Vanessa Chantal Paradis (born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model, and actress. Paradis became a child star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single "Joe le taxi" (1987)

At age 18, she was awarded France's highest honours as both a singer and an actress with the Prix Romy Schneider

Paradis was born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, near Paris, to interior designers André and Corinne Paradis.

Her singing career began at the age of eight when her uncle, record producer Didier Pain, helped her appear on the local television program L'École des fans, a talent show for child singers.

Paradis recorded her first single, "La Magie des surprises-parties", in 1983 and performed it in an Italian festival in 1985.

Although not a hit, it paved the way for the song with which she became internationally famous, "Joe le taxi", in 1987 when she was 14.

It was number one in France for 11 weeks and, unusually for a song sung in French, was released in the United Kingdom, where it reached number three.

It was taken from her first album M&J (for Marilyn & John) which placed 13th in France, but did not enter the British chart.

In March 1989, at age 16, she left high school to pursue her singing career.