Lyudmila Ilyinichna Lopato, born on August 5, 1914, in Harbin, was a renowned cabaret singer among the Russian emigration and a guardian of the tradition of performing Russian romance. Her father, Ilya Lopato, owned a tobacco factory that still operates in China, and her mother, Zinaida Mikhailovna Shpakovskaya, was a nurse. From childhood, Lyudmila showed an interest in music and singing.

In 1929, the Lopato family moved from Manchuria to France. In Paris, Lyudmila studied at Rachmaninoff's conservatory, where her vocal teacher was Medea Figner, a soloist of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. She also saw Anna Pavlova's performance in 'Giselle' and was acquainted with famous ballerinas of the Russian Ballet in Monte Carlo. Her dramatic arts teachers were artists from the Art Theatre who had emigrated to France. In performing arts, her mentors included masters like Alexander Vertinsky and Nadezhda Plevitskaya.

In 1940, a year after her marriage, Lyudmila moved to New York, where she mingled with prominent figures in film and theater, such as Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. In Hollywood, she made her first professional recordings and released records. After the war, Lyudmila became a star of the 'Russian Tea Room' restaurant and then returned to Paris. There, she married Danish Count Johnny Philipson and opened the 'Russian Pavilion' restaurant, which became popular among celebrities. In Paris, she was friends with Mathilde Kschessinskaya, Sergei Lifar, and Prince Felix Yusupov.