Annie Villeneuve
Encyclopedia
Annie Villeneuve is a French Canadian
pop
singer-songwriter
. She participated at the first season of Star Académie
in 2003. She also sang the French and the bilingual official song of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
, I believe/J'Imagine
.
, Canada
. She has a twin sister, Suzie Villeneuve, who also had a singing career until 2010. Villeneuve grew up around music and participated in her church choir. Later, she joined the choir La chorale des jeunes Saguenéens. In 2000, Villeneuve joined the musical group Québecissime from the Saguenay
region. She has covered many popular songs by Canadian singers such as Celine Dion
.
In 2003, Villeneuve participated in the first season of Star Académie
, a reality television show similar to American Idol
or Canadian Idol
. She was one of three female finalists. Villeneuve did not win; however, the experience brought her exposure and popularity among the Quebec public. She released her first album Quand je ferme les yeux
in 2005. This album has sold more than 120,000 albums (a high number in Quebec) and was certified Platinum. Her songs Un ange qui passe and Tomber à l'eau remained number one on the BDS Billboard for many weeks.
That same year, Villeneuve was nominated for three Adisq
awards. She starred in the television show Annie Villeneuve Acoustic. In the summer of 2007, Villeneuve co-hosted the artistic news TV show Flash.
Villeneuve has worked with several famous artists such as Serge Lama
and Garou
. In 2005, Villeneuve was asked by Céline Dion
to be a back-up singer at her show on Les Plaines d'Abraham
for the ceremonies of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City
.
In 2009, Villeneuve released her second album, Annie Villeneuve. Her song "Ce soir" topped the BDS Billboard charts and her singles "Mon Héros" and "Rien de mieux à faire" were also successful. This same year, Villeneuve met Guillaume Latendresse
, a French Canadian hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens
and who now plays for the Minnesota Wild
. They have been together since.
In the winter of 2010, Villeneuve worked with Stephan Moccio
to record both a French and a bilingual version of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
theme song. On the day of the closing ceremonies, she performed the bilingual version of "I Believe/J'Imagine
" with Nikki Yanofsky
, accompanied by Stephan Moccio
on piano. She is now considering performing and promoting herself in France
.
". As a speaker and presenter she took part in the reality show Star Académie
in 2003. Later, in 2006, she co-hosted the television variety show Demandes spéciales with Marc-André Fortin and Audrey Gagnon. She and Patrick Marsolais also co-hosted the news program Flash.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2009
2009
2010
2010
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. She participated at the first season of Star Académie
Star Académie
Star Académie is a Canadian reality TV series started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer...
in 2003. She also sang the French and the bilingual official song of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, I believe/J'Imagine
I Believe (Nikki Yanofsky song)
"I Believe" is a song by Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky. Written by Stephan Moccio and Alan Frew, it was used as CTV's official promotional song for their coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and instrumental cues based on the song were also used as CTV's main theme for its...
.
Biography
Annie Villeneuve was born on May 5, 1983 in Jonquière, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She has a twin sister, Suzie Villeneuve, who also had a singing career until 2010. Villeneuve grew up around music and participated in her church choir. Later, she joined the choir La chorale des jeunes Saguenéens. In 2000, Villeneuve joined the musical group Québecissime from the Saguenay
Saguenay, Quebec
Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
region. She has covered many popular songs by Canadian singers such as Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
.
In 2003, Villeneuve participated in the first season of Star Académie
Star Académie
Star Académie is a Canadian reality TV series started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer...
, a reality television show similar to American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
or Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
. She was one of three female finalists. Villeneuve did not win; however, the experience brought her exposure and popularity among the Quebec public. She released her first album Quand je ferme les yeux
Quand Je Ferme les Yeux
"Quand Je Ferme les Yeux" is an electronic music song performed by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas and Myra Boyle. It was written by Atlas, Brian Higgins and Lisa Cowling, and produced by Xenomania for Atlas' fifth album Something Dangerous...
in 2005. This album has sold more than 120,000 albums (a high number in Quebec) and was certified Platinum. Her songs Un ange qui passe and Tomber à l'eau remained number one on the BDS Billboard for many weeks.
