Brigitte Bardot

One of the most iconic beauties of her day, French actress, model and singer Brigitte Bardot was a sensual symbol of the swinging Sixties. Noted for her long blonde hair, piercing eyes and accentuated lips, she was adored by men and a role model for young women. Originally she planned to be a ballet dancer but, spotted by film director Roger Vadim - later her husband - she was diverted by a movie career and became internationally famous in Vadim's controversial film ...And God Created Women. Other notable early movies included Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 cult film Contempt and Louis Malle's 1965 movie Viva Maria. Bardot went on to star in 47 films and also carved out a parallel career as a model and singer. Her first release was Sidonie in 1961 from the film Vie Privee and in 1963 collaborated with Serge Gainsbourg on her 1963 album Brigitte Bardot Sings, a partnership that also saw her recording the sexual innuendo track Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus, which was later a major international hit for Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. She duetted again with Gainsbourg on another French hit, Bonnie And Clyde and went on to record several more albums, including duets with Sacha Distel, Darry Cowl, Annie Girardot and Gerard Lenorman. Other major Bardot tracks include Harley Davidson, Bubblegum, Contact, L'Appareil A Sous and Le Soleil De Ma Vie, a cover of Stevie Wonder's You Are The Sunshine Of My Life. In 1973 - at the age of 38 - Bardot announced her retirement from the entertainment industry and has devoted herself to animal welfare and human rights ever since.