Gerry Boulet

Joseph Gaétan Robert Gérald (Gerry) Boulet (March 1, 1946 – July 18, 1990) was a French Canadian rock singer.[1] Most famous as vocalist for the Quebec rock band Offenbach,[2] he also released two solo albums. He is considered one of the innovators of rock music in the joual language of French Quebec.[3]

Gerry Boulet
Gerry À Grand Coups d'Amour
Background information
Birth nameJoseph Gaétan Robert Gérald Boulet
Born(1946-03-01)March 1, 1946
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
OriginSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
DiedJuly 18, 1990(1990-07-18) (aged 44)
Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
GenresRock
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
InstrumentsVocals, organ, piano, guitar, trumpet
Years active1966–1990
Associated actsOffenbach

Career

Born and raised in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, he started in music with the band Les Gants Blancs (literally "The White Gloves"), which evolved into Offenbach, in 1969.[4]

In 1985, Boulet recorded his first solo album, Presque 40 ans de blues.[1] The following year, the band performed a farewell concert at the Montreal Forum.[5]

In 1987 he was diagnosed with colon cancer.[1] Boulet released his second solo album, Rendez-vous doux, in 1989.[1] Some songs in this album clearly talk about his fight to stay alive. The album won him three Félix Awards in 1989 for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Concert and Best Television Special; in 1990, he won two more posthumous Félix Awards, including Song of the Year for "Un beau grand bateau" and a special tribute award.[1] Rendez-vous doux held the title of the best-selling album of all time by a Québécois artist through the early 1990s, until it was surpassed in 1996 by Céline Dion's D'eux.[6]

On July 18, 1990, Boulet died in Montreal of cancer.[7]

Legacy

In 1991 his solo debut was reissued under the new title Gerry,[5] while in 1994 Dan Bigras produced a recording of Boulet's previously unreleased rock opera Jézabel.[8]

Offenbach reunited in 1996, with Martin Deschamps on vocals.[9] In 1998, the live album Gerry Boulet...en rappel was released.[1]

Gerry, a biographical film about his life, was launched in theatres on June 15, 2011.[10] The film was directed by Alain DesRochers, and stars Mario Saint-Amand as Boulet.[10]

Discography
  • Presque 40 ans de blues (1984)
  • Rendez-vous doux (1988)
  • Gerry (1991)
  • Jézabel (1994)
  • Gerry Boulet...en rappel (1998)

References
  1. "Gerry Boulet". The Canadian Encyclopedia, July 17, 2007.
  2. "Offenbach – new blues for old". The Globe and Mail, January 18, 1978.
  3. "Boulet's death has robbed Quebec of part of its soul". Montreal Gazette, July 22, 1990.
  4. "A blow to Quebec culture: Gerry Boulet was 'a tender animal who clenched love between his teeth'. His music carried a message for a generation struggling with its identity". The Globe and Mail, July 25, 1990.
  5. "Gerry Boulet". QuébecInfoMusique.
  6. "Celine Encore: As the Quebec music industry gears up to honor its own at the Felix awards, Dion still dominates". Montreal Gazette, November 2, 1996.
  7. "Quebec rocker Gerry Boulet loses fight with cancer". Montreal Gazette, July 19, 1990.
  8. "The enduring legacy of Gerry Boulet". Montreal Gazette, April 30, 1994.
  9. "Offenbach, Corbeau in new incarnation: Quebec rock act reunites". Montreal Gazette, November 7, 1996.
  10. "Mario Saint-Amand hits the right notes as Gerry Boulet; Film stays true to rocker's life". Montreal Gazette, June 15, 2011.
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