Pierre Flynn

Flynn, Pierre

Pierre Flynn. Singer-songwriter, keyboardist, b Quebec City 17 May 1954. In 1971, he founded in Montreal the rock group Octobre with Mario Légaré (bass), Jean Dorais (guitars) and Pierre Hébert (drums), and he wrote most of their songs. One of the main pop groups in Quebec during the 1970's, Octobre recorded on the Trans-World, then the CBS labels. After the group disbanded in 1982, Flynn composed music for Louise Forestier, Pauline Julien and Joe Bocan, as well as music for films, musicals, dance and theater shows.

Flynn gave his first one-man show in May 1984 at Club Soda, in Montreal, just as the single 'Possession' was being released. He performed in cafés and small halls where his intimate style began drawing a new public. Accompanied by guitarist Réjean Bouchard, he made his comeback at La Licorne, in Montreal, in the Fall of 1985. In 1987, he recorded Le Parfum du hasard (Audiogram AD-10014) which won a Félix Award for rock LP of the year in 1988, and he toured the province of Quebec. 'Sur la route' and 'Marcher tout seul' placed first on the Radio-Activité hit-parade in 1988. That year, he wrote the sound track for Nathalie Petrowski's documentary, Un cirque en Amérique. In 1989, he composed 'Dors Caroline', which Johanne Blouin turned into a hit, and he took part in the revival of Octobre, whose show was the closing presentation of the FIJM.

As with other members of pop groups in the 1970's, it took Flynn a few years to make it back to the stage and find his own voice. A musician first and foremost, he is also an American-style songwriter whose songs bathe in an aura of mystery. 'No one else in Quebec ventures so successfully as Flynn along the paths of rhythm 'n blues and funky,' said Pierre Cayouette in Le Devoir.