Gregory Charles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gregory Charles OC
Charles in Bedford, 2010
Born	(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 famous Canadian artist. He was born on February 12, 1968. He is known for many talents, including singing, playing the piano, dancing, and acting. He has also hosted many radio and TV shows. Gregory Charles has a diverse background; his father was from Trinidad, and his mother was Canadian.

Early Life and Music

Gregory Charles was born in Montreal, Quebec. He grew up in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham. He started learning music at a young age. He went to the École de musique Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal.

When he was only 7 years old, Gregory won a big music competition in Canada. After that, he played music with many symphonic orchestras. These are large groups of musicians who play classical music.

In 1979, he went to Paris and New York to represent Canada. He played the piano at an international contest. He even performed at the famous Carnegie Hall. Gregory was also part of the Petits-Chanteurs du Mont-Royal choir. This choir sings at the Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal.

Television and Radio Career

Gregory Charles started studying law in 1989. But soon, he got a role on a TV show. This show was called Chambres en ville (Rooms in Town). He played a student named Julien. This role made him well-known to many people.

From 1990 to 1997, he also co-hosted a show called The Débrouillards. He worked alongside Marie-Soleil Tougas. In 1991, Gregory started hosting a daily radio show in Montreal.

The next year, he began hosting a TV game show. It was called Que le meilleur gagne (May the Best Man Win). He hosted this show for five years on Radio-Canada. In 1995, he also hosted a late-night talk show called Cha-ba-da.

Music and Performances

From 1998 to 2000, Gregory Charles joined Céline Dion on her world tour. He sang in the chorus and played the piano. In the same year, he started performing as a singer at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. He performed there nine times.

Between 2000 and 2002, Gregory was part of a popular play. It was called Two Pianos Four Hands. He toured with the show in Canada and the United States. From 2001 to 2009, he hosted a weekly radio show. This show was on the national Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio-Canada network.

He also hosted TV shows like Culture Choc and "Les Debrouillards". These shows were in both French and English. He even had a variety show on TV5.

Gregory Charles also led several choirs. These included the chœurs du nouveau monde (New World Choirs). He also led the College Vocal, a youth choir. This choir won international contests in many countries. They won in Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Italy, and Germany.

Live Shows and Albums

Gregory Charles created his first big variety show called Noir et Blanc (Black and White). More than 400,000 people watched this show across Canada. He also performed at the Beacon Theatre in New York City in 2004 and 2015.

A special part of his show is when he asks the audience for song requests. He then sings and plays any known song on the piano with his band.

In late 2004, Gregory released his first album. It was called Gospel Live Noir et Blanc. On October 16, 2006, he released his album I Think of You. This album was very popular. It sold 109,000 copies in its first week. This made him the top-selling Canadian artist in one week for 2006.

His album reached number 1 on the Nielsen SoundScan chart. In 2006, Gregory Charles sold more albums than almost all other Canadian musicians. Only Nelly Furtado sold more.

In 2007, Gregory was a main performer at the Canada Day celebration on Parliament Hill. He played for a large crowd in both English and French.

Recent Activities

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

In 2017, Gregory started an online music school. It is called Gregory's Academy. Thousands of students, both young and old, learn music there. In 2019, he hosted a TV series called Le Vrai Nouveau Monde. This show focused on the stories of immigrants from countries affected by war.

In 2020, Gregory Charles was on a European tour when the pandemic started. His shows in France had to be postponed. Later that year, he won a Félix Award for his album LEN. This was his fifth Félix Award. He has also won five Gémeaux Awards for his TV work. In 1995, he won a Artis Award as the youth personality of the year in television.

In 2021 and 2022, Gregory joined the cast of Star Académie on the TVA network. Gregory is married to Nicole Collet and has a daughter named Julia.

In September 2022, a video of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau singing Bohemian Rhapsody with Gregory Charles at 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 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