Patrick Norman

Norman, Patrick

Patrick (b Yvon) Norman (b Éthier). Singer, songwriter, b Montreal 10 Sep 1946. His father taught him how to play the guitar. He also studied singing with Roger Larivière and dance with André Rousseau. It was on the radio program 'Découverte,' on CKVL, that he made his debut in 1954. He then played with several groups and recorded in 1966 'Je pleure sous la pluie'. In 1973, he sang at the Café de l'Est, in Montreal, and began touring the province. The following year, he recorded the theme song for the film Papillon in French, English and Spanish; he appeared on English television and gave performances in Ontario and Acapulco. 'Let's Try Once Again,' recorded in both French and English, sold over 100,000 copies. With Renée Martel he hosted 1978-9 the program 'Patrick et Renée' on Télé-Métropole.

After making several albums on RCA, he began recording on the Star label in 1984; Quand on est en amour (STL-1003) sold over 250 000 copies and won him the singer of the year and song of the year prizes at the Metrostar gala in 1986, as well as Félix Awards for the pop song and best-selling LP and as male performer of 1987. In English Canada, 'Only Love Sets You Free,' from the namesake LP (1987, Star STR-8001), was popular. In 1987, he gave a concert at the Maisonneuve Theater of PDA. The album Soyons heureux (1988, STR-8009) sold over 70 000 copies. In 1990, on the Star label once again, he recorded (in Bogalusa, La) Passion vaudou (STR-CD-8024) featuring cajun rhythms, dixieland, boogie, blues and funk music. In La Presse (Montreal, 5 Nov 1990), Alain Brunet described Norman as a 'true product of night clubs and popular spirit; he is the artist in the world whom every populist or public strategist would call "genuine"'.