Christine Charbonneau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christine Charbonneau
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Charbonneau in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christine Charbonneau |
| Born | 18 October 1943 Montreal, Quebec |
| Died | 29 May 2014 (aged 70) |
| Genres | Pop, French songs |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, composer, poet, author |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, vocals |
| Years active | 1963–2005 |
| Labels | Mérite, Polydor (labeled as Polydor/Pléiade), Gamma, Triomphe, Select |
Christine Charbonneau (born October 18, 1943 – died May 29, 2014) was a talented French Canadian singer and songwriter. She wrote many popular songs for herself and other famous artists. She was known for her unique style and her important role in Quebec's music scene.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Christine Charbonneau was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1943. She started writing songs very early, composing her first one at just twelve years old.
In 1959, Christine began her professional singing career. She performed at a famous place called La Butte à Mathieu in Val-David, Quebec. She played the guitar while she sang, just like her mentor Felix Leclerc. People saw her as a key figure in Quebec's music. She was often called a "chansonnier," which means a singer who writes their own songs.
Christine toured for several years in Quebec's "boites à chansons." These were small, cozy coffee houses where singers performed. They were very popular at that time.
First Songs and Albums
Christine soon started giving her songs to other singers. For example, Ginette Ravel, a major artist, recorded Christine's song L'amour in 1963. Another song, Je te chercherai, was recorded by Renée Claude.
Christine released her first album in 1963. It was titled "Les insolences d'une jeune femme."
On June 24, 1965, Christine was invited to a big celebration. It was for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, now called the National Day in Quebec. She performed at Jarry Park in Montreal. More than 40,000 people watched her sing alongside other artists.
Around 1967, the "boites à chansons" became less popular. Christine then continued her career at CBC Radio and CBC Television. She appeared many times on the CBC Television series Chansons (TV series). On this show, she sang with artists like Joni Mitchell and Gordon Lightfoot.
In 1968, she released her third album, simply called Christine. François Dompierre was the orchestra director for this album. He also composed some songs for her later.
In 1968, Christine Charbonneau had her first TV summer series on CBC. She co-hosted a music show called "Tête heureuse" with Jacques Blanchet. In 1969, they also co-hosted a radio show called "Tour à tour." In August 1969, Christine represented Canada at the Spa Festival in Belgium.
Writing Hits for Other Artists
The 1970s were very busy years for Christine as a songwriter. Many of her songs were recorded by different artists.
Popular Songs and Artists
- France Castel: Christine wrote Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, Je le vois dans ma soupe, and Ça m'fait du bien for France Castel. These songs became very popular in Quebec. In fact, most songs on France Castel's albums from 1973 to 1975 were written by Christine.
- Céline Dion: Du fil des aiguilles et du coton was first recorded by France Castel in 1972. A very young Céline Dion sang it in 1973. This was at her brother Michel's wedding, when she was just five years old. It was one of her first public performances!
- Patsy Gallant: Christine wrote many songs for Patsy Gallant, including Tout va trop vite (1972), Thank you come again, Un jour comme les autres, and Le lit qui craque. These songs helped Patsy Gallant start her French-language career in Quebec.
- Sheila: In 1974, Christine gave Patsy Gallant her song Les femmes (Qu'y a-t-il dans le cœur des femmes). This song was later covered by the famous French singer Sheila. Sheila released Les femmes as a single in 1976, and it became a top hit in France.
- Ginette Reno: In 1974, Christine wrote Donne l'amour for Ginette Reno. Later, in 1979, Ginette Reno recorded Christine's song Oublie-moi. This song was on Ginette Reno's album "Je ne suis qu'une chanson," which sold over 350,000 copies. It won three Félix awards, which are important music awards in Quebec.
- Michel Louvain: Christine wrote La dame en bleu for Michel Louvain. This became one of his biggest hits.
- Claude Valade: Christine also wrote several hit songs for Claude Valade. These included Viens t'étendre aux creux de mes bras, Aide-moi à passer la nuit, and C'est parce que je t'aime. These songs were very popular on Quebec radio.
Christine Charbonneau's own biggest hit as a singer was her disco song from 1975, called Censuré.
A music expert named Cécile Tremblay-Matte recognized Christine Charbonneau's importance. In her book, La chanson écrite au féminin, she noted that Christine wrote the most songs recorded by different female artists in Quebec between 1960 and 1980.
In 2008, Sheila's song Les femmes was chosen for the background music of the film Stella.
Christine Charbonneau passed away from cancer on May 29, 2014.
