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Daignault, Eugène
Eugène Daignault. Actor, folksinger, b St Albans, Vt, 14 Sep 1895, d Montreal 27 Jan 1960. Arriving in Quebec in 1900, he was educated, and involved in theatre, at the St-Hyacinthe Seminary. In 1920 he began working for the Montreal Board of Health. He continued his theatre work, however, and sang 1921-41 in Conrad Gauthier's Veillées du bon vieux temps at the Monument national.Daignault was an early radio artist in Montreal and took part in several CKAC series including, 1940-50, the 'Veillées canadiennes,' on which he was joined by Isidore Soucy, Blanche Gauthier, Ovila Légaré, and others.
His repertoire comprised thousands of folksongs. He made some 25 78s for Starr, Columbia, and Bluebird (listed in Pionniers du disque folklorique) and also recorded duets with Juliette Béliveau. Daignault often was accompanied by La Bolduc (harmonica and accordion), Ovila Légaré (violin), and Samuel Letendre (piano). As an actor, Daignault played Ovide - the father - in the Quebec saga 'Un homme et son péché' on radio and on film, and in the later CBC TV series 'Les Belles Histoires des pays-d'en-haut'.
See also Pierre Daignault, his son.
