Catherine Ringer buried in Paris alongside Fred Chichin

Catherine Ringer was buried Saturday at the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, resting beside her former partner Fred Chichin. The funeral took place in the presence of family members and several notable figures from French music. The singer, who died Monday evening from cancer at the age of 68, had requested a private ceremony, but hundreds of fans and curious attendees gathered to observe a highly musical event from a distance, according to an AFP photographer. Among those present were her children and close friends, along with musicians such as Marc Lavoine, Matthieu Chedid, Liane Foly, Alain Souchon, Vincent Delerm, Nolwenn Leroy, and Caroline Loeb. Actresses Josiane Balasko and Marina Foïs were also part of the procession. The coffin arrived accompanied by musicians led by her son Raoul Chichin, who played guitar. With other musicians, he performed several songs, including “Marcia Baïla,” the 1984 hit by Rita Mitsouko and a poignant tribute to Argentine dancer Marcia Moretto, who also died of cancer. Didier Varrot, director of music programming for Radio France antennas, who discovered the singer during a concert in 1982 when Rita Mitsouko were not yet famous, described his reaction: “They were so emblematic of my generation and an era. Naturally, we are stunned and sad. At the same time, there is the sun, she will join Fred.” The ceremony took place near the grave where Fred Chichin has rested for nearly two decades. After the service ended, many bystanders gathered around Catherine Ringer’s tomb to lay flowers, extending the afternoon of tributes. Following Fred Chichin’s death from a sudden cancer at the age of 53, Catherine Ringer initially left the stage before gradually returning, continuing to honor the legacy of Rita Mitsouko while later pursuing a solo career on the fringes of the music scene. Nathalie Fresco, a painter present at the funeral, called Catherine Ringer “a great lady” who accompanied her youth. She said Ringer symbolized a whole era of rock-pop music, open and innovative, representing freedom and maturity with considerable talent. The ceremony took place in the cemetery, close to the tomb where Fred Chichin has been resting for almost twenty years. After the service concluded, numerous onlookers gathered around Catherine Ringer’s tomb to lay flowers, extending the afternoon of tributes.