That same year, Villeneuve was nominated for three Adisq
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
awards. She starred in the television show Annie Villeneuve Acoustic. In the summer of 2007, Villeneuve co-hosted the artistic news TV show Flash.
Villeneuve has worked with several famous artists such as Serge Lama
Serge Lama
Serge Lama is a French singer. He was born in Bordeaux.His most famous song is Je suis malade. In 1971 he represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Un jardin sur la terre, which was placed tenth.-Discography:...
and Garou
Garou
Garou may refer to:* A word from the French "loup-garou", meaning "werewolf"* Garou a French Canadian singer** Garou , the 2006 eponymous album by Garou...
. In 2005, Villeneuve was asked by Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
to be a back-up singer at her show on Les Plaines d'Abraham
Plains of Abraham
The Plains of Abraham is a historic area within The Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, that was originally grazing land, but became famous as the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place on 13 September 1759. Though written into the history books, housing and minor...
for the ceremonies of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
.
In 2009, Villeneuve released her second album, Annie Villeneuve. Her song "Ce soir" topped the BDS Billboard charts and her singles "Mon Héros" and "Rien de mieux à faire" were also successful. This same year, Villeneuve met Guillaume Latendresse
Guillaume Latendresse
-International:-Personal life:His older brother, Olivier, plays for the Abbotsford Heat and was signed by the Phoenix Coyotes. On February 18, 2008, Olivier was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens.-External links:...
, a French Canadian hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
and who now plays for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. They have been together since.
In the winter of 2010, Villeneuve worked with Stephan Moccio
Stephan Moccio
Stephan Moccio is a pianist, composer, producer, arranger, conductor and recording artist. He co-wrote Celine Dion's 2002 hit "A New Day Has Come" with Aldo Nova, which reached and held the number one spot on the Billboard AC Chart for a record breaking 21 weeks...
to record both a French and a bilingual version of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
theme song. On the day of the closing ceremonies, she performed the bilingual version of "I Believe/J'Imagine
I Believe (Nikki Yanofsky song)
"I Believe" is a song by Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky. Written by Stephan Moccio and Alan Frew, it was used as CTV's official promotional song for their coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and instrumental cues based on the song were also used as CTV's main theme for its...
" with Nikki Yanofsky
Nikki Yanofsky
Nicole "Nikki" Yanofsky is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Hampstead, Quebec. She is involved in charitable causes, and released her first studio album on her own label, A440 Entertainment, and on Decca Records outside of Canada. Yanofsky sang Canada's national anthem at the opening ceremonies of...
, accompanied by Stephan Moccio
Stephan Moccio
Stephan Moccio is a pianist, composer, producer, arranger, conductor and recording artist. He co-wrote Celine Dion's 2002 hit "A New Day Has Come" with Aldo Nova, which reached and held the number one spot on the Billboard AC Chart for a record breaking 21 weeks...
on piano. She is now considering performing and promoting herself in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Talents
Villeneuve plays the piano, and during her shows she accompanies the song "Quand je ferme les yeuxQuand Je Ferme les Yeux
"Quand Je Ferme les Yeux" is an electronic music song performed by Belgian singer Natacha Atlas and Myra Boyle. It was written by Atlas, Brian Higgins and Lisa Cowling, and produced by Xenomania for Atlas' fifth album Something Dangerous...
". As a speaker and presenter she took part in the reality show Star Académie
Star Académie
Star Académie is a Canadian reality TV series started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer...
in 2003. Later, in 2006, she co-hosted the television variety show Demandes spéciales with Marc-André Fortin and Audrey Gagnon. She and Patrick Marsolais also co-hosted the news program Flash.
