Singer-songwriter Serge Fiori dies at 73
Posted June 25, 2025 10:52 am.
Last Updated June 25, 2025 10:59 am.
Singer-songwriter Serge Fiori, founder of the band Harmonium, died Tuesday at the age of 73.
His manager at GSI Musique, Serge Grimaux, confirmed the news on social media.
“It is with great regret that we inform you that in the early hours of this Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Serge Fiori passed away from the consequences of a long illness,” he wrote in a statement.
“Serge left us as he lived, with that legendary smile that shone on all those who knew him, all those to whom he brought immense joy, and on this country that was his, in his heart and in his eternal passion,” he added.
Nos sympathies aux proches et à la famille de Serge. ???? pic.twitter.com/7TCSa2NitZ
— GSI Musique (@gsimusique) June 24, 2025
L’Étoile du Lac was the first media outlet to report the news of his death at his home in Lac-Saint-Jean.
Born in Montreal in 1952, Serge Fiori was immersed in music from a young age, as his father was the leader of a dance band.
His musical career truly took off in 1974 with the release of the self-titled album “Harmonium.” The song “Pour un instant” would become a classic of Quebec music.
The group would only release two more albums—”Si on avait besoin d’une cinque saison” and “L’Heptade”—before disbanding.
This didn’t end Serge Fiori’s career, however. In 1977, he wrote the song “Duodadieu” with Luc Plamondon and François Cousineau. He recorded it as a duet with Diane Dufresne.
He also collaborated in 1978 with Richard Séguin on the album “Deux cents nuits à l’heure,” which received numerous awards at the very first ADISQ gala held the following year.
The singer-songwriter’s career has been marked by several hiatuses and returns to the stage.
Serge Fiori was named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec during the last insignia ceremony on June 18. He was absent from the event.
A Wave of Tributes
Serge Fiori’s mark on Quebec was highlighted by several politicians shortly after the announcement of his death.
“Serge Fiori left his mark on Quebec with songs imbued with poetry, depth, and sensitivity. “With Harmonium, he touched the hearts of several generations of Quebecers,” Premier François Legault said on X.
He recalled that Quebec song “crossed borders” thanks to the singer-songwriter, his voice having resonated “from Mount Royal to the stages of Europe.”
“His music will continue to live on, to bring us together, and to move us for a long time to come,” he added.
The Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, said it was a “huge loss on this National Holiday.”
For his part, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called the founder of Harmonium a “true ambassador of Quebec culture.”
Un véritable ambassadeur de la culture québécoise nous quitte en ce jour de notre Fête nationale.
— Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (@PaulPlamondon) June 24, 2025
Serge Fiori fut un immense parolier et mélodiste, les airs de ses chansons nous accompagnent depuis plus de 50 ans et continueront à le faire encore dans l'avenir.
Le chanteur du… pic.twitter.com/1liK9bNr1f
“Serge Fiori was an immense lyricist and melodist. The melodies of his songs have accompanied us for over 50 years and will continue to do so in the future,” he commented on the social network X.
“There have been many great artists in Quebec. But greats of Serge Fiori’s stature are few. Harmonium’s three albums will outlive us all. This is eternal music, deeply human and relevant today,” wrote Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal on X.
The Bloc Québécois stated in a post on X that with Serge Fiori’s passing, “a page of history is turning, a piece of culture is passing away.”
Le légendaire Serge Fiori, fondateur d'Harmonium, nous a quittés.
— Bloc Québécois (@BlocQuebecois) June 24, 2025
Bien plus qu'un musicien parmi tant d'autres, avec son départ, c'est une page d’histoire qui se tourne, un morceau de culture qui se détache. Nous l'avons tant aimé. pic.twitter.com/OebaPpZwSs
Tributes were also numerous from the cultural community.
Singer Bruno Pelletier recounted in a Facebook post that it was thanks to him that he “wanted to start playing guitar after the drums, and to write in French as a teenager.”
Singer Laurence Jalbert thanked him “for everything you left us.”
The band Salbarbes paid him a poetic tribute on Facebook, emphasizing that “we listened to Harmonium’s songs as a catalyst for our identity.”
The Quebec government is open to holding a state funeral for Fiori, if that is the wish of the artist’s family.
Premier François Legault made the announcement in a social media post on Wednesday.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
