One of France’s most famous entertainers and drag artists Michou died on Sunday, aged 88.
The artist, whose real name was Michel Catty, passed away in a Paris hospital.
Michou – the man in blue
Michou became famously known as the “man in blue” as he always dressed in the colour, often with flamboyant flair.
Openly gay Catty was born in Amiens and moved to Paris in the 1950s.
He became enamoured with the nightlife of the capital and eventually opened his own theatre called Chez Michou in the Montmartre district of Paris.
The theatre ran cabaret evenings which quickly became renowned for their outlandish and extravagant shows.
Chez Michou
Chez Michou became a Paris institution whose walls were adorned with photos of celebrities and leading politicians who visited the famous venue over the years.
Among those were Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren and French President Jacques Chirac.
Friends and fans posted messages in Twitter of their sadness at Michou’s.
Writer Alexandra Marshall wrote: “SADNESS. I lived next door to Chez Michou–Paris’s first drag club–for ten years.
“Michou was one of the loveliest and most generous men. Paid for the grandmas of the neighbourhood to go to the hair salon once a month.
“He was THE MAYOR of Montmartre, point barre. RIP.”
She included a photo of a blue coffin posted by another fan of the Paris drag star.
SADNESS. i lived next door to chez michou–Paris's first drag club–for ten years. michou was one of the loveliest and most generous men. paid for the grandmas of the neighborhood to go to the hair salon once a month. he was THE MAYOR of montmartre, point barre. RIP. https://t.co/uowgefLCDo
— Alexandra Marshall (@AlexMAbroad) January 27, 2020
Another, HaveWayne8, saw solidarity with the US, which is reeling from the tragic death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, tweeting: “The Americans lost Kobe Bryant, we lost #Michou was a legend of Parisian nights. Nice and caustic. Generous and lucid. RIP”.
The Americans lost Kobe Bryant, we lost #Michou was a legend of Parisian nights. Nice and caustic. Generous and lucid. RIP ????
Two rooms, Two shades…. pic.twitter.com/gxlJCcBGEH— Bob Have Mercy (@HaveWayne8) January 27, 2020
He received the Legion of Honour award in 2005 for his services to the community. The Legion d’Honneur is the highest merit of order in France.
He became known for his penchant for large blue sunglasses and blue attire and was a frequent guest on French TV shows.
In 2017 Michou published his memoirs under the title “Le Prince Bleu de Montmartre”. The book is currently listed as the number-one bestseller on two category lists on Amazon France.