Patsy Gallant
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Patricia Gallant (born August 15, 1948, in Campbellton,
New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
) is a Canadian
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical â€“ humor, pathos, love, anger â€“ are communicated through words, music, ...
actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
. Of
Acadian The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
ancestry, she has recorded and performed in both
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and
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
.


Early life

Patsy Gallant was one of the 10 children of Béatrice Aubé Gallant and Arthur Gallant. At age five, she was part of The Gallant Sisters with older siblings Angeline, Florine, and Ghislaine. At eight Gallant gained television exposure after her parents moved to
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; two years later the group was playing nightclubs in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
. She left the group for a solo career in 1967, was featured in commercials, and was a regular on both the French-language TV variety program ''Discothèque'' and its English equivalent, ''
Music Hop ''Music Hop'' was a Canadian music television series that aired on CBC Television from 1963 to 1967. Premise Pop and rock music was featured in this series for youth, essentially a Canadian version of ''American Bandstand''. Production The fi ...
''.


Career


Successful beginnings in French

Gallant released her first
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
in 1967, which earned her appearances on a number of television variety shows. That same year she performed at
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
's
Place des Arts frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right. Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...
, opening for
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...
. Through the late 1960s and 1970s Gallant worked with a host of young and talented creators including Yves Lapierre,
Judi Richards Judith "Judi" Richards (born 12 August 1949) is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. Born in Toronto, Richards is the daughter of musician Bill Richards and actress Billie Mae Richards (née Dinsmore). She has sung numerous jingles for the ...
, Christine Charbonneau, and Denis Forcier. In 1971, Gallant co-starred on the weekly television variety show ''Smash'' presented by Télévision de Radio-Canada (the French arm of CBC Television). During the show, Gallant teamed up with singer-songwriter
Christine Charbonneau Christine Charbonneau (18 October 1943 – 29 May 2014) was a French Canadian singer and songwriter. La Presse Canadienne (CP/PC), Most popular songs ''Du fil des aiguilles et du coton'' recorded by France Castel in 1972 and sung by Céline Di ...
who wrote most of the lyrics for her two major French albums that were released by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. Gallant songs, written by Charbonneau included, "Tout va trop vite", "Thank you come again" (French version), "Le lit qui craque", "Un monde en voie de naître", and "Un jour comme les autres". ''Patsy Gallant (Tout va trop vite)'' from 1972 was followed by ''Toi l'enfant'' in 1974. Several of the songs including "Tout va trop vite", "Un jour comme les autres", "Le lit qui craque", and "Thank You Come Again (French version)" climbed the
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
charts. Also found on the latter album is the original song "Les femmes", a hit song which was covered in 1976 by
Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name ''Caelia'', the feminine form of the Roman clan name ''Caelius' ...
in France. Patsy Gallant, as a bilingual artist, used to release English and French versions of her albums simultaneously. She aimed for the Francophone market of Quebec and Europe as well as English Canada and the United States. In September 1972 she released ''Upon My Own'', her first English album. Although her two French albums were hits in French Canada, the only song from this album to score a minor hit was "Get That Ball", a funky song written by Yves Lapierre and Ken Owen. Other notable songs from this album are "This Old Lady", "Saturday Weather", "People Going Down the Avenue" and "I've Gotta Make It" (Upon My Own). Intensifying her efforts in the American market, Gallant recorded her 1974 album ''Power'' in
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,
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, United States. Although the album spawned four moderately popular singles with "Save the Last Dance For Me", "Make My Living", "Doctor's Orders" and the title song "Power", they were not a commercial breakthrough.


