Michèle Richard

Richard, Michèle

Michèle (Michelle) Richard. Singer, entertainer, actress, b Sherbrooke 17 Apr 1946. She first sang professionally at 10 on her father, Ti-Blanc's, CHLT-TV program and two years later made the single 'Main dans la main.' In 1963 she received the Meritas trophy as discovery of the year at the Gala des artistes (organized in Montreal by the weekly Radiomonde et Télémonde), in recognition of her success with the hit singles 'Quand le film est triste' and 'J'entends siffler le train.' That year she was host on 'Chansons intimes avec Michelle Richard' on CHLT-TV and co-host on 'Chez Isidore.' She also appeared on 'Dans le bon temps' on CFTM-TV, Montreal. During the summers of 1965 and 1966, she was co-host on CFTM-TV's 'Jeunesse d'aujourd'hui.' Also at this time she recorded 'La Plus Belle pour aller danser,' 'Ca viola, je t'aime,' and 'Les Boîtes à gogo,' all popular hits.

In 1967 Richard made a six-week world tour of Canadian armed forces bases with Daniel Dorice and the vocal quartet Les Cailloux. That year she won the MIDEM trophy at Cannes, was named Miss Radio-TV '67 at the Gala des artistes organized by Publications Péladeau, and participated in CJMS radio station's Musicorama tour in Quebec and New Brunswick. She took part in a similar tour in 1970. After the 1970 release of the single 'Mon Coeur d'enfant' she was co-host with Michel Louvain of CBC TV's 'Zoom en liberté' and later enjoyed a tremendous success with her appearance at the International Pavilion at Man and His World. The following year she recorded 'Les Hommes, non, non, non,' and in 1974 she was the star of the Musicorama western-music tour covering 42 towns in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

Richard performed on the CBC TV program 'Vedettes en direct' in 1976 and was host 1977-8 for 'Le Réveil de Michèle' on the Verdun radio station CKVL. In January 1978 she was the star of the revue at the Caf' Conc' in Montreal. She then began to spend several months each year in Miami, where she performed in nightclubs. She sang at the PDA in 1982 and 1985. In 1988 she was the subject of a CBC TV special, 'Femme.' For Télévision Quatre Saisons she hosted the programs 'Garden Party' (1988-9) and '3505' (1990).

Richard has recorded some 60 singles and about 20 LPs, most of which, including Le Disque d'or de Michèle Richard (1974, TC-49001), were produced and distributed by Trans-Canada. As an actress, she appeared 1974-5 in the CBC TV serial 'Mont-Joye,' in the 1974 film L'Explosion produced in Sicily, in the musical comedy Madame mon père staged in 1975 at the Théâtre des Variétés in Montreal, and in the 1985 CBC TV serial 'L'Ordinateur au coeur.' She published a biography of her father in 1983.