Catherine Ringer

Catherine Ringer
Ringer performing, 2007
Ringer performing, 2007
Background information
Born(1957-10-18)18 October 1957
Suresnes, France
Died14 September 2026(2026-09-14) (aged 68)
Paris, France
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • composer
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • dancer
  • choreographer
  • actress
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • guitar
Formerly of
Websitelesritamitsouko.com

Catherine Ringer (French: [katʁin ʁɛ̃ʒe]; 18 October 1957 – 14 September 2026) was a French singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, choreographer, actress, pornographic performer, and co-founder of the pop rock group Les Rita Mitsouko. She was the daughter of French artist Sam Ringer. She was also the lead vocalist for Plaza Francia Orchestra where she performed with Eduardo Makaroff and Christoph H. Müller, formerly of Gotan Project.

Life and career

Ringer started her professional career on stage in the late 1970s in productions with Michael Lonsdale's Théâtre de Recherche Musicale as well as musical and dance productions. In 1976, she met the Argentine dancer and choreographer Marcia Moretto with whom she studied and also performed in various venues in Paris. The hit song "Marcia Baïla" was written as a tribute to Moretto after her death in 1981.

In 1979, she met Fred Chichin with whom she founded and co-led the music group Les Rita Mitsouko. Ringer continued leading the group after Chichin's death in November 2007.

Catherine Ringer in 2007

Following the release of the 2010 Gotan Project album Tango 3.0, Ringer teamed up with members Eduardo Makaroff and Christoph H. Müller to create Plaza Francia, now known as Plaza Francia Orchestra for their 7 April 2014 release A New Tango Song Book. The album was met with critical acclaim and was a commercial success in France and Belgium.

Ringer died in Paris on 14 September 2026, at the age of 68, from cancer.

Discography

Ringer performing live at the Eurockéennes, 2007

Solo career

Albums

  • 2011: Ring n' Roll
  • 2014: A New Tango Song Book (with Plaza Francia)
  • 2017: Chroniques et Fantaisies

Singles

  • 1988: Qu’est-Ce Que T’es Belle (featuring Marc Lavoine)
  • 1997: Eso es el amor
  • 1998: Doux Daddy
  • 2008: Parle plus bas (featuring Mauro Gioia)
  • 2010: Les Bohémiens
  • 2010: L'Adèle
  • 2011: Quel est ton nom
  • 2011: Pardon
  • 2011: Vive l'amour
  • 2012: Prends-moi
  • 2012: Punk 103
  • 2014: La Mano Encima (with Plaza Francia)
  • 2014: Secreto (with Plaza Francia)
  • 2014: Idées noires (featuring Bernard Lavilliers)

Joint/collaborative singles

  • 1995: "Peut-être ce soir" (from the album Roots by Coba)
  • 1998: "Rendez-Vous" (from the album Conscious Posi by Coba)
  • 1998: "Sa raison d'être" (from the album Ensemble, AIDS charity)
  • 1998: "Paranoïa" (from the album Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Doc Gyneco)
  • 2002: "Tawes" (from the album "Uni-vers-elles" by Djura)
  • 2004: "La bohême" duo with Corneille (CD and DVD)
  • 2005: "Maudie" (from the album "Le Pavillon Des Fous" de Thomas Fersen)
  • 2008: "Parle plus bas" (with Mauro Gioia) (2008)

With Les Rita Mitsouko

Albums

With Plaza Francia Orchestra

  • 2014: A New Tango Song Book
  • 2018: Plaza Francia Orchestra

Soundtracks for films

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Catherine Ringer se raconte dans Sexy folies | INA (in French). Retrieved 13 July 2024 – via www.ina.fr.
  2. ↑ "Sam Ringer par Catherine Ringer". 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ "Catherine Ringer". Ritamitsouko.org. 18 October 1957. Archived from the original on 16 July 2001. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Plaza Francia: Catherine Ringer ose le tango". Le Point.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 November 2026.
  5. ↑ "Plaza Francia: Catherine Ringer danse avec le Gotan Project". L'Express (in French). 23 April 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2026.
  6. ↑ "Disparition. Catherine Ringer, célèbre voix des Rita Mitsouko, est décédée à l'âge de 68 ans". www.dna.fr (in French). 15 September 2026. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Nossiter, Adam (25 September 2026). "Catherine Ringer, French Pop Icon of Eclectic Style, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Catherine Ringer, célèbre voix des Rita Mitsouko, est morte à l'âge de 68 ans". Le Monde (in French). 15 September 2026. ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 15 September 2026.