Christine Charbonneau (18 October 1943 – 29 May 2014) was a French Canadian singer and songwriter.La Presse Canadienne (CP/PC),
Most popular songs Du fil des aiguilles et du coton recorded by France Castel in 1972France Castel, Discography, hit song by Christine Charbonneau Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, (1973, Profil, PRO. 6063),France Castel : and sung by Céline Dion in 1973,Céline Dion, Biographie Enfance, Céline sings in 1973 "Du fil des aiguilles et du coton" by Christine Charbonneau "http://www.musicme.com/Celine-Dion/biographie/ on her first public appearance at the age of five, at the wedding of her brother Michel.Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, Céline sang this song at the wedding of her brother Michel in 1973,Céline Dion web site : Tout va trop vite"Patsy Gallant, Québec Info Music, Biography", http://www.qim.com/artistes/biographie.asp?artistid=478 recorded by Patsy Gallant in 1972.Gallant Discography', Les femmes (Qu'y a-t-il dans le coeur des femmes) recorded by Patsy Gallant in 1974 and covered by Sheila in France in 1976."Sheila, Les femmes, une chanson très moderne et style pop très variété"http://ondit.unblog.fr/93-43e-45-tours-octobre-1976-les-femmes-quy-a-til-dans-le-coeur-des-femmes-33-tours-44e-45-tours-decembre-1976-lamour-qui-brule-en-moi/comment-page-2/, 'Les femmes by Christine Charbonneau', Donne l'amour recorded by Ginette Reno in 1974., music and lyrics Christine Charbonneau, diaporama Nathalie Dubois, 17 April 2012" Censuré recorded by Christine Charbonneau in 1975.'"It was the beginning of Disco and with Censuré, Charbonneau has done one of the best in the style..."' Cécile Tremblay-Matte, musicologist, recognizes Christine Charbonneau in her book La chanson écrite au féminin, as the French Canadian female songwriter who had the most songs recorded by different artists in Québec during the period of 1960 to 1980.Cécile Tremblay-Matte, Musicologist, La chanson écrite au féminin, is quoting Charbonneau page 103, 391 pages, "...who had the most songs recorded from 1960 to 1980", Pub.(Éditions) TROIS, 1990, (),La chanson écrite au féminin by Cécile-Tremblay Matte, Christine Charbonneau page 103, http://www.erudit.org/culture/bl1000329/bl1000339/6280ac.pdf
Early career
Born in Montreal, Quebec in 1943, Charbonneau wrote her first song at the age of twelve.La chanson écrite au féminin, (), She began singing professionally at La Butte à Mathieu in Val-David, Québec in 1959."La Butte à Mathieu", Christine Charbonneau was invited often to the Mecca of Québec song, La Butte à Mathieu, She accompanied herself with a guitar like her mentor Felix LeclercParagraph Félix Leclerc, (le père de la chanson québécoise), the father of Quebec song, http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/fr/article-534/F%C3%A9lix_Leclerc,_p%C3%A8re_de_la_chanson_qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9coise.html#.UOOa5nfeG_I¯# and was considered to be one of the icons of Québec song."Marc-Antoine Lapierre, Montréal University, Master's Degree in Anthropology (Anthropology Department), «Le mythe de la chanson québécois» (The myth of Québec song): (Some artists like Christine Charbonneau become icons...)"Certains artistes deviennent des icônes du milieu...dont Christine Charbonneau", page 20", https://papyrus.bib.umontreal.ca/jspui/bitstream/1866/4133/2/Lapierre_Marc-Antoine_2010_m%C3%A9moire.pdf Charbonneau was referred to as a chansonnier. Citation: Christine Charbonneau, Discographie, Enregistrements canadiens, Les chansonnières au Québec,(Les Cahiers de l'ARMuQ, avril 1990), ouvrage de C. T.-Matte qui procède à l'examen des chansons et enregistrements. She toured for several years in the Québec coffee houses called les boîtes à chansons, which were proliferating at the time.
Charbonneau started giving songs to different singers, such as Ginette Ravel, one of the major artists of this epoch. She recorded Charbonneau's song L'amour, on her album "L'amour c'est comme un jour," released in 1963 on RCA Victor Records."Ginette Ravel, L'amour, Album "L'amour, c'est comme un jour" 1963, http://www.leparolier.org/quebecois/classartistes/g/ginetteravel.htm Her song Je te chercherai was recorded by Renée Claude on (Renée Claude Volume 2), Select Records."Renée Claude, Volume deux (Second Album), Sélect Records, Je te chercherai", http://www.leparolier.org/quebecois/classartistes/r/reneeclaude.htm Charbonneau made her first album with Sélect Records in 1963 : The title was "Les insolences d'une jeune femme".Christine Charbonneau, Les insolences d'une jeune femme", http://www.retrojeunesse60.com/christine.charbonneau.html
On 24 June 1965, Charbonneau was invited to participate at the Saint-John-Baptiste Celebration Day,"(Saint-John-Baptiste Day and its History) Fête de la Saint-Jean Baptiste et son histoire", http://www.claudenadeau.net/saint-jean.html (today the National Holiday) in Québec."National Holiday Québec", "Fête nationale du Québec", http://www.fetenationale.qc.ca/ That year it was held exceptionally at Jarry Park in the north of Montréal. Surrounded by other artists, Charbonneau performed in front of more than forty thousand people.
