Richard Séguin to be Inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at the SOCAN Gala on May 4 at La Tohu

April 16, 2025

MONTREAL, QC – The great Richard Séguin will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on May 4 during the SOCAN Gala, held at La Tohu in Montréal.

As both an artist and an engaged citizen, Richard Séguin’s impact on Quebec society and culture is deep and far-reaching. Blending tenderness and protest, he stands among the most important singer-songwriters in Quebec, with a body of work that includes 13 solo albums and seven collaborative projects. He’s also a passionate advocate for social and political causes that reflect his core values of human dignity and the pursuit of justice.

Richard Séguin will be inducted by Patrice Michaud. The evening will feature performances by his longtime guitarist and collaborator Simon Godin, along with Luce Dufault, Vincent Vallières, Ivan Boivin-Flamand, Jeanne Côté, and Jorane.

Richard and his twin sister Marie-Claire were born on March 27, 1952, in the working-class neighbourhood of Pointe-aux-Trembles. These early roots played a defining role in shaping his values of equity and community, which have become the foundation of his artistic voice, public statements, and civic action.

At 14, he received a guitar from his father and never looked back. He frequently performed with Marie-Claire, and in 1969, they formed the group La Nouvelle Frontière, releasing two albums before disbanding in 1971. Embracing the back-to-the-land movement, Richard soon found his sanctuary in Saint-Venant-de-Paquette, in the Appalachian region.

In 1972, the duo officially became Les Séguin and released a self-titled album. From the opening track, they expressed strong environmental concerns and support for Indigenous rights through the song “Som Séguin,” written at age 16. Between 1972 and 1976, they released three more albums: En attendant, Récolte de rêves, and Festin d’amour. As Richard became one of the voices of a generation deeply concerned with the planet’s future, the duo mutually agreed to part ways artistically.

He then collaborated with Serge Fiori, whose band Harmonium had also recently disbanded. Their cult album Deux cents nuits à l’heure was released in 1978 to widespread critical and commercial acclaim, selling more than 200,000 copies. At the first ADISQ Gala in 1979, Fiori-Séguin earned the Félix for Group of the Year, while Deux cents nuits à l’heure won Album of the Year – Singer-Songwriter, and Record of the Year.

That same year, Séguin’s solo career took off with the release of his self-titled album. Inspired by his encounter with poet Louky Bersianik, he composed the music for Trace et contraste, featuring the soon-to-be classic “Chanson pour durer toujours.” He performed the song at Belgium’s Spa Festival, winning three awards, including the Grand Prize for French-language radio programming.

Like many Quebec artists, Séguin faced a challenging transition into the next decade. A remark by writer Michel Garneau reignited his creative flame: “Words deserve to be lived, or they say nothing and betray reality.” That inspiration guided him to write “La raffinerie,” a powerful tribute to his father, and to a silenced generation of men. The song appeared on Double vie in 1985, which earned gold certification. In 1986, he won Félix Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Rock Album of the Year.

In his mid-30s, Séguin reached the height of his creative powers and popularity. Journée d’Amérique (1988) became a landmark album in his discography, and in Quebec music. Songs like the title track, “L’Ange vagabond,” “Et tu marches…,” “Protest Song,” and “Tu reviens de loin” would eventually earn SOCAN Classic status. That year, the album won the Félix for Pop-Rock Album of the Year and was certified platinum. The ensuing tour was a record-breaking success, earning the ADISQ Gold Ticket and the Miroir Award for Most Popular Performance at the Festival d’été de Québec. “Ici comme ailleurs” won Radio-Canada’s Notre chanson contest.

From Pointe-aux-Trembles to Saint-Venant, Séguin has remained true to his humanist values, earning the title of Artist for Peace in 1990. In 1991, he joined his third tour with the ROSEQ network, performing songs from Aux portes du matin. The album won the Félix for Best-Selling Album of the Year, and the tour earned him two more Félix Awards: Stage Director of the Year and Scriptwriter of the Year. He performed the show about 150 times, later releasing the live album Vagabondage in 1993. The song “Aux portes du matin” was named Song of the Year at the ADISQ Gala and earned a SOCAN Award as one of the most-played French-language songs on the radio.

He released D’instinct in 1995, which included the anthem “Rester debout” and soon achieved gold status. Following the tour, he worked with the Saint-Venant community to create the Sentier poétique, a nature trail for introspection and reflection that remains open today. This project marked a shift in pace for the artist, who embraced a more contemplative rhythm of life.

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that Séguin released new compositions on Microclimat, which won the Félix for Folk-Contemporary Album of the Year. Six years later, he explored a new form of songwriting in Lettres ouvertes, addressing personal letters to 15 individuals including his daughter and twin sister—songs that resonated universally.

In 2010, he received the Sylvain-Lelièvre Award from the SPACQ Foundation for his “exceptional career as a songwriter.” Deeply inspired by his adopted land, he released Appalaches the following year, with the song “De colères et d’espoir” lending its name to the tour.

2012 marked Richard’s 60th birthday, and the 40th anniversary of his songwriting career. Spectra Musique released the box set Ma demeure, which won the Félix for Anthology of the Year.

In 2016, he released Les horizons nouveaux, a tender acoustic album. Two years later, he unveiled the conceptual project Retour à Walden – Sur les pas de Thoreau, a tribute to the American philosopher and poet Henry David Thoreau, a longtime influence on Séguin.

In 2022, as the pandemic shook the world, Richard Séguin reminded us of what truly matters with Les liens les lieux. The next year, he was named a Companion of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec in recognition of his lasting contribution to Quebec’s cultural landscape.

Both an artist and an activist citizen, Richard Séguin has left a deep and lasting mark on Quebec society.

Text by Jean-François Brassard

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