Willie Lamothe was the stage name of Joachim Guillaume LamotheCM (January 27, 1920 – October 19, 1992), a Canadian musician and actor from Quebec.[1] One of the pioneers of French language country music,[2] he recorded over 500 songs, both originals and translated renditions of English language country music hits, over the course of his career.[1]
Biography
Born and raised in Saint-Hyacinthe,[1] Lamothe served in the Canadian Army during World War II, beginning his career in music by performing as "The Singing Sergeant" for his fellow soldiers. Following the end of the war, he recorded his first mini-album, Je suis un cowboy canadien, in 1946.[3] He recorded a number of albums and singles over the next thirty years and frequently performed on tour, most frequently within Quebec but also from time to time in English Canada and at least one performance in Nashville.[1] His performances included shows opening for Gene Autry at the Montreal Forum in 1952 and 1954.[1]
He suffered a stroke while performing in Rimouski in 1978,[6] and made only irregular appearances afterward, most notably in a CBC Television series about the history of Canadian country music in the 1990s.[1] He was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1979.[7]
His son Michel (1948-2019), also sometimes credited as "Willie Lamothe, Jr.", was a rock musician who was associated with the bands Offenbach and Corbeau.[1]
Canadian Film Awards 1968-1978, Genie Awards 1980-2011, Canadian Screen Awards 2012-present. Separate awards were presented by gender prior to 2022; ungendered awards for best performance regardless have been presented since.