Disco Diva

Gallant's biggest pop success came when she teamed up with producer and manager Ian Robertson for her 1976 album, ''Are You Ready for Love''. Together, Gallant and Robertson would produce five albums for
Attic Records Attic Records was a Canadian independent record label,"Dance clubs go wild for jungle"
''Toronto St ...
. They were nominated for the
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
on the Producer of the Year category in 1977 and 1978. Although they did not win, the nominations made Gallant the first woman ever to be nominated for a major record production awards. Having always been involved with jazz, soul music and funk, she started recording disco music in 1973 (initially in French). "Daya Dou Doum", from her album ''Toi, l'enfant'', can be considered her first incursion. In 1975, she released "Makin' Love In My Mind" (in French, "J'ai le droit"). After leaving CBS, Gallant released a 7-inch single with a reworking of
Gilles Vigneault Gilles Vigneault (; born 27 October 1928) is a Canadian poet, Publishing, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalism, Quebec nationalist and Quebec sovereignty movement, sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Qu ...
's 1964 Québécois song " Mon Pays". Then, the following year, she released the English language version for this song: "From New York to L.A.". It was her only recording to attract considerable notice outside Canada, becoming a hit in many other countries such as the UK (#6 in the UK Singles Chart) in August 1977, Ireland (#5), Australia (#10), the Netherlands (#15), Norway (#7), South Africa (#5) and Sweden (#17). "Sugar Daddy" and the album's title song, "Are You Ready for Love", were also Top 20 Canadian hits that helped Gallant to win
Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
s for Best Female Vocalist in 1976 and 1977. Although overlooked by radio in the U.S., "From New York to L.A." and "Sugar Daddy" were played in American discos. Gallant followed up in 1977 with her French album ''Besoin d'amour'', which includes a French rendition of "Sugar Daddy". That year she won a Juno Award as best female vocalist. Gallant released the English album ''Will You Give Me Your Love'' in 1977, which featured songs like "Every Step of the Way" and "Back to the City". One year later, she recorded the French album ''Patsy Gallant et Star'', both in 1978 on Attic Records, and had a hit with "Stay a While With Me" ("Aime-moi" in French); she also released the English album ''Patsy!'' which contains the disco hit "O Michel". Gallant then released a bilingual
greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
package in early 1979, which included a rendition of the original "Mon Pays". Although named "the Canadian disco queen", Patsy Gallant never dedicated herself exclusively to the genre. All her albums from the late seventies feature obscure songs that range from ''Steely Dan''-like West Coast music and blue-eyed soul ("Back to the City" and "It'll All Come Around") to Latin-Brazilian jazz ("Te Caliente") and Motown-inspired ballads ("Together Again" and "World of Fantasy").


Personal life

In the early seventies, Patsy Gallant was dating Ian Robertson, a photographer who became her manager and co-produced her recordings from 1975 to 1980. The couple split in 1977 and Gallant started dating Dwayne Ford, a Canadian musician who emerged as a member of Bearfoot and was playing keyboards in her accompanying band Star, as well as collaborating on her recordings. They married in 1980. In 1985, Gallant and Ford had a son named Jason Remington Ford (who is also a singer and songwriter). The couple divorced in 1987.


Achievement through musicals

With the decline of disco, Gallant focused on adult contemporary music. After her 1984 album ''Take Another Look'', she took a break from the music business. She returned in the late 1980s, performing gigs and taking roles in musical theatre. She has appeared in productions of ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
'', ''
Nunsense ''Nunsense'' (1985) is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical. The o ...
'', a stage biography of
Édith Piaf Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popu ...
, and played the role of Stella Spotlight in the French hit musical '' Starmania'', in Paris, France, which ran for eight years in the 1990s.
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon (born March 2, 1942) is a French Canadians, French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. His work includes the musicals Starmania (musical), ''Starmania'' and Notre-Dame de Paris (musical), ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brot ...
, the creator of ''Starmania'', wanted Gallant to play Stella in the original stage production in the 1970s; but owing to Gallant's busy schedule at the time, her managers did not even tell her about ''Starmania'', and the role of Stella Spotlight in the original production went to
Diane Dufresne Diane Dufresne, (; born 30 September 1944) is a French Canadian singer and painter, and is known for singing a large repertoire of popular Quebec songs. Dufresne was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She lived in Paris from 1965 to 1967 where ...
. She also had a brief stint as Palma the stepmother in ''Cindy'', a musical based on ''
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'', also written by Plamondon. After living in Paris for eleven years, Gallant returned to Canada in 2005 and released the compilation album ''Tout va trop vite''. The album contained a number of her biggest French hits, early recordings from the 1960s, lost disco-era songs such as "It's Got to Be You", and a re-recording of "Sugar Daddy". Gallant has more recently recorded a duet with the French rap group, Treizième Étage, called "Faut pas lâcher". The song appeared on the group's album ''L'Asphalte dans mon district'' (2006). Her most recent single "Coeur de velours" written by Mario Leonard was released in July 2010. In 2015, she released the album ''Patsy Gallant chante Piaf''. In 2022, 38 years after releasing her previous album with original material, Patsy released the album "To Exist and Be Heard", with songs that she had been writing and developing for more than 10 years. The album, preceded by a few singles released on streaming platforms ('Mon bel indifférent / Around the World', 'Overdose de solitude', and 'J'ai besoin d'air / I Don't Care'), was described by her as "the album of my life" and brings a mix of rock, R&B, pop, jazz, blues and dance music.


