Lucille Starr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucille Starr
Starr in 1965
Background information
Birth name	Lucille Marie Raymonde Savoie
Born	(1938-05-13)May 13, 1938 Saint Boniface, Manitoba, Canada
Died	September 4, 2020(2020-09-04) (aged 82) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter yodeler
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass mandolin
Years active	1958–2020
Labels	Almo International, A&M, Epic, Barry

Lucille Marie Raymonde Savoie (born May 13, 1938 – died September 4, 2020) was a famous Canadian singer. She was known as Lucille Starr. Lucille was also a talented songwriter and a yodeler. She became very famous for her 1964 hit song, "The French Song." The original French title was "Quand Le Soleil Dit Bonjour Aux Montagnes." This means "When the sun says hello to the mountains."

Early Life

Lucille Starr was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba. This area is a Franco-Manitoban community. Her family loved music, and she started singing in church when she was young.

When Lucille was seven, her family moved to Maillardville. This is a French-speaking community in Coquitlam, British Columbia. There, she learned to play the guitar, bass, and mandolin.

Music Career

Lucille Savoie started her music journey with a local group called Les Hirondelles. She later met and married country singer Bob Regan. They formed a singing duo called "Bob & Lucille." Lucille Starr was her stage name.

Between 1958 and 1963, they released many records. These records included different styles like country, pop, rockabilly, and folk songs. Their music became quite popular on the West Coast of North America.

In 1963, they signed with A&M Records in Los Angeles, California. They started recording music as "The Canadian Sweethearts."

The French Song

At A&M Records, Lucille Starr recorded "The French Song." The famous producer Herb Alpert helped create it. He chose this name because the original French title was hard to say. The full French title was "Quand le soleil dit bonjour aux montagnes."

The song was recorded in two languages. The first part was in French, and the second part was in English. In 1964, "The French Song" became a huge international hit. This was amazing because The Beatles were very popular at that time.

Lucille Starr became the first Canadian artist to sell over a million copies of a record. This success led to tours across the United States. She appeared on famous radio shows like the Louisiana Hayride. She also sang on American TV shows like Shindig! and Hullabaloo.

Her tours also took her to Australia, South Africa, and many countries in Europe. She was especially loved in the Netherlands. The song sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc.

Later Career

In 1967, Lucille Starr and Bob Regan signed with Epic Records in Nashville, Tennessee. They stopped working together musically in 1977 after they divorced.

Lucille Starr continued to have a long and successful career. She recorded songs mostly in English, but also in French and Spanish. She mainly sang country music. In 1987, she became the first woman to join the Canadian Country Music Association’s "Hall of Honor."

Lucille was also a great yodeler. She even did the yodeling for the character "Cousin Pearl" on the popular TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies.

A musical play about her life, called Back to You: the Life and Music of Lucille Starr, was performed in Winnipeg in 2010. Also, a street in Coquitlam, British Columbia, was named "Lucille Starr Way" to honor her.

Death

Lucille Starr passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 4, 2020. Her death was announced by fellow Canadian artist Joyce Smith.

Her family shared that she was survived by her second husband, Brian Cunningham. She was also survived by her son, Robert Frederickson, and her stepchildren, Shannon and David Cunningham.

Discography

This section lists the albums and singles Lucille Starr released during her career.

Albums

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Lucille Starr para niños