Régine

Belgian-born French singer, actress and nightclub impresario who dubbed herself the "Queen of the Night". Born to Polish Jewish parents, she was hosted by French people in Aix-en-Provence during the second world war. Regine became the owner of the nightclubs Jimmy'z in Monaco and Chez Régine in Paris since 1956. She is attributed with the invention of the modern-day discothèque, by virtue of creating a new dynamic atmosphere at Paris' Whisky à Gogo, with the ubiquitous jukebox replaced by disc jockeys utilising linked turntables. She closed all her clubs in 2004 (22 in the world) but went again on tour at the age of 86.

Famous for interpreting "Bits of paper,"she is also widely known for her French solo version of "I will survive" (a hit for Gloria Gaynor) and a duet version with Julia Migenes, and she played "Simone" in The Ripoux directed by Zidi.

Régine had one son, Lionel, from her first husband Leon Rothcage, whom she married when she was 16. Remarried to Roger Choukroun in 1969, they divorced in 2004. She died at the age of 92 on 1 May 2022.