Karl Tremblay
{{Short description|Canadian singer (1976–2023)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Karl Tremblay
| image = FICG2013, 12 septembre - Les Cowboys fringants 09.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Tremblay in 2013
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1976|10|28}}
| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2023|11|15|1976|10|28}}
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = Singer
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
Karl Tremblay (October, 28 1976 – 15 November 2023) was a Canadian singer.{{cite news |author= |date=15 November 2023|title=Les Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay dies of prostate cancer |url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/les-cowboys-fringants-singer-karl-tremblay-dies-of-prostate-cancer |work=Montreal Gazette |agency=La Presse Canadienne |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116215302/https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/les-cowboys-fringants-singer-karl-tremblay-dies-of-prostate-cancer |archive-date=16 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}} He was the lead singer of Les Cowboys Fringants, a group he founded in 1994 with {{ill|Jean-François Pauzé|fr}}.{{cite news |last=Boisvert-Magnen |first=Olivier |date=27 March 2017 |title=Il y a 15 ans : Les Cowboys fringants – Break syndical |trans-title=15 years ago: Les Cowboys Fringants' Break syndical |url=https://voir.ca/musique/2017/03/27/il-y-a-15-ans-les-cowboys-fringants-break-syndical/|language=French |work=Voir |url-status=live |archive-date=16 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116215926/https://voir.ca/musique/2017/03/27/il-y-a-15-ans-les-cowboys-fringants-break-syndical/ |access-date=16 November 2023}}
Biography
Tremblay was born in Montreal on 28 October 1976.{{cite news |last1=Vigneault |first1=Alexandre |title=Dossier: Karl Tremblay (1976-2023) |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/musique/le-coeur-d-un-cowboy/2023-11-15/karl-tremblay-1976-2023/les-cowboys-fringants-en-deuil.php |access-date=5 May 2024 |work=La Presse |date=15 November 2023 |language=fr}} Tremblay and Pauzé founded a music group together and released their first song, "Les routes du bonheur". They then released their first album, titled 12 grandes chansons. Previously a full-time student, Tremblay abandoned his studies to devote himself to Les Cowboys Fringants, which became famous in Quebec in 1999. A true crowd leader, he gained favor with the Quebec public due to his lyricism and charisma.{{cite news |last=Vigneault |first=Alexandre |date=15 November 2023 |title=Les Cowboys Fringants en deuil |trans-title=Les Cowboys Fringants in mourning |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/musique/karl-tremblay-1976-2023/le-coeur-d-un-cowboy/2023-11-15/karl-tremblay-1976-2023/les-cowboys-fringants-en-deuil.php |language=French |work=La Presse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116172601/https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/musique/karl-tremblay-1976-2023/le-coeur-d-un-cowboy/2023-11-15/karl-tremblay-1976-2023/les-cowboys-fringants-en-deuil.php |archive-date=16 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}} Les Cowboys Fringants sold more than 1,300,000 albums in the French-speaking world in total.{{cite web |url=http://www.cowboysfringants.com/?cat=6 |title=Biographie |last=Rabouin |first=Claude P. |work=Les Cowboys Fringants |language=French |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228005723/http://www.cowboysfringants.com/?cat=6 |archive-date=28 February 2010 |access-date=16 November 2023 }}
In addition to his career with the band, Tremblay appeared on the TV show {{ill|M.Net (TV program)|lt=M.Net|fr|M.Net}}, broadcast on MusiquePlus, in which he reviewed video games. In 2016, he participated in the launch of the company Triple Boris Inc., an independent studio for developing video games and mobile apps, for which he was creative director.{{cite news |author= |date=26 February 2016 |title=Karl Tremblay ouvre sa boîte de jeux vidéo |trans-title=Karl Tremblay shares his video game collection |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/nouvelles/201602/26/01-4955034-karl-tremblay-ouvre-sa-boite-de-jeux-video.php|language=French |work=La Presse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107104043/https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/nouvelles/201602/26/01-4955034-karl-tremblay-ouvre-sa-boite-de-jeux-video.php |archive-date=7 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}}{{cite news |last=Péloquin |first=André |date=17 November 2017 |title=Le chanteur des Cowboys fringants prépare un jeu vidéo de zombies VR qui se déroule à Montréal! |trans-title=Les Cowboys Fringants' singer developing a VR zombie video game set in Montreal |url=https://www.pesesurstart.com/2017/11/17/le-chanteur-des-cowboys-fringants-prepare-un-jeu-video-de-zombies-vr-qui-se-deroule-a-montreal |language=French |work=Pèse sur start |publisher=Québecor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108082641/https://www.pesesurstart.com/2017/11/17/le-chanteur-des-cowboys-fringants-prepare-un-jeu-video-de-zombies-vr-qui-se-deroule-a-montreal |archive-date=8 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}} With the band, he took part in many amateur festivals early in his career, such as Francouvertes.
Personal life and death
Tremblay was married to {{ill|Marie-Annick Lépine|fr}}, one of the instrumentalists for Les Cowboys Fringants. On 19 July 2022, he announced that he had been suffering from prostate cancer since January 2020.{{cite news |last=Roy |first=Marie-Josée R. |date=19 July 2022| title=Karl Tremblay, des Cowboys Fringants, atteint d'un cancer de la prostate |trans-title=Lew Cowboys Fringants' Karl Tremblay has prostate cancer |url=https://journalmetro.com/culture/2865733/karl-tremblay-cowboys-fringants-atteint-un-cancer-prostate/ |language=French |work=Métro |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107104045/https://journalmetro.com/culture/2865733/karl-tremblay-cowboys-fringants-atteint-un-cancer-prostate/ |archive-date=7 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}} Due to his illness, the group cancelled several shows to follow his treatment schedule, although his sporadic appearances were visibly hampered by his sickness. He died from prostate cancer on 15 November 2023, at the age of 47.{{cite news |author= |orig-date=15 November 2023 |date=16 November 2023 |title=Karl Tremblay, lead singer of Quebec band Les Cowboys Fringants, dies at 47|trans-title= |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/les-cowboys-fringants-karl-tremblay-1.7029633 |work=CBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117014921/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/les-cowboys-fringants-karl-tremblay-1.7029633 |archive-date=17 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023}} He was commemorated with a Quebec national funeral at the Bell Centre in Montreal.{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Brendan |title=Emotional tribute to Cowboys Fringants’ Karl Tremblay at Bell Centre |url=https://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment-life/music/article83710.html |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=The Montreal Gazette |date=29 November 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs artist|Karl Tremblay}}
- {{IMDb name|8852430}}
{{Les Cowboys Fringants}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tremblay, Karl}}
Category:Canadian folk singers
Category:20th-century Canadian male singers
Category:21st-century Canadian male singers
Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in Canada
Category:Deaths from cancer in Quebec
Category:Singers from Montreal