Willie Lamothe
Willie Lamothe was the stage name of Joachim Guillaume Lamothe CM (January 27, 1920 – October 19, 1992), a Canadian musician and actor from Quebec.[1] One of the pioneers of French language country music,[2] he recorded over 500 songs, both originals and translated renditions of English language country music hits, over the course of his career.[1]
Biography
Born and raised in
Saint-Hyacinthe,[1] Lamothe served in the Canadian Army during World War II, beginning his career in music by performing as "The Singing Sergeant" for his fellow soldiers. Following the end of the war, he recorded his first mini-album, Je suis un cowboy canadien, in 1946.[3] He recorded a number of albums and singles over the next thirty years and frequently performed on tour, most frequently within Quebec but also from time to time in English Canada and at least one performance in Nashville.[1] His performances included shows opening for Gene Autry at the Montreal Forum in 1952 and 1954.[1]
Through the 1970s he performed as an actor in a number of films, most notably National Film Board.[1]
He suffered a
Member of the Order of Canada in 1979.[7]
His son Michel (1948-2019), also sometimes credited as "Willie Lamothe, Jr.", was a former rock musician who was associated with the bands Offenbach and Corbeau.[1]
Lamothe died on October 19, 1992, at age 72.[1]
In popular culture
- Charles Brunet made a celebrity comic about Willy Lamothe in 1953.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Willie Lamothe". The Canadian Encyclopedia, June 18, 2007.
- ^ "Night Beat". Ottawa Journal, May 1, 1971.
- ISBN 9782763779331. p. 207.
- ^ "A wake for Canadian cinema". The Globe and Mail, October 13, 1973.
- ^ "Canadian Film Awards 1949-1979". NorthernStars.ca. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
- ^ "People in the news". Ottawa Journal, June 2, 1978.
- ^ "62 Canadians honoured: Orr, Augustyn joining Order". Ottawa Journal, June 29, 1979.
- ^ "Charles Brunet".
External links
- Willie Lamothe discography at Discogs
- Willie Lamothe at IMDb
- Entry at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
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