Jean-Pierre Ferland, author, composer, performer and television host (b Montréal 24 June 1934). Jean-Pierre Ferland started with the Les Bozos singing group in 1959, and then he broke out in 1962 by winning first prize in a Francophonie contest with
Feuille de gui. The songs
Les immortelles, Ton visage and
Fleur de macadam made him known to a wide audience in Quebec, and, in 1968, the Grand prix de l'Académie Charles-Cros which he won for
Je reviens chez nous crowned his many stays in France. The quality of its design and its technological audacity have made his album
Jaune (1970) a reference work. By adapting his music to new rhythms, Ferland had great success as a television host throughout the 1980s. He made a singing comeback in 1992, receiving the Jacques Blanchet medal in 1993, a songwriting Félix in 1995 and a Félix lifetime achievement award in 1997, although his career showed no signs of slowing at the dawn of the millennium. Between 2005 and 2007, Ferland undertook his last Quebec tour with his "Trois fois Ferland" show, which covered the three periods of his 35-year career. Divided into three sections, the show opened with
Ton visage (1960s) before moving on to
Jaune (1970s) and
Écoute pas ça (1980s through the present). Ferland performed a farewell show on 30 January 2007 at the Bell Centre in Montréal. Besides those cited above, the songs
Un peu plus loin, Le petit roi and
T'es belle boast a production quality ranking Ferland among the greatest 20th-century Francophone songwriters.
Jean-Pierre Ferland has been honoured throughout his prolific career, his distinctions including the Quebec National Assembly's Medal of Honour on 28 September 2009 and the Sylvain Lelièvre Award bestowed by his fellow Quebec songwriters.
Author
HÉLÈNE PLOUFFE/RACHELLE TAYLOR
Links to Other Sites
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