Catherine Ringer, the singer and co-founder of French pop-rock duo Les Rita Mitsouko, has died aged 68 after a sudden cancer.
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Her family confirmed her passing to Agence France-Presse.
Ringer’s children said that she died of “a devastating cancer” during the night of Sept. 14. The family described Ringer as a major French artist whose voice, songs, freedom, and distinctive style had marked several generations.
Ringer formed Les Rita Mitsouko with guitarist Fred Chichin, her partner, after the pair met in 1979. The duo became one of the defining acts of French rock, combining rock, pop, funk, electro, and chanson.
Catherine Ringer Achieved Huge Success in France
The group achieved major success in the 1980s with songs including “Marcia Baïla,” “Andy,” “C’est comme ça,” and “Les Histoires d’A.” “Marcia Baïla,” released in 1984, became one of their best-known songs and helped establish the group’s reputation beyond France’s rock scene.
Chichin died from cancer in 2007 at the age of 53. After his death, Ringer initially stepped away from performing before returning to the stage and continuing to perform the duo’s music. She later developed a solo career and worked with artists including Sparks and Iggy Pop.
Ringer remained active as a performer into 2026. She performed in Paris in February and continued to present music connected with her work with Chichin.
Emmanuel de Buretel, founder of French record label Because Music, paid tribute to Ringer as an “extraordinary artist” and said France had lost “one of its greatest singers of the past fifty years.”
He highlighted her work as a lyricist, composer, performer, and producer and said her artistic legacy extended well beyond the songs that brought her widespread recognition.
Ringer also explored poetry in her later career.
Her death closes the story of Les Rita Mitsouko’s original partnership while leaving behind a body of work that shaped several generations of French popular music.