Lucille Starr
Encyclopedia
Lucille Starr is a Franco-Manitoban
/ British Columbian singer, songwriter, and yodeler
best known for her 1964 hit
single
, "Quand Le Soleil Dit Bonjour Aux Montagnes" ("The French Song").
, Starr was a natural musician who could play guitar and bass as well as the mandolin. Although born in Manitoba, she was raised in Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam's Francophone community of Maillardville, British Columbia
starting her musical career with the local group Les Hirondelles. Using the stage name of Lucille Starr, she eventually teamed up with band member Bob Regan both as his wife and to form their own country singing duo called "Bob & Lucille". Between 1958 and 1963 they released several 45 rpm records
that were mainly covers of an eclectic mix of fashionable country
, pop
, rockabilly
and folk
songs of people such as Perry Como
to Connie Francis
. Their records met with modest success on the North America
n West Coast
and in 1963 they were signed by A&M Records
with which they began recording as "The Canadian Sweethearts
".
At A&M Records
in Los Angeles
, California
, Starr recorded a song called "The French Song" that was produced
by Herb Alpert
. It was recorded in both French
and English
. In 1964, at a time when The Beatles
dominated the music charts, "The French Song" was an international success that made Starr the first Canadian artist to have a record sell over a million copies. The song took her from near obscurity to the world stage, touring the United States and appearing on the Louisiana Hayride
radio show and on Chicago
radio station WLS (AM)
popular National Barn Dance
. Starr also sang on American television musical variety shows such as Shindig!
and Hullabaloo, followed by tours of Pacific Rim
countries, Australia
, South Africa
, and across Europe
where she became a particular favorite in the Netherlands
. Selling sold over one million copies, it was awarded a gold disc
.
In 1967, Starr and her Canadian Sweethearts duo signed a recording contract
with Epic Records
in Nashville, Tennessee
. Divorced from her husband, their musical collaboration ended in 1977. Although she never again had a hit of the magnitude of "The French Song", Starr enjoyed a long and prosperous career recording primarily in English but also in French and Spanish
. For the most part she sang country music
, becoming the first female inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association
’s "Hall of Honor"
in 1987. A capable yodeler, she was hired to do the yodeling for the "Cousin Pearl" character on several segments of the hit TV series, The Beverly Hillbillies
.
Back to You: the Life and Music of Lucille Starr, a jukebox musical
with a script by Tracey Power, opened at the Prairie Theatre Exchange
in Winnipeg
on 10 November 2010 and is scheduled to run til 28 November 2010.http://www.pte.mb.ca/plays/current/plays29.htm?season=
In her honour, a street in the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia
was named "Lucille Starr Drive".
Franco-Manitoban
Franco-Manitobans are a community of French Canadians and other French-speaking people living in Manitoba. Most Franco-Manitobans have roots in Quebec. However, many are of Métis and Belgian ancestry while others have ancestors that came directly from France, its former colonies and other...
/ British Columbian singer, songwriter, and yodeler
Yodeling
Yodeling is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register to the falsetto/head register; making a high-low-high-low sound.The English word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln meaning "to...
best known for her 1964 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Quand Le Soleil Dit Bonjour Aux Montagnes" ("The French Song").
Biography
Born Lucille Marie Raymonde Savoie in St. Boniface, Manitoba, CanadaCanada
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...
, Starr was a natural musician who could play guitar and bass as well as the mandolin. Although born in Manitoba, she was raised in Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam's Francophone community of Maillardville, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
starting her musical career with the local group Les Hirondelles. Using the stage name of Lucille Starr, she eventually teamed up with band member Bob Regan both as his wife and to form their own country singing duo called "Bob & Lucille". Between 1958 and 1963 they released several 45 rpm records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
that were mainly covers of an eclectic mix of fashionable country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
songs of people such as Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
to Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
. Their records met with modest success on the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n West Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
and in 1963 they were signed by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
with which they began recording as "The Canadian Sweethearts
The Canadian Sweethearts
The Canadian Sweethearts were a Canadian singing duo, who were popular during the 1960s, but disbanded in 1977. The duo consisted of vocalist Lucille Starr, and her guitar playing husband, Bob Regan...
".
At A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Starr recorded a song called "The French Song" that was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
. It was recorded in both French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In 1964, at a time when The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
dominated the music charts, "The French Song" was an international success that made Starr the first Canadian artist to have a record sell over a million copies. The song took her from near obscurity to the world stage, touring the United States and appearing on the Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
radio show and on Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
radio station WLS (AM)
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
popular National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance, broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry...
. Starr also sang on American television musical variety shows such as Shindig!
Shindig!
Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz....
and Hullabaloo, followed by tours of Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
countries, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where she became a particular favorite in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Selling sold over one million copies, it was awarded a gold disc
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,...
.
In 1967, Starr and her Canadian Sweethearts duo signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Divorced from her husband, their musical collaboration ended in 1977. Although she never again had a hit of the magnitude of "The French Song", Starr enjoyed a long and prosperous career recording primarily in English but also in French and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. For the most part she sang country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, becoming the first female inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association
Canadian Country Music Association
The Canadian Country Music Association was founded in 1976 as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment to organize, promote and develop a Canadian country music industry. The association changed its name to the Canadian Country Music Association in 1987.-Awards:The CCMA held the first Canadian...
’s "Hall of Honor"
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame
The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, located in Merritt, British Columbia, was established in 1984 to honour Canadian country music artists, builders or broadcasters, living or deceased...
in 1987. A capable yodeler, she was hired to do the yodeling for the "Cousin Pearl" character on several segments of the hit TV series, The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
.
Back to You: the Life and Music of Lucille Starr, a jukebox musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
with a script by Tracey Power, opened at the Prairie Theatre Exchange
Prairie Theatre Exchange
The Prairie Theatre Exchange is a professional theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has its origins with the Manitoba Theatre School started by the Manitoba Theatre Centre in 1960....
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
on 10 November 2010 and is scheduled to run til 28 November 2010.http://www.pte.mb.ca/plays/current/plays29.htm?season=
In her honour, a street in the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia
Coquitlam, British Columbia
Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. According to the 2007 Canadian Census, it is the 5th-largest city in British Columbia...
was named "Lucille Starr Drive".
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The French Song | A&M |
| 1969 | Lonely Street | Epic |
| 1978 | Back to You | Quality |
| 1981 | The Sun Shines Again | Starr |
| 1991 | Songs of Love | Intersound |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | CAN | US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1964 | "The French Song" | — | — | 12 | — | 54 | The French Song |
| "Jolie Jacqueline" | — | — | 24 | — | — | ||
| "Crazy Arms" | 5 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "Too Far Gone" | — | — | — | 72 | — | Lonely Street |
| 1968 | "Is It Love?" | — | — | — | 63 | — | single only |
| 1969 | "Cajun Love Cajun Love "Cajun Love" is a single by Canadian country music artist Lucille Starr. The song debuted at number 36 on the RPM Country Tracks chart on April 14, 1969. It peaked at number 1 on June 16, 1969.-Chart performance:-References:... " |
1 | — | — | — | — | Lonely Street |
| 1970 | "Dream Baby" (with Bob Regan) | 28 | — | — | 50 | — | singles only |
| "The French Song" (re-release) | 39 | 14 | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Sock It to Satan" | 42 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Power in Your Love" | 37 | — | — | — | — | The Sun Shines Again |
| 1988 | "The First Time I've Been in Love" | 26 | — | — | — | — | Back to You |
| "Back to You" | 63 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Just the Way We Were" | 99 | — | — | — | — |