Renée Claude

Renée ClaudeCM (bornRenée Bélanger; July 3, 1939 – May 12, 2020) was a Canadian actress and singer^[1] who was known as an interpretive singer, particularly of songs byStéphane Venne,Michel Conte,Georges Brassens andLéo Ferré.^[1]

Renée Claude

Background information
Birth name	Renée Bélanger
Born	(1939-07-03)July 3, 1939 Montreal,Quebec, Canada
Died	May 12, 2020(2020-05-12) (aged 80) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Chanson,pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1959–2015
Labels	Sélect,Columbia,Barclay,London, Solset, Transit

Early life

edit

She was born Renée Bélanger inMontreal. She studied piano at theÉcole de musique Vincent-d'Indy, took singing lessons from Alphonse Ledoux, and won a music competition onCKVL radio programDécouvertes de Billy Munro in 1955.^[1]

Musical career

edit

In 1960 she made her first major television appearance onClémence DesRochers'sTélévision de Radio-Canada variety showChez Clémence.^[1] Around the same era she began performing inQuebec City'sboîtes à chanson, specializing in the songs of Ferré, Brassens andJean-Pierre Ferland.^[1] She released her self-titled first album onDistribution Select in 1963, and followed up with three more albums on the label by 1966.^[1]

In 1967 she made an appearance onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and performed atExpo 67 in Montreal.^[1] In the same year she moved toColumbia Records and released her breakthrough albumShippagan; the album's title track was her first major hit single in Quebec, and she won the award for best singer at theGala des artistes in 1968.^[1] However,Shippagan was her sole album for Columbia, as she moved toBarclay for her 1969 albumC'est notre fête aujourd'hui. She released five further albums on Barclay between 1969 and 1973, and scored popular hits in this era with the songs "C'est notre fête aujourd'hui", "Le Tour de la terre", "La Rue de la Montagne", "Tu trouveras la paix", "Le Début d'un temps nouveau", "C'est toi, c'est moi, c'est lui, c'est nous autres", "Quand le temps tournera au beau", "T'oublier, t'oublier" and "Sais-tu que je t'aime depuis longtemps".^{[citation needed]}

She then moved toLondon Records, for whom she released two albums in 1975 and 1976, and then to Solset Records, releasing an album in 1979.

In the 1980s, with pop tastes changing, Claude began creating shows and albums that paid tribute to specific artists who had inspired her, including DesRochers, Brassens and Ferré.^[1] She won theGrand Prix du Disque for French Song from theAcadémie Charles Cros in 1996 for her Ferré albumOn a marché sur l'amour.^[1]

In the 1990s she began taking acting roles, appearing in stage productions ofNelligan,Tu faisais comme un appel andMarcel poursuivi par les chiens, in the television seriesAvec un grand A,Lance et compte andTriplex, and in the filmsIt's Your Turn, Laura Cadieux (C't'à ton tour, Laura Cadieux) andNorth Station (Station Nord).^[1]