Around 1967, as the boites à chansons were facing decline,"Peak and Decline of les Boites à chansons", M. A. Lapierre, (Le mythe de la chanson québécoise), page 19"...L'apogée du mouvement (des boîtes à chansons) vers 1967...", https://papyrus.bib.umontreal.ca/jspui/bitstream/1866/4133/2/Lapierre_Marc-Antoine_2010_m%C3%A9moire.pdf Charbonneau continued her career at CBC Radio and CBC Television. She was invited several times on the Coast to Coast CBC Television series Chansons (TV series) produced by Anton Van de Water, where she was singing in company of many other artists including Joni Mitchell Jacques Blanchet, Margo McKinnon,Jacques Blanchet and others, http://retrofranco.tripod.com/ArtistesQc.htm Pauline Julien and Gordon Lightfoot, the Travelers.Pauline Julien, Gordon Lightfoot, "Chansons (TV series)" (Mon Pays mes chansons), TV archives., http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/16556/chansons/episode_guide/ In 1968, she made a third album entitled Christine with Gamma Records, and François Dompierre was her orchestra director. Later he composed a few songs for her.
In 1968, Charbonneau had her first Télévision Summer Series at CBC SRC and co-hosted with Jacques Blanchet the musical show "Tête heureuse". In 1969, she co-hosted with Blanchet a chanson radio show at CBC Radio : "Tour à tour".Télevision show, Christine Charbonneau and Jacques Blanchet, "Tête heureuse, and in 1969, Radio show, Tour à tour, page 241,"http://www.banq.qc.ca/documents/collections/collection_patrimoniale_quebecoise/archives_privees/J_Blanchet.pdf In August 1969, Charbonneau represented Canada at the Spa Festival in BelgiumChristine Charbonneau, http://vedettes70.retrojeunesse60.com/christine.charbonneau.htm but lost the contest.
Composing for others
The 1970s are the most intensive years of her songwriter career, being marked by the recording of many of her songs with different artists. Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, Je le vois dans ma soupe, Ça m'fait du bien recorded by France Castel"France Castel, Officiel Site, Discography : France Castel 1973, 1973, 1974, and Compilation Double Album 1975" (most of them written by Charbonneau), on Profil Records and Trans-World Records, reached the Top Twenty Charts in Quebec"France Castel, Du fil des aiguilles et du coton, Je le vois dans ma soupe et Ça m'fait du bien 1973-02-17", and her 1973, 1974, 1975 albums are mostly Charbonneau's songs. Patsy Gallant made the charts with Tout va trop vite, Thank you come again (in French), Un jour comme les autres, Le lit qui craque,"Patsy Gallant, Québec Info Musique, Biographie", http://www.qim.com/artistes/biographie.asp?artistid=478 songs that gave a start to Gallant's French-language career in Quebec."Patsy Gallant" Franco charts :Tout va trop vite, Le lit qui craque, Un jour comme les autres, Thank you come again, brought Gallant at the top of Quebec Charts", Patsy Gallant Biography and songs, https://www.myspace.com/patsygallant In 1974 Charbonneau gave to Patsy Gallant her original song Les femmes (Qu'y a-t-il dans le cœur des femmes) which was recorded on her 1974 album "Toi l'enfant," released by Columbia Records. Les femmes was covered by the popular French singer Sheila, who released the single Les femmesLes femmeshttp://www.encyclopedisque.fr/disque/13104.html in 1976 with Carrere Records and topped the French Top Twenty. It could be found also on the album L'amour qui brûle en moi.
In 1974, Charbonneau wrote a first song for Ginette Reno, Donne l'amour, which was recorded on her album "Aimons-nous"."Ginette Reno, Official Site, Biographie", http://www.ginettereno.com/biographie_fr.html Also in 1979, Reno recorded Oublie-moi on her album "Je ne suis qu'une chanson," produced by Melon-Miel Records,Ginette Reno, Album «Je ne suis qu'une chanson», (Oublie-moi in 5th) In 1980, she received 3 awards (Félix), including the bestseller album of the year (350,000 copies), and in a few months sold albums.
Michel Louvain: La dame en bleu and Claude Valade were back on the Quebec charts with songs written by Charbonneau. La dame en bleu on Mirabel RecordsMichel Louvain, La dame en bleu, 1976-02-14, was for Louvain one of the greatest hits of his career."La dame en bleu, Christine Charbonneau, 1976", http://www.auteurscompositeurs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109:louvain&catid=20:pleinfeu&Itemid=142 Viens t'étendre aux creux de mes bras,"Claude Valade, Viens t'étendre aux creux de mes bras", written by Charbonneau, Aide-moi à passer la nuit,"Claude Valade, Aide-moi à passer la nuit, 1975-03-29, J'ai dit non, Quand tes yeux, C'est parce que je t'aime , Est-ce si facile , Le chemin de tes rêves – all songs who have featured in the Top Ten on the Quebec charts and were among Claude Valade's hitsHits for Claude Valade written by Charbonneau, 'Claude Valade, Discography, Le Parolier, 1975 London Deram,"Claude Valade, J'ai dit non, 26 June 1976", that became standards on Quebec radio airplay. Charbonneau's biggest hit as a singer was her disco song of 1975, Censuré.
In 2008, the song Les femmes sung by Sheila was one of the chosen song for the musical background of the film Stella, by Sylvie Verheyder.«Stella» dossier pédagogique, Internet
Charbonneau died of cancer on 29 May 2014.
References