Montreal – Renowned quebec composerโ Germain Gauthier hasโฃ died after a long illness, hisโ agency, โBombardier Communications, โขannounced Sunday.โ He was known as “Monsieur Hits” for his prolific songwriting.
Gauthier leavesโฃ behind a catalog of 325 songs, includingโฃ 35 quebec number-one hits, and aโฃ legacy deeply embedded in the province’s musical identity. His melodies provided theโค foundationโ for lyrics penned by prominent authors such as Lucโฃ Plamondon,Gilles Valiquette,and Pierreโ Lรฉtourneau,resonating โacross generations.His work was interpreted by โa wide range of iconic Quebec artists, including โคDiane Dufresne (“I am twelveโ years โold,” “Strip-tease,” “Oxygen,” “turbulence”), Martine St-Clair (“A โขsentimental man”), Nanette Workman (“Call Girl”), Marie Carmen (“Piaf would sing rock”),โฃ Roch Nicole Martinโ (“Don’t go away,” “Tell him I love her”), Renรฉe Claude (“A guy like you”), and Donald Lautrec (“Theโ wall behind the barn”). Heโ also composed film scores, notably for the classicโค “The War ofโค the โฃtuques.”
Cรฉline Dion featured his melodies on her album “dion sings Plamondon.”
Gauthier’s contributionsโค were recognized with the Franรงois-Cousineau Prize โfrom the Foundation of the Professional Society of Authors and Composers of Quebec โ(SPACQ) in 2007. He also received multiple awards from the Canadian Company of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers (SOCAN), including the SOCAN โขClassic Award in 2016โข for “Piaf sang rock,” co-written with Luc โPlamondon.
“SOCAN greetsโฃ the memory of this immense creator,โ whose melodies โฃwill โcontinue to resonate โคfor a long time,” SOCANโข stated on social media.โ “We offer our sincere condolences to his family, loved ones and the whole musical community.”
Aโ funeral service will be held on September 20 at the Chapelโ of the Memoriaโฃ show in Montreal.