Film and television

In 1973, Gallant had a minor role in the
Denis Héroux Denis Héroux, (; 15 July 1940 – 10 December 2015) was a Canadian film director and producer. Biography Born in Montreal, Quebec, he was the older brother of prolific Quebec film and television producer Claude Héroux. Héroux wanted to beco ...
film ''
Enuff Is Enuff ''Enuff Is Enuff'' () is a Canadian comedy film, directed by Denis Héroux and released in 1973.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 70. The film stars Jean Lefebvre as Jean-Louis Cartier, an insurance company ...
(J'ai mon voyage!)'' as an anglophone Canadian girl who tried to seduce
Jean Lefebvre Jean Marcel Lefebvre (3 October 1919Some sources indicate he was born in 1922. – 9 July 2004) was a French film actor. His erratic studies were interrupted by World War II. Taken prisoner and then requisitioned as a laborer, he escaped to joi ...
's character in a campsite. On the strength of her disco success, Gallant hosted her own variety show, ''The Patsy Gallant Show'', which was produced and broadcast on CTV in 1978 and 1979. In 2002, Gallant had a supporting role in the feature film ''
Yellowknife Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
,'' in which she played a
nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...
. Gallant performed four songs for the film soundtrack, including "Sugar Daddy" and three compositions penned by her, "Ain't No Way to Treat a Woman," "Dancing in the Wind," and "Save My Soul". For this role, Gallant was nominated for a 2003
Jutra Award Jutras may have several meanings : * Claude Jutra: an award-winning French Canadian filmmaker **Jutra Award: Film awards formerly given in the Canadian province of Quebec, named after the filmmaker and now known as Prix Iris **The Claude Jutra Awa ...
for Best Supporting Actress ''(Meilleure Actrice de Soutien).''


Discography


Albums

* ''Patsy Gallant (Tout va trop vite)'' (1972) * ''Upon My Own'' (1972) * ''Power'' (1973) * ''Toi l'enfant'' (1974) * ''Are You Ready For Love'' (1976) * ''Besoin D'Amour'' (1977) * ''Will You Give Me Your Love?'' (1977) * ''Patsy!'' (1978) * ''Patsy Gallant Et Star'' (1978) * ''Greatest Hits / Ses Plus Grands Succès'' (1979) * ''Stranger in the Mirror'' (1980) * ''Amoureuse'' (1981) * ''Take Another Look'' (1984) * ''Tout va trop vite'' ("best of" compilation including new version of "Sugar Daddy") (2005) * ''Patsy Gallant chante Piaf'' (2015) * ''To Exist And Be Heard'' (2022)


Singles


JUNO Awards

* 1975 Female Vocalist of the Year (Nomination)Patsy Gallant
. JUNO Awards Nominations and Winners, 1970-2016. JUNO Awards website. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
* 1977 Best Selling Single: "From New York to LA" (Nomination) * 1977 Female Vocalist of the Year (Win) * 1977 Producer of the Year: "From New York to LA" (Nomination; with Ian Robertson) * 1978 Best Selling Single: "Sugar Daddy" (Win) * 1978 Female Vocalist of the Year (Win) * 1978 Producer of the Year: "Sugar Daddy" (Nomination; with Ian Robertson) * 1979 Female Vocalist of the Year (Nomination) * Carlisle Miller nominated for Composer of the Year (1978) for "Sugar Daddy" * Gilles Vigneault nominated for Composer of the Year and Gene Williams for lyrics (1977) for "From New York to L.A.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallant, Patsy 1948 births Living people Canadian musical theatre actresses Juno Award for Single of the Year winners Musicians from Campbellton, New Brunswick Acadian musicians Members of the Order of Canada Attic Records (Canada) artists Columbia Records artists French-language singers of Canada Actresses from New Brunswick Canadian disco musicians Canadian women pop singers Juno Award for Artist of the Year winners 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Singers from New Brunswick Big Brother Canada contestants