Ginette Reno, whose real name is Ginette Raynault, is a Quebec singer and actress born in Montreal on April 28, 1946. At the age of 14, she entered the amateur contest Les Découvertes de Jean Simon at the Café de l'est in Montreal. She won first prize and began her singing career in the Montreal cabaret circuit. In 1964, she was named Female Discovery of the Year at the Gala des artistes. She went on to enjoy a string of successes in Quebec, England, the United States and France. Between 1962 and 2000, she released almost one album a year. She won several awards at various Galas de la chanson, including Best Canadian Female Vocalist of the Year (1969, 1971 and 1972). Ginette Reno left her mark on Quebec by performing Jean-Pierre Ferland's song "Un Peu plus haut, un peu plus loin" before 250,000 people gathered on Mont-Royal to celebrate Quebec's national holiday in 1975. Almost 33 years later, she performed the same song as a duet with Céline Dion on the Plains of Abraham before an equally large crowd on Friday evening, August 22, 2008. In 1980, at the ADISQ gala, she received three Félix trophies in the categories of performer of the year, popular album of the year and best-selling album of the year, with 350,000 copies of Je Ne Suis Qu'une Chanson. Awarded Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981, she was named most popular woman of the year at the Salon de la femme that same year. She performed on Quebec's biggest stages, including Place des Arts, on more than ten occasions. Each time, she gave nearly 30 performances. In the early 90s, she entered the world of cinema with Jean-Claude Lauzon's film Léolo. She also played the lead role in Denise Filiatrault's films C'ta Ton Tour, Laura Cadieux, and Laura Cadieux... la suite, adapted from Michel Tremblay's play. On April 27, 2022, she was named Chevalière de l'Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur. The songs "À ma manière", "Des Croissants de soleil", "J'ai besoin d'un ami", "La Dernière valse", "L'Essentiel", "T'es mon amour, t'es ma maîtresse" with Jean-Pierre Ferland, are Ginette Reno's biggest career hits.
