She was beautiful. She was talented. She was everything. At the age of 80, the icon of French pop music, Françoise Hardy, said goodbye to us on June 11, 2024. In the last six years of her life, she fought for the right to euthanasia because in her fight against cancer, Françoise said that the radiation left her in immense pain and she feared that a natural death would bring “even more physical suffering.” It is therefore even more touching that they did not immediately publicize the reason for her departure.

Known for her melancholic and existential lyrics, guitar, and soft voice, the singer rose to prominence in the 60s and became one of France’s most famous artists. I was born and raised to the sound of her voice, influenced by her ability to sing deep feelings with apparently simple lyrics and melodies, her sincerity, and, of course, her elegance.

In 2018, Françoise was diagnosed with a tumor in her ear and then diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. The years of radiation and immunotherapy caused immense pain, making swallowing difficult. Unable to even speak, she was forced to stop singing. Therefore, even though it bothered many, she was ahead of the curve in wanting assisted suicide. “It is not up to doctors to respond to every request, but rather to shorten the unnecessary suffering of an incurable disease from the moment it becomes unbearable,” she said.

In 1962, a young Françoise Hardy broke out worldwide with the little waltz Tous les garçons et les filles. Alongside The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, she was at the forefront of the yé-yé pop phenomenon and quickly became one of the movement’s muses. In fashion she inspired designers like Paco Rabanne, in cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, and in music she even recorded with Blur and Air, among recent bands from the 1990s.

Françoise was married to musician Jacques Dutronc, with whom she had her only son, Thomas. On her last album, Personne d’autre, from 2018, she recorded what I see as her goodbye song: Le Large.

And tomorrow everything will be fine, everything will be far away
There at the end, when I boarded
Everything will be far away, give me your hand
There at the end, when I boarded

I am relieved that her soul has found its Peace. I will miss her, but I am happy to have known her Art.

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