Serge Gainsbourg, whose real name was Lucien Ginsburg, became an iconic figure in French musical culture. A descendant of emigrants from Russia, he is remembered as a romantic, provocateur, and ladies' man.

Lucien Iosifovich Ginsburg was born on April 2, 1928. His parents, Olga Bezman and Iosif Ginsburg, were from Ukraine. His mother was a singer, and his father was a composer and pianist. After the 1917 revolution, the family moved to Paris via Constantinople.

The year 1958 marked an important stage in Gainsbourg's career. His songs began to be performed by other artists, and his debut album Duchant a laune was released. At this time, he changed his name: Serge, in honor of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, and the surname Gainsbourg, in honor of the English artist Gainsborough.

Gainsbourg's personal life was as vibrant and scandalous as his work. In 1951, he married Elizabeth Levitsky, a representative of an ancient Russian aristocratic family. Their marriage lasted 7 years.

In January 1964, Gainsbourg married Françoise-Antoinette Pancrazi, known to everyone as Beatrice. In the same year, they had a daughter, Natasha. Two years later, the couple separated but later reconciled, and they had a son, Paul.

Gainsbourg's other children, daughter Charlotte and son Lucien, were born from civil unions. Charlotte, the daughter of actress and singer Jane Birkin, has already made a name for herself in the film world. His son Lucien was born to Caroline von Paulus, known by her stage name Bamboo, the granddaughter of a German field marshal.