Jacques Michel

Education and Early Career

At 16 Jacques Michel sang in cabarets in his region, performing songs by Gilbert Bécaud, Charles Aznavour, and Mouloudji to which he gradually added his own compositions.

In 1965 Michel took part in a show starring Muriel Millard at the Comédie-Canadienne in Montreal, and the same year he won the chanson trophy of the Montreal Festival du disque with “Je retourne chez moi.” In August 1966 he sang at the Théâtre de Quat’sous, but it was the song “À cause d'une fleur” that brought him wide recognition, winning the special prize of the jury of the 1969 Festival de la chanson québécoise.

Career Highlights, 1970–86

In 1970, Jacques Michel won the Grand Prix de la Communauté radiophonique des programmes de langue française in Spa, Belgium, for his song "Amène-toi chez nous" and a second prize at the Tokyo International Song Festival for "Un nouveau jour va se lever."

He appeared at Le Patriote annually (1971–77), at the Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde in Montreal (1973), at the Grand Théâtre in Quebec City, and at the National Arts Centre and Place des Arts (1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, and 1979). He also toured the Maritimes (1971–72) and Ontario (1971, 1975, and 1978). In 1972 he sang at the St. Lawrence Centre, Toronto.

In 1974 Michel founded a production management firm, Les Productions Rojamic. He has taken part in many CBC TV variety shows, including Zoom (1973), Vedette en direct (1974, 1976, 1978), Dimanshowsoir (1977), and Les Beaux Dimanches (1978). He appeared in Tête d'affiche (1977), a series at Télé-Métropole where he also hosted Les Lauréats des découvertes (1978, 1990, 1991).

Jacques Michel left the stage in 1986 but continued to write songs for Martine Chevrier, Nicole Martin, Johanne Blouin and Nathalie Simard. Since then he has also pursued a career as an idea man and script writer for TV. In particular he devised and scripted the children's series Le Village de Nathalie with Nathalie Simard.

Benoît Lavoie has said of his songs (Canadian Composer, February 1975) that “they last because they are labours of love.” Several have been recorded by Isabelle Aubret (in France), Julie Arel, Pauline Julien, Ginette Reno, and René Simard.

Return to Music, 2015–25

After a hiatus of almost thirty years, Jacques Michel returned to his professional career. He released a compilation of his hit songs, Un nouveau jour (2015), and went on tour. Four years later, he released Tenir (2019), a new album of original compositions. Another tour in 2024–25, Seul à seuls, marked his brief return to the music industry.

Honours

In 2007 he was made Chevalier of the National Order of Québec (Ordre national du Québec). In 2020, he was awarded the Sylvain-Lelièvre Award from the Société professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec (SPACQ) for lifetime achievement.

Discography

• Jacques Michel et ses chansons (1965)
• Jacques Michel, Grand prix du Festival du disque (1965)
• Jacques Michel (1966)
• Jacques Michel (1967)
• Jacques Michel (1969)
• Citoyen d'Amérique (1970)
• S.O.S. (1971)
• Pas besoin de frapper pour entrer... (1972)
• Dieu ne se mange plus (1973)
• Jacques Michel à la Comédie (1973)
• C'que j'ai l'goût d'dire (1974)
• Migration (1975)
• Ma nouvelle saison (1976)
• Le Temps d'aimer (1977)
• Le Coeur plus chaud (1978)
• Passages (1980)