died this Sunday, July 16 at the age of 76. Recently, she had canceled concerts for health reasons, saying in a statement in May: “I’ve always been a big optimist, and realize that I still need some time to be able to perform on stage again and with you.”
In the wake of the announcement of her death, many tributes salute the memory of the successful singer and talented actress, who was notably nominated three times for the Césars for La Pirate (1984), La Femme de ma Life (1986) and La Belle Noiseuse (1991).
Starting with the political world, like his compatriot Menna Rawlings, ambassador of the United Kingdom in France, “sad to learn of the death of Jane Birkin (…) “the most French of British artists”.
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as soft as her commitments were ardent. She bequeaths to us tunes and images who will not leave us” commented the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
The Ministry of Culture pays tribute to an actress and singer whose “his collaborations with the greatest (Serge Gainsbourg, Etienne Daho or Agnes Varda) have made her a timeless French-speaking icon”.
“Unimaginable to live in a world without your light” wrote the singer Etienne Daho on his Instagram account, which was the director and composer of Jane Birkin’s last album. Patrick Bruel, also a singer but also a longtime actor, has shared a photo in black and white by Jane Birkin simply captioned with a “Goodbye Jane”.
On France infoLine Renaud, 95, remembered this “tremendous kindness” that the singer gave off. “She was very, very simple, very discreet. If she could get behind the wall, she would have.”
Brigitte Bardot shared a handwritten letter on her Twitter account. “When you’re so pretty, so fresh, so spontaneous with a child’s voice, you don’t have the right to die” wrote the actress.
Pierre Richard, who had shared the poster with her for La Moutarde monte au soleil in 1974 and La Course à l’échalote in 1976, sadly expressed himself on his Twitter account. “A piece of my heart goes with her” he wrote.
“A sweetness in a world of brutes, that’s it, Jane” commented Josiane Balasko, invited to speak by telephone on the BFM TV set. “She was someone who always had great humility. She embodied a very great kindness for me”.