Gregory Charles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gregory Charles OC
Charles in Bedford, 2010
Born	Gregory Nigel Charles (1968-02-12) February 12, 1968 (age 57) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Radio host, television host, classic singer, pianist, dancer, actor

Gregory Charles is a talented Canadian artist born on February 12, 1968. He is known for his many skills, including singing, playing the piano, hosting TV and radio shows, and acting. His family background is a mix of Trinidadian (from his father) and French-Canadian (from his mother).

About Gregory Charles

Early Life and Musical Talent

Gregory Charles was born in Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in a place called Saint-Germain-de-Grantham. From a young age, he showed great musical talent. He studied at the École de musique Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal.

When he was just 7 years old, Gregory won a competition called the Canadian Music Competition. After that, he performed with many of Canada's big symphonic orchestras. These are large groups of musicians who play classical music.

In 1979, he represented Canada at a piano contest in Paris. He also performed at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. Gregory was also part of a choir called Petits-Chanteurs du Mont-Royal. This choir performs at the Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. He also went to College Notre-Dame high school in Montreal.

Starting His Career in TV and Radio

In 1989, Gregory started studying law. But soon after, he got a role on a TV show called Chambres en ville (which means Rooms in Town). This show helped him become known to more people. He played a young student named Julien.

From 1990 to 1997, he also co-hosted a show called The Débrouillards. He worked alongside Marie-Soleil Tougas on this show.

In 1991, Gregory became a host for a daily radio show in Montreal on CKOI-FM. The next year, he started hosting a TV game show called Que le meilleur gagne (May the Best Man Win) on Radio-Canada. He hosted this show for five years. In 1995, he also began hosting a late-night talk show called Cha-ba-da.

Working with Céline Dion and Beyond

From 1998 to 2000, Gregory Charles worked on Céline Dion's world tour. He mostly sang in the chorus but also played the piano. In the same year, he performed as a singer at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. He has performed there nine times in total.

From 2000 to 2002, Gregory was part of a Canadian play called Two Pianos Four Hands. He toured with this show in Canada and the United States.

Between 2001 and 2009, Gregory hosted a weekly radio show on the national Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio-Canada network. He also hosted several TV shows, like Culture Choc and "Les Debrouillards," in both French and English. He also had a variety show on TV5.

Leading Choirs and Live Shows

Gregory Charles was a conductor for choirs like the chœurs du nouveau monde (New World Choirs). This included groups like Les Petits Chanteurs de Laval and Les Voix Boréales. He also led the College Vocal, a youth choir that won international competitions. They won in places like Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Italy, and Germany.

Gregory presented his first big variety show called Noir et Blanc (Black and White). More than 400,000 people watched this show across Quebec and Canada. He also performed at Beacon Theatre in New York City in 2004 and again in 2015. A special part of his show is when he asks the audience to suggest any song. He then sings and plays it on the piano with his band.

Music Albums and Awards

In late 2004, Gregory released his first album, Gospel Live Noir et Blanc. On October 16, 2006, he released his album I Think of You. This album sold 109,000 copies in its first week! This made Gregory the highest-selling Canadian artist in a single week for 2006. It reached number 1 on the Nielsen SoundScan album chart. In 2006, Gregory sold more albums than almost all other Canadian musicians. Only Nelly Furtado sold more.

Gregory was one of the main performers on Parliament Hill for the 2007 Canada Day celebration. He played the longest set for thousands of people, singing in both English and French.

In the fall of 2007, Gregory started hosting a CBC radio program called In the Key of Charles. He hosted it until September 6, 2009.

In April 2012, Gregory performed for a year at the Cafe Carlyle in the famous Carlyle Hotel in New York City.

In December 2015, Gregory Charles bought two classical music radio stations, CJPX-FM in Montreal and CJSQ-FM in Quebec City. He bought them under his company, Groupe Musique Greg. In the same year, he won the Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award for his musical achievements.

On June 30, 2016, Gregory Charles received a special honor. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston. This award recognized his energy, creativity, and dedication to promoting arts and culture in Canada and around the world.

From 2015 to 2019, Gregory produced and hosted two TV shows for young people on the French network of the CBC. These were Virtuoses, which featured young classical musicians, and Crescendo, a show for high school students who perform with their school choirs.

In 2017, Gregory founded an online music school called Gregory's Academy. Thousands of students, both young and adult, learn music in a new and exciting way through his academy.

In 2019, Gregory produced and hosted a TV series called Le Vrai Nouveau Monde. This show focused on the stories of immigrants who came from countries affected by war.

In 2020, Gregory was on a European tour when the global pandemic began. His shows in France had to be postponed. Later that year, he won a Félix award for best instrumental album of the year for his album LEN. This was his fifth Félix award. Gregory has also won five "Gémeaux" awards for his work in television. In 1995, he won a Artis award as youth personality of the year in television.

In 2021, Gregory joined the cast of Star Academie on the TVA network. He returned to this role in 2022.

Gregory is married to Nicole Collet, who works as an executive at Microsoft. They have one daughter, Julia, who was born in 2012.

In September 2022, a video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau singing Bohemian Rhapsody with Gregory Charles playing the piano was shared online. This happened while they were traveling to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Discography

GOSPEL LIVE EN NOIR & BLANC (2004)

• "I'm on My Way"
• "When I Rise"
• "His lIttle Light Of Mine"
• "Wade in the Water"
• "Amazing Grace"
• "Jesus I'll Never Forget"
• "When I Rise ( Reprise)"
• "Gospel Hallelujah"
• "I'M A Slave"

I Think of You (2006)

• "I Think of You"
• "Our House"
• "I Put my Trust in You"
• "Unlabel'ble"
• "Promise That You Love Me"
• "No Love"
• "Your Love Will Lead Me Back to You"
• "You are Near"
• "Til the Day I Die"
• "Life Goes On"
• "Solo pienso en ti (Prima)" ("I think of You" – Spanish Version)

This album was very popular and was certified 2x platinum in Canada in December 2006. This means it sold over 200,000 copies!

Loin de la lumière (2007)

• "Au fond de moi"
• "Mariko "On n'se comprend pas"
• "Quand on se voit"
• "Loin de la lumière"
• "Chocolat"
• "Sur ma peau"
• "On sera deux"
• "Tu as rejoint les anges"
• "Elle était belle"
• "Toi et moi"
• "Je reviens"

Quand j'ai dit (2011)

• "J'ai changé"
• "Le goût"
• "Qu'encore tu penses à moi"
• "Quand j'ai dit"
• "Heureux malheureux"
• "J'ai oublié"
• "Reste ce soir"
• "Quand je veille"
• "Jusqu'à la fin"
• "Si tu dois"
• "En t'attendant"

Charts

• CAN: #25