He started writing poetry during his studies at the seminary in Rimouski, and by the 1950s was publishing poems and writing songs for other performers. In 1959, he founded the publishing house Les Éditions de l'Arc to distribute his publications.[2] His first collection, Étraves, was published in 1959.[5]
In 1960, Vigneault made his singing debut at the L'Arlequin club in Quebec City,[2] followed by a successful Montreal concert later that year.[6] In 1962, he recorded his first album, Gilles Vigneault, and received the Grand Prix du Disque from Montreal radio station CKAC. His reputation grew in Quebec and beyond with the success of his song "Mon Pays", from the soundtrack of the NFB film The Snow Has Melted on the Manicouagan (La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan) in 1965.[7]
Vigneault's reputation as a songwriter and performer continued to spread and he became popular not only in Quebec, but also in English Canada and Europe.[8] He performed in major Canadian concert halls, including Montreal's Place des Arts, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and at Toronto's Massey Hall. In Europe, he toured in France, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, and Luxembourg.[2]
The mid-1970s saw Vigneault's participation in several major events. On 13 August 1974, 130,000 spectators came together on the Plains of Abraham for the Superfrancofête, where Vigneault participated in a historic concert alongside Félix Leclerc and Robert Charlebois. The concert was recorded and released as the album J'ai vu le loup, le renard, le lion [fr]. At the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day concert "Les 5 Jean-Baptistes" on Montreal's Mount Royal on 24 June 1976, Gilles Vigneault performed together with Robert Charlebois, Claude Léveillée, Jean-Pierre Ferland, and Yvon Deschamps. This concert was recorded and released as 1 fois 5, which later received the Grand Prix du Disque (the Charles Cros award).[9] In October 2022, he received an honorary doctorate from Université TÉLUQ for his lifetime achievements, notably his contribution to Québécois identity, which mirrored, according to spokeperson Lucie Laflamme, TELUQ's own mission to "solely offer distance education in French across North America, a core of the foundation behind what made us unique for the last 50 years".[1]
The main subjects of Vigneault's writing are Quebec and its people, as well as human relationships, love, and everyday life.[8] Vigneault is also concerned with environmental issues and has written songs and tales for children.[7]
Gilles Vigneault has seven children: Michel, Louis, François (a poet and lyricist), Pascale, Guillaume (a novelist), Jessica (a pianist and singer), and Benjamin (a percussionist).[9]
Grand Prix du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy, Paris (in 1970 for Du milieu du pont,[17] in 1984 for two recordings for children: Les Quatre saisons de Piquot and Quelques pas dans l'univers d'Éviola and in 1990)[18]
^ ab""Université TÉLUQ: un doctorat honoris causa remis à Gilles Vigneault"". Le Journal de Québec (in French). 14 October 2022.
^ abcdHélène Plouffe. "Gilles Vigneault". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Gilles Vigneault's powerful dream of un pays". Montreal Gazette, 23 June 2018, Bernard Perusse
^"Gilles Vigneault." Oxford Essential Quotations. Ed. Ratcliffe, Susan. : Oxford University Press. Oxford Reference. 2012. Date Accessed 6 May. 2014.
^Laurendeau, Paul (May 2011). "Étraves (Gilles Vigneault)". Écrouter Lire Penser (in French). Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^Marshall, Joyce. "Vigneault, Gilles." The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. : Oxford University Press, 1997. Oxford Reference. 2006. Date Accessed 6 May. 2014
^ ab"Vigneault". RFI Musique. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^ ab"Vigneault, Gilles". Vigneault, Gilles - Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press. 1997. ISBN 978-0-19-541167-6. Retrieved 4 March 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^ ab"Biographie Gilles Vigneault". musicMe. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Quebec songwriter Gilles Vigneault's heart 'broken' by PQ loss". cbc.ca. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Small-time hood film wins top spot". Edmonton Journal, 16 February 1993.
^"Governor General's Literary Awards - Canadian awards". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^Alexis Luko. "Prix de musique Calixa-Lavallée". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^Gagné, Marc (1977). Gilles Vigneault :bibliographie descriptive et critique, discographie, filmographie, iconographie, chronologie. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval. p. 430. ISBN 0774667990.
^"Gilles VIGNEAULT". cyberus.ca. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Cumulative List - The Canada Council for the Arts". canadacouncil.ca. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Les Prix du Québec - le lauréat Gilles Vigneault". gouv.qc.ca. 10 October 1983. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Grande médaille de la chanson française". academie-francaise.fr. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Award Recipients - Governor General's Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA)". ggpaa.ca. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
^"Rue Gilles Vigneault · Joliette Regional County Municipality, QC, Canada".
Further readingedit
Robitaille, Aline (1968). Gilles Vigneault (in French). Montréal: Leméac Editeur Inc. ISBN 978-2-7609-1931-0.
Rioux, Lucien (1969). Gilles Vigneault : Présentation par Lucien Rioux. Choix de chansons ... Paris: Editions P. Seghers. OCLC 49085576.
Fournier, Roger (1972). Gilles Vigneault, mon ami (in French). Montréal: La Presse. ISBN 978-0-7777-0026-6.
Gagné, Marc (1974). Propos de Gilles Vigneault. Le Pays par lui-même (in French). Montréal: Nouvelles éditions de l'Arc. OCLC 1734899.
Gagné, Marc (1977). Gilles Vigneault : bibliographie descriptive et critique, discographie, filmographie, iconographie, chronologie (in French). Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval. ISBN 978-0-7746-6799-9.
External linksedit
Official website
Gilles Vigneault chante son pays – Archives de Radio-Canada (French) Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
(in French)Pendant que Gilles Vigneault at Radio-Canada
(in French) Gilles Vigneault at Québec Info Musique