Social involvement
Villeneuve supports a number of social causes. She is the spokesperson of the Leucan foundation, a Quebec organization that supports children with cancer or leukemia. Villeneuve has also been a spokesperson for the annual radio campaign, Le club des petits déjeuners du Québec. She participates in numerous charity telethons like Opération Enfant Soleil, a foundation that supports the development of pediatric care in Quebec.Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
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| 2005 | Quand je ferme les yeux
|
— |
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... : Platinum |
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| 2009 | Annie Villeneuve
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| 2010 | Noel Chez Moi
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7 |
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| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Filmography
- 2003: La tournée Star Académie (DVD) (trans: Star Académie on tour)
- 2007: Annie Villeneuve Acoustique (DVD) (trans: Annie Villeneuve Acoustic)
Songs
2003- Et c'est pas fini (with the 13 other stars of Star AcadémieStar AcadémieStar Académie is a Canadian reality TV series started in 2003, aimed primarily at the Quebec television audience, featuring an array of competing young women and men for the title of the best singer...
) (translation: It's Not Over) - Je vais changer le monde (with Jean-François Bastien) (trans: I'm Going to Change the World)
- Quand tout ça sera fini (trans: Once It's All Over)
2004
- Le sucre et le sel (with Suzie Villeneuve and GarouGarouGarou may refer to:* A word from the French "loup-garou", meaning "werewolf"* Garou a French Canadian singer** Garou , the 2006 eponymous album by Garou...
on his album) (trans: The Sugar and the Salt)
2005
- Un ange qui passe (trans: An Angel who Passes On)
- Quand je ferme les yeux (trans: When I Close my Eyes)
- Tomber à l'eau (trans: Falling in the Water)
- Un homme (trans: A Man)
- S'il fallait (with Suzie Villeneuve) (trans: If It Were Needed)
- La moitié de moi (trans: The Other Half of Me)
- Je penserai à toi (trans: I'll Think of You)
- Toi et moi (trans: You and Me)
- En silence (trans: In Silence)
- Juste un instant (trans: Just a Moment)
2006
- Une année en un jour (with Marc-André Fortin on his album) (trans: A Whole Year in a Day)
2007
- All I Want For Christmas Is YouAll I Want for Christmas Is You"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records on November 1, 1994 as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Merry Christmas. The song was written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, both of whom were also the producers...
(with Dany BédarDany BédarDany Bédar is a francophone Québécois singer from Val-d'Or in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec, CanadaHe moved to Montreal at age 19. In 1993, he was the bass player of the group Sex Solution with Gaeboche aka Richard Gibouleau , Karl Coderre . He plays every instrument except drums...
) (single)
2009
- Ce soir (trans: Tonight)
- Ton plus grand secret (trans: Your Deepest Secret)
- Rêve encore (trans: Dream Again)
- Rien de mieux à faire (trans: Nothing Else to Do)
- C'est une autre histoire (trans: That's Another Story)
- Les mains vides (trans: Empty Hands)
- Comment te dire (trans: How Do I Tell You)
- Le désamour (trans: Out of Love)
- Plus rien (trans: Nothing More)
- Elle veut parler (trans: She Wants to Talk)
- Que feras-tu de nous (trans: What Will You Make of Us)
- Mon héros (trans: My Hero)
2009
- Entre l'ombre et la lumière (with Boom Desjardins on his album) (trans: Between the Darkness and the Light)
2010
- J'imagine (French version) (trans: I BelieveI Believe (Nikki Yanofsky song)"I Believe" is a song by Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky. Written by Stephan Moccio and Alan Frew, it was used as CTV's official promotional song for their coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and instrumental cues based on the song were also used as CTV's main theme for its...
by Nikki YanofskyNikki YanofskyNicole "Nikki" Yanofsky is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Hampstead, Quebec. She is involved in charitable causes, and released her first studio album on her own label, A440 Entertainment, and on Decca Records outside of Canada. Yanofsky sang Canada's national anthem at the opening ceremonies of...
) - J'imagine/I believe (Bilingual version)
2010
- Joyeux noël (The Christmas song)
- Marie-Noël (Mary-Christmas)
- Le sentier de neige (The Snow Path)
- Sainte nuit (Silent Night)
- Ave Maria
- Amazing Grace
- Minuit, chrétiens (O, Holy Night)
- Quand les hommes vivront d'amour (When Mankind Will Live with Love)
- Le Père Noël a pris un coup (Santa Claus Had a Few [Drinks])
- 23 décembre (December 23)
- Noël chez nous (Christmas at Home)
- Happy Xmas