Serge Gainsbourg

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Paris, France (1928 – 1991)

Serge Gainsbourg (April 2, 1928 – March 2, 1991) was a poet-songwriter, singer, actor, novelist, painter and director. Gainsbourg’s varied style and individuality made him difficult to categorize. Although famous in France for many years, he did not achieve his first No. 1 album until 1979, when he released Aux Armes et caetera more than twenty years after his music career had begun. But since the 1980s, his legacy has been firmly established.

Personal life

He was born Lucien Ginzburg in Paris, France, the son of Jewish Russian parents who fled to France after the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. His childhood was profoundly affected by the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, during which he and his family, as Jews, were forced to wear the yellow star and eventually flee from Paris. He had a daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, with English singer and actress Jane Birkin; and a son, Lulu, with his last partner, Bambou (Caroline Von Paulus, who is related to Friedrich Paulus). Before he was 30 years old, Lucien Ginsburg was a disillusioned painter but earned his living as a piano player in bars.

Daughter Charlotte would later become an actress and singer.

Early work
His early songs were influenced by Boris Vian and were largely in the vein of “old-fashioned” chanson. Very early, however, Gainsbourg began to move beyond this and experiment with a succession of different musical styles: early on, in the 60’s, in the 70’s, even in the 80’s.
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  • albion41

    Un génie de la musique. [2]

    Saturday evening
  • Nakkinak

    the ultimate pimp [2]

    Saturday evening
  • Poulorc

    Un génie de la musique.

    Saturday morning
  • adriano_queer

    Serge is to me what jesus christ is to some people (2)

    Thursday evening
  • furs_of1

    good man

    Thursday evening
  • KasparovDeepBlu

    Dat Dvorak

    Wednesday evening
  • corpsecock

    Serge is to me what jesus christ is to some people

    11 days ago
  • matt_white

    the ultimate pimp

    16 days ago
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