Véronique Béliveau

Béliveau, Véronique

Véronique Béliveau (b Nicole Monique). Singer, actress, b Montreal 24 Jan 1955. She began recording at 17 under the name Véronique and made her first tour in Quebec at 18 with René Simard. She began many years of study with the voice teacher Laurette Bailly in 1973, and took several TV assignments as a singer and host, as well as film roles as an actress (eg, Parlez-moi d'amour), at mid-decade. Béliveau's first LP, Prends-moi come je suis (Tembo TMT-1014), was issued in 1977, and her second, Véronique Béliveau (RCA KKL1-0387), in 1980. The latter included 'Aimer,' her first substantial hit.

Her move in the early 1980s from a ballad repertoire to a pop-rock style was followed in 1983 by her biggest hit (to 1991), 'Je suis fidèle,' as well as 'C'est un rêveur,' both included on the LP Transit (A & M SP-9097). Transit, which received the Félix Award in 1985 for pop album of the year, also contained 'That Boy,' and 'Please (Dis-moi c'que tu as),' popular in 1984. Her recording 'Le Rock' was a hit in 1985. A fourth LP, Cover Girl (A & M SP-9112) included another major hit, '(Cache ton coeur) Cover Girl,' as well as 'Je suis comme je suis,' and 'Toute la nuit'. Her recording success brought several provincial tours and appearances in 1984 and 1986 in France.

Béliveau's first album of songs in English, Borderline (1986, A & M SP-9135), included a minor Canadian hit, 'Make A Move on Me'. A second English album, Véronique (A & M SP-9154), followed in 1989. In the interim, 'Jérusalem,' a duet with Marc Gabriel, was popular in Quebec in 1988. One of the few Quebec pop artists of the 1980s to have a profile in English Canada, Béliveau sang on 'Tears Are Not Enough', performed at the opening gala for Expo 86, and was seen nationally in TV specials (one, of a concert performance in 1989 at Ontario Place) produced by CFTO, Toronto. She made the first of several tours of Canadian military installations overseas (Germany, Cyprus, etc) in 1985.