Quebec singer Jean-Pierre Ferland dies at 89
Posted April 28, 2024 12:22 pm.
Last Updated April 28, 2024 7:13 pm.
Singer-songwriter Jean-Pierre Ferland died Saturday at the age of 89.
The man who left his mark on Quebec with the song “Une chance qu’on s’a” died of natural causes, according to his agency. He was hospitalized on Feb. 14 at the CHSLD Desy, in Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, in the Lanaudière region.
Born in Montreal on June 24, 1934 — a date that predisposed him to become an emblematic figure of Quebec culture — Jean-Pierre Ferland gave a “final concert” at the Bell Centre on Jan. 13, 2007 to officially end his 42-year career. But he would not disappear from the stage – far from it.
He then participated – with Céline Dion and Ginette Reno, among others – in a concert on the Plains of Abraham in 2008 to mark the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. He then performed in a tribute dedicated to him at the Théâtre Saint-Denis in April 2009 by the radio station Rythme FM.
Ferland also launched, in September 2009, an album of duets and trios entitled “Bijoux de famille,” in addition to collaborating with Gilles Vigneault and writing a new song for Dion. Another album, recorded live, followed in 2011: “Les Noces d’or de jaune.”
On Aug. 14, 2010, he rushed to the aid of the small church in his adopted village, Saint-Norbert, which was threatened with closure even though it was recognized as exceptional by the Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec. Ferland and Reno then performed as part of a concert, which brought together 3,000 people, and the future of the church was changed.
He participated in three festivals in 2011 — the Festival franco-ontarien d’Ottawa, the FrancoFolies de Montréal and the Festival d’été de Québec — then in the special show “Céline Dion… sans attendant” in 2012, which attracted 2 .4 million viewers. In 2013, he participated in the show “La Voix” on TVA.
The prolific singer-songwriter’s discography includes around 30 albums, including “Jaune,” his 1970 masterpiece which became, in a way, the “Sgt. Pepper’s” of Quebec. Some 60,000 copies were sold in just one year.
His career has been recognized with various honours, including the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles-Cros in France, twice, in 1968 and 1977, the prize for best singer-songwriter at the 1965 Montreal Record Festival and the prize for best singer-songwriter at the 1972 Gala des artistes.
More recently, he was named Companion of the Order of Canada in 1996 and Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2003. He was inducted in January 2007 into the Pantheon of Canadian Authors and Composers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, writing on X, described Ferland as a “giant” of francophone music.
“He wrote and sang songs that will be a part of Quebec culture forever,” Trudeau wrote. “He will be dearly missed.”
Quebec Premier François Legault described Ferland as a “great builder of Quebec-French song,” adding that he’d listened to “Jaune” on repeat.
Canadian singer Roch Voisine paid tribute to an artist he described as “incomparable.”
“His album ‘Jaune’ changed everything,” Voisine said. “And all the songs that followed. Rest in peace, Mr. Ferland.”
Ferland is survived by his partner and his two children, as well as four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews, with files from Jean-Benoit Legault, The Canadian Press
