Paul Brunelle
Encyclopedia
Paul Brunelle was a singer-songwriter
and country
guitarist
of western Quebec
. He is considered the pioneer of country in Quebec and the main source of influence on the artist who would popularize the genre, Willie Lamothe. The companion article at the French Wikipedia lists his releases with their titles in the original French language, and contains a partial discography from 1944 to 1969 listing 49 singles and 13 albums on the RCA Victor and London labels. Brunelle continued with RCA until 1975, and then continued to record on the Bonanza label.
early in 1930. Employed at the Miner Rubber, he bought his first guitar on credit for $6.50.
During the war, he won twice, in 1943 and 1944, the amateur competition by Living Room Furniture, organized by AM radio CKAC
. The first 78 rpm was launched in 1944, marketed by RCA Victor, attempting with this artist to compete with Private Lebrun. "Women, You're Pretty" appeared in September, then "My Child, I Forgive You" in October of that year. This last piece is an adaptation to French of the traditional song "When It's Springtime in the Rockies". The success of Brunelle was immediate. He also broadcast a program on CKAC in 1945, and apparently sold 200,000 copies of "Cruel Destiny." This was followed by inter alia, "On This White Rock", in December 1946, "In a Night of Stars" in August 1947, then in 1948, "The Song of the Vagabond" (in April) and "In the Distance There in my Prairie" (July).
From 1949 to 1951, Brunelle went on tour throughout Quebec with Antoine Grimaldi
. His wife, Suzanne Brunelle, accompanied the troupe, which also offered dance numbers and comedy. The troupe visited possibly the provinces of Ontario
and the Maritimes
.
From 1955 to 1957, he would daily moderate on radio CKVL
, Montreal
, the show "Paul Brunelle and his Troubadours." He is best known in the US for his 1955 novelty yodeling hit, "The Cowboy of the Mountains."
In the years 1960, a contract with RCA Victor and London allowed the singer to launch in 33 rpm format several compilations of his previous hits.
Paul Brunelle is considered, along with Marcel Martel
and Willie Lamothe, as one of three major Quebec country artists. Brunelle is regarded as one who has laid the foundation of Belle Province country music before Wille Lamothe popularized it with a wider audience in the decades that followed, including the medium of television and its popular show, "The Willie Ranch."
Paul Brunelle continued his career until early 1980, when a cancer
of the throat forced an end to his career as a musician. In the last years of his life, he would appear on stage only on rare special occasions, most recently in 1992. He died in 1994 in his hometown, Granby.
In 2005 the label, Experience, issued a compilation compact disc of sixteen remastered hits originally recorded between 1945 and 1957. Billboard additionally lists four 2007 US CD album releases from Brunelle on the DDM and Select labels, and an additional three songs appearing on three different Quebec Country compilations featuring various artists of the genre.
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...
and 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...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
of western Quebec
Quebec
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....
. He is considered the pioneer of country in Quebec and the main source of influence on the artist who would popularize the genre, Willie Lamothe. The companion article at the French Wikipedia lists his releases with their titles in the original French language, and contains a partial discography from 1944 to 1969 listing 49 singles and 13 albums on the RCA Victor and London labels. Brunelle continued with RCA until 1975, and then continued to record on the Bonanza label.
Biography
Born in 1923, Brunelle was one of the child singers in his hometown of GranbyGranby, Quebec
Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and...
early in 1930. Employed at the Miner Rubber, he bought his first guitar on credit for $6.50.
During the war, he won twice, in 1943 and 1944, the amateur competition by Living Room Furniture, organized by AM radio CKAC
CKAC (AM)
CKAC is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, currently broadcasting a traffic information format as Radio Circulation 730....
. The first 78 rpm was launched in 1944, marketed by RCA Victor, attempting with this artist to compete with Private Lebrun. "Women, You're Pretty" appeared in September, then "My Child, I Forgive You" in October of that year. This last piece is an adaptation to French of the traditional song "When It's Springtime in the Rockies". The success of Brunelle was immediate. He also broadcast a program on CKAC in 1945, and apparently sold 200,000 copies of "Cruel Destiny." This was followed by inter alia, "On This White Rock", in December 1946, "In a Night of Stars" in August 1947, then in 1948, "The Song of the Vagabond" (in April) and "In the Distance There in my Prairie" (July).
From 1949 to 1951, Brunelle went on tour throughout Quebec with Antoine Grimaldi
Antoine Grimaldi
Antoine Grimaldi may refer to a number of members of the House of Grimaldi :* Antoine Grimaldi , Genoan admiral.* Antoine Grimaldi, co-Lord of Monaco.* Antonio I, Prince of Monaco or Antoine de Monaco, Prince of Monaco....
. His wife, Suzanne Brunelle, accompanied the troupe, which also offered dance numbers and comedy. The troupe visited possibly the provinces of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
.
From 1955 to 1957, he would daily moderate on radio CKVL
CKVL-FM
CKVL-FM is a Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by La radio communautaire de LaSalle , it broadcasts on 100.1 MHz using an omnidirectional antenna with an effective radiated power of 250 watts .The station operates under a community radio licence and identifies...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, the show "Paul Brunelle and his Troubadours." He is best known in the US for his 1955 novelty yodeling hit, "The Cowboy of the Mountains."
In the years 1960, a contract with RCA Victor and London allowed the singer to launch in 33 rpm format several compilations of his previous hits.
Paul Brunelle is considered, along with Marcel Martel
Marcel Martel
Marcel Martel is the Avie Bennett Historica Chair in Canadian history at York University. A student of Ramsay Cook, he has published extensively on topics ranging from French Canadian nationalism to federal drug policy. His book Le deuil d'un pays imaginé earned him the Michel Brunet Award from...
and Willie Lamothe, as one of three major Quebec country artists. Brunelle is regarded as one who has laid the foundation of Belle Province country music before Wille Lamothe popularized it with a wider audience in the decades that followed, including the medium of television and its popular show, "The Willie Ranch."
Paul Brunelle continued his career until early 1980, when a cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
of the throat forced an end to his career as a musician. In the last years of his life, he would appear on stage only on rare special occasions, most recently in 1992. He died in 1994 in his hometown, Granby.
In 2005 the label, Experience, issued a compilation compact disc of sixteen remastered hits originally recorded between 1945 and 1957. Billboard additionally lists four 2007 US CD album releases from Brunelle on the DDM and Select labels, and an additional three songs appearing on three different Quebec Country compilations featuring various artists of the genre.
External links
- Paul Brunelle in The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...