Jean-Pierre Ferland, the singer-songwriter who became a fixture of Quebec鈥檚 cultural landscape over a career that spanned more than six decades, died Saturday at the age of 89.
The agency representing Ferland confirmed the singer, who鈥檚 signature song 鈥渦ne chance qu鈥檕n s鈥檃鈥� is regarded as a classic of Quebec music, died of natural causes after being hospitalized earlier this year.
Born in Montreal on June 24, 1934, Ferland was a prolific artist who produced some 30 albums, including the culturally significant 鈥淛aune,鈥� which sold some 60,000 copies in a year after its release in 1970.
He was named an officer of the Order of Canada and a knight of the National Order of Quebec, and was inducted into Canada鈥檚 Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.
Ferland held a concert at Montreal鈥檚 Bell Centre in 2007 to officially mark his retirement after a more than four-decade-long career, but continued to perform and record up until 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, writing on X, described Ferland as a 鈥済iant鈥� of francophone music.
鈥淗e wrote and sang songs that will be a part of Quebec culture forever,鈥� Trudeau wrote. 鈥淗e will be dearly missed.鈥�
Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault described Ferland as a 鈥済reat builder of Quebec-French song,鈥� adding that he鈥檇 listened to 鈥淛aune鈥� on repeat.
Legault said Sunday that the government will hold a state funeral for Ferland, if the singer鈥檚 family accepts.
Canadian singer Roch Voisine paid tribute to an artist he described as 鈥渋ncomparable.鈥�
鈥淗is album 鈥楯aune鈥� changed everything,鈥� Voisine said. 鈥淎nd all the songs that followed. Rest in peace, Mr. Ferland.鈥�
While he originally worked as an accountant, Ferland became a fixture on the province鈥檚 cultural scene a few years after he recorded his first songs in 1958.
He started making a name for himself in both Quebec and internationally in the 1960s before the release of 鈥淛aune鈥� in 1970.
Ferland took his first steps into television and movies in the 1970s, and would become an actor, scriptwriter and host for several productions.
While a 2006 stroke prompted his official retirement, he continued to perform and record, and it didn鈥檛 ultimately halt his output. Notable performances included at a 2008 concert on Quebec City鈥檚 Plains of Abraham to celebrate the city鈥檚 400th anniversary with fellow Quebec stars including C茅line Dion and Ginette Reno. He also released a number of new albums, including 鈥淏ijoux de famille鈥� in 2009 and the live album 鈥淟es Noces d鈥檕r de jaune鈥� in 2011.
鈥淚 left this profession, I stopped, I did a farewell show. But it didn鈥檛 last long,鈥� he told Radio-Canada in 2021.
鈥淚 was ashamed, but I came back, and as quickly as possible. It鈥檚 the most beautiful job in the world.鈥�
Ferland is survived by his partner and his two children, as well as four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
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Jean-Benoit Legault, The Canadian Press
