Disappearance
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She invented the discotheque and reigned over Parisian nights, the ultimate party girl at the crossroads of all the celebrities, a cheeky singer, the “Grande Zoa” died on Sunday May 1 at the age of 92.
For many, Régine will remain the mercurochrome sauerkraut night owl. Frenchie sleeping beauty by day; boys, feathers and rhinestones at the end of a night made of kidney drops. The only true red planet to defy darkness – Mars better watch out – Régine prefers the nickname “Grande Zoa” or “Fréhel de Montparnasse” to hearing the “Queen of the Night” scream. . She will have led an extraordinary life under the aegis of disco balls, exporting her night (21 discos in her name, registered trademark, jet-set-on-seven to the four corners of the world) from the mid-1950s to the end of the 90s, from Monte-Carlo to Rio, via Paris, New York, Buenos Aires or Cairo… She was a businesswoman, perfume launcher, takeover of places (the Palace, the Ledoyen restaurant…), philanthropist (the SOS Drugs International association, co-founded in 1984), outstanding cook of Polish meatballs… It could end there, but we could also add a model for Andy Warhol and eyelid surgery advisor for Julio Iglesias.
The ultimate party girl, Régine twisted the Rothschilds – Liliane and Elie –, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, became friends with writers, thugs, journalists, artists and other barkers, from Françoise Sagan to Jean Cocteau in going through Marlène Dietrich, Omar Sharif (one of her lovers), Johnny, Gene Kelly (another of her lovers), la Callas, Jacques Brel, l…