On August 13, 1998, Nino Ferrer ended his life by shooting himself in the chest. His body had been found in a field near his house, at a place called Lapaillade, from where he enjoyed admiring the view of the Quercy region. Consumed by dark thoughts and considering himself responsible for the death of his mother Monette, who had died two months earlier, the artist had plunged into a deep depression.
Living with her son since the death of her husband in 1981, Monette had experienced many health problems (stroke, cardiac arrest) and was becoming increasingly weak. According to the wife of Nino Ferrer, Kinou Ferrari, his mother would have died at the age of 86 following a violent fall which occurred while her son was showing him new facilities on his property. A tragedy for the artist who has never forgiven himself and who has never accepted his death. “He no longer went out, he no longer lived“ she confided.
Worried, his wife had nevertheless brought in a doctor, two days before his death, to try to treat his depression. He then decided to prescribe anxiolytics. The next day, elated by the effect of the drugs, the singer had demanded to be called “Don Nino Ferrer” during a dinner organized for the birthday of his wife before diving completely naked in the swimming pool of their house.
The day of his terrible gesture, he had managed to keep his wife away by asking her to go and scatter the ashes of his mother Monette in the garden of La Taillade. Sure of himself and determined to die, he then put on an old jacket, a hat and left alone, a shotgun under his arm. Along the way, he left several farewell letters for his loved ones. Once in the field, the artist shot himself in the chest and quickly succumbed to his injuries.
The year of his suicide, the performer of the title Innocence had also begun writing a diary which he titled 1998 and after (maybe). Inside, the singer had written drafts of new songs but above all a testament in rhyme.
Nino Ferrer’s body was cremated. His widow, Kinou Ferrari, died at the age of 74 on March 17, 2022 in Lendou-en-Quercy.