Roger Doucet
Encyclopedia
Roger Doucet, CM
(21 April 1919 – 19 July 1981) was a Canadian
tenor
best known for singing the Canadian national anthem
, "O Canada
", on televised games of the Montreal Canadiens
, Montreal Alouettes
, and Montreal Expos
during the 1970s. He was particularly known for his bilingual version of the anthem, which began in French and ended in English, in recognition of the two languages of Canada.
noted that Doucet "belted the anthem with an enthusiasm that energized the crowd as much as any Lafleur slapper or Robinson hip check."
During the inaugural Canada Cup
tournament, Doucet was scheduled to sing the national anthems at a game between Czechoslovakia
and the Soviet Union
on 3 September 1976. However, the lyrics for "Hymn of the Soviet Union
" were omitted since the mid-1950s due to their Stalinist
content. Doucet consulted with the Université de Montréal
's Russian department staff who provided a modified anthem to sing at the game. These lyrics were approved by the Soviet Union the following year for use in its national anthem.
In 1980, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
, Canada's highest civilian honour, "in recognition for the feeling of pride he has instilled in his fellow citizens".
Roger Doucet died in Montreal on 19 July 1981 after sustaining a brain tumour.
(Dr. Z) remembered as a highlight of his coverage of Canadiens games that Doucet "[b]rought the house down. I mean, people would cry when he finished that song. And it never ran longer than 47 or 48 seconds."
An audio recording of his performance is the rendition used at all home games of the Gatineau Olympiques
, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(21 April 1919 – 19 July 1981) was a Canadian
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...
tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
best known for singing the Canadian national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, "O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
", on televised games of 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 ...
, Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, and Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
during the 1970s. He was particularly known for his bilingual version of the anthem, which began in French and ended in English, in recognition of the two languages of Canada.
Career
Doucet's first performance of the national anthem at a Canadiens game was on 13 October 1970. Author Andrew PodnieksAndrew Podnieks
Andrew Podnieks is a Canadian author and ice hockey historian. He's of a Latvian descent. He has written more than 45 books about hockey. Additionally, he has contributed extensively to international hockey research at the International Ice Hockey Federation, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Hockey Canada,...
noted that Doucet "belted the anthem with an enthusiasm that energized the crowd as much as any Lafleur slapper or Robinson hip check."
During the inaugural Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
tournament, Doucet was scheduled to sing the national anthems at a game between Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on 3 September 1976. However, the lyrics for "Hymn of the Soviet Union
National Anthem of the Soviet Union
The National Anthem of the Soviet Union or the State Anthem of the USSR was introduced during World War II on March 15, 1944, replacing The Internationale as the official national anthem of the Soviet Union as well as the national anthem of the Russian SFSR...
" were omitted since the mid-1950s due to their Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
content. Doucet consulted with the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
's Russian department staff who provided a modified anthem to sing at the game. These lyrics were approved by the Soviet Union the following year for use in its national anthem.
In 1980, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, Canada's highest civilian honour, "in recognition for the feeling of pride he has instilled in his fellow citizens".
Roger Doucet died in Montreal on 19 July 1981 after sustaining a brain tumour.
Legacy
American sportswriter Paul ZimmermanPaul Zimmerman
Paul Lionel Zimmerman is the son of Charles S. Zimmerman and Rose Zimmerman. Zimmerman, also known to readers as "Dr. Z", is an American football sportswriter who wrote for the weekly magazine Sports Illustrated, as well as the magazine's website, SI.com. He is sometimes confused with Paul D...
(Dr. Z) remembered as a highlight of his coverage of Canadiens games that Doucet "[b]rought the house down. I mean, people would cry when he finished that song. And it never ran longer than 47 or 48 seconds."
An audio recording of his performance is the rendition used at all home games of the Gatineau Olympiques
Gatineau Olympiques
The Gatineau Olympiques are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League out of Gatineau, Quebec. The Olympiques play out of the Robert Guertin Centre. The club, then known as the Hull Festivals, was granted membership in the QMJHL in 1973. The Olympiques have...
, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
.
External links
- Roger Doucet at 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,...
- Roger Doucet tribute at NHL Network