Montréal, September 2023—Michel Rivard, Marjo and Jean Millaire will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 11 as part of the inaugural Legends series supported by the RBC Foundation through RBC Emerging Artists, to be held at Espace St-Denis in Montréal.
An extremely limited number of tickets for this event will go on sale on today (Thursday, September 21) at 10:00 a.m. EST via https://espacestdenis.ticketpro.ca/fr/pages/legendes23
Sonia Benezra will be the host of this event where Isabelle Boulay, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Martin Deschamps, Lulu Hughes, Laurence Jalbert, Martin Léon, Tina Leon, Elliot Maginot, Safia Nolin and Paul Piché will perform tributes to the three inductees.
Legends supported by the RBC Foundation through RBC Emerging Artists is a Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction series that travels across the country and puts our greatest songwriters centre stage. Inductees participate in an on-stage interview moderated by host Sonia Benezra, who will delve into their journeys as songwriters and the stories behind some of our nation’s biggest songs. Intimate performances from a diverse list of emerging and established artists closest to the songwriters are intermingled with the conversation and backed by a house band led by revered Musical Director Simon Godin as well as stunning visuals.
“Through the Emerging Artists program, RBC is proud to support artistic initiatives such as the Legends series. They provide emerging artists with opportunities to advance their careers by offering them a platform to promote their talent and training,” says Nadine Renaud-Tinker, Regional President, RBC Royal Bank in Quebec. “Supporting arts has long been one of our priorities, because we know that they contribute favourably to the vitality of our communities, and to the strength of the economy in Quebec and across Canada.”
The Legends Series is supported by the RBC Foundation through RBC Emerging Artists with support from YouTube Music, SOCAN and CMRRA.
Michel Rivard
Author, improviser, playwright, actor, comedian, composer and performer whose career spans five decades, Michel Rivard is a true craftsman of words and melodies who has left an indelible mark on the Canadian music scene. His talents as a lyricist, composer and singer, as well as his ability to describe the deepest and most complex emotions of the human experience, make him an indisputable pillar of our culture.
Throughout his 50-year career, this keen observer of the human experience garnered numerous awards and honours, including 16 Félix awards, the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec in 2005, the Prix Denise-Pelletier for his distinguished career in 2021, and the title of Compagnon de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2022. Like Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault, Robert Charlebois and Jean-Pierre Ferland, Michel Rivard has helped bring “la chanson québécoise” into the modern age. His rich body of music has become part of our cultural heritage, earning him a place in the Hall of Fame of our country’s great artists.
Marjo
A true Canadian music icon, Marjo is a singer-songwriter with a powerful voice and personality. Her career with Corbeau and as a solo artist is punctuated by unforgettable hits, remarkable lyrics, songs and unforgettable stage performances, and she has contributed significantly to shaping the world of Francophone rock.
Free-spirited and a feminist who didn’t feel the need to declare it openly, Marjo has helped a whole generation of women to assert themselves and become empowered. As a songwriter and composer, she has constantly sought to broaden the horizons of her art, experimenting with different genres while maintaining her roots firmly planted in rock music. Having sold over a million albums and written and composed some sixty songs in her career—including several big hits that earned her 14 Félix awards—she not only left her mark on Canadian musical history but also paved the way for many artists such as Anik Jean, Marie-Chantal Toupin and Marie-Mai. Her commitment to authenticity, power and emotion in music and lyrics has left a lasting legacy for generations to come. Quite simply, she embodies the spirit of rock.
Jean Millaire
A gifted guitarist and brilliant composer, Jean Millaire has left an indelible mark on the Canadian music scene. A great sense of melody and collaborations with numerous blues, rock and pop artists and bands marked his prolific career. After joining Corbeau, he became one of its creative driving forces, co-writing songs with singer-songwriter Marjo. The fusion of Millaire’s melodic riffs and Marjo’s powerful vocals is undoubtedly one of the key elements of the band’s success.
Marjo and Millaire left Corbeau in 1984 and began working together on the singer’s first solo album. Launched in 1986, Celle qui va was a resounding success on both sides of the Atlantic. This highly fruitful musical collaboration lasted several years.
Over the years, Jean Millaire has explored diverse musical horizons and styles and collaborated with a multitude of artists. His musical curiosity led him to integrate jazz, blues, and folk influences into his playing, creating a rich and varied sonic signature. His mastery of the guitar, his sensibility and his constant desire to explore have made him one of Québec’s most respected musicians.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
2023 will mark the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF), a national, non-profit organization dedicated to honouring and celebrating Canadian songwriters and those who have dedicated their lives to the legacy of music. The CSHF also works to raise public awareness of these achievements and to encourage the next generation of writers and composers through initiatives and events throughout the year. In December 2011, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) acquired the CSHF, but it continues to be run as a separate organization and is governed by its own Board of Directors made up of English and French music creators and publishers, as well as representatives of the recording industry. The Hall of Fame’s mandate aligns with SOCAN’s objectives as a membership-based songwriter and publisher organization. www.cshf.ca
ABOUT YOUTUBE MUSIC
YouTube Music is the only streaming service with official singles, albums, playlists, remixes, music videos, live performances, covers, and hard-to-find music you can’t get anywhere else. With YouTube Music, you can listen to the latest hits, find songs that you love, stay connected to the music world, and discover tons of new music to enjoy on your devices. Basic functions such as playing music and watching videos are totally free, but you can upgrade to YouTube Music Premium to explore the world of music ad-free, offline, and with the screen locked. Available on mobile and desktop. For additional information, visit www.youtube.com/musicpremium.
ABOUT SOCAN
SOCAN is a rights management organization that connects more than four-million music creators worldwide and more than a quarter-million businesses and individuals in Canada. More than 185,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers are its direct members, and more than 100,000 organizations are Licensed To Play music across Canada. With a concerted use of progressive technology and unique data, SOCAN is dedicated to upholding the fundamental truth that music has value and creators and publishers deserve fair compensation for their work. For more information: www.socan.com.
ABOUT CMRRA
The Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA), a SoundExchange company, represents the vast majority of the music publishers doing business in Canada. CMRRA licenses dozens of digital services including all of the major online music services operating in Canada. It licenses, collects and distributes royalties for the majority of songs recorded, sold and broadcast in Canada. For more information, please visit cmrra.ca.
Media contact and interviews: SIX media marketing Inc. (for the CSHF) simon@sixmedia.ca Source: Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Info: Simon Fauteux
