About Régine Chassagne
Born 1976. Régine Chassagne is a Canadian singer, musician, pianist and songwriter.
Régine Alexandra Chassagne (; born 19 August 1976) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist, and is a member of the band Arcade Fire.
Early life and career Régine Alexandra Chassagne was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and grew up in St-Lambert, a suburb south of Montreal. Her parents, who were Haitians of mixed French and African descent, moved from Haiti during the dictatorship of François Duvalier, which is alluded to in the Arcade Fire song "Haïti", in which she sings, ("My unborn cousins haunt Duvalier's nights"). The line is in reference to the relatives who were killed during the Jérémie Vespers massacre.
Chassagne attended before earning a B.A. in communication studies at Concordia University in 1998, and went on to study jazz voice briefly at McGill University. She was singing jazz at an art opening at Concordia in 2000, when Win Butler met her and persuaded her to join his band.
Chassagne has also been involved with a medieval-themed band called and with Jimmy Rouleau in the jazz duo Azúcar. She also wrote the music for the two-minute David Uloth short film "The Shine", and she contributed to the UNICEF benefit project as part of the North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative, performing the song "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" along with Win Butler.
She plays many instruments on stage, including accordion, drums, xylophone, hurdy-gurdy, keyboards, organ and guitar. In Arcade Fire, Chassagne performs lead vocals on some songs, including "Haiti", "In the Backseat", "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations", "Empty Room", "Abraham's Daughter", "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", "Creature Comfort", "Electric Blue", and "Unconditional II (Race and Religion)".
In March 2015, Chassagne, along with Win Butler, attended the launch of music streaming service Tidal, and revealed themselves, along with other notable artists, as shareholders in the company.
Personal life Chassagne married fellow Arcade Fire member Win Butler in 2003. They have a son, born in April 2013. The couple announced their separation in October 2025.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Régine Chassagne's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Régine Chassagne's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Régine Chassagne?
Canadian musician
When was Régine Chassagne born?
Régine Chassagne was born on 19 August 1976 in Montreal.
What is Régine Chassagne's occupation?
Régine Chassagne is a singer, musician, pianist and songwriter.
What nationality is Régine Chassagne?
Régine Chassagne is Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Régine Chassagne. https://biography.guide/regine-chassagne/
MLA: "Régine Chassagne." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/regine-chassagne/.
Chicago: "Régine Chassagne." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/regine-chassagne/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:29 UTC