Gerry Boulet

A French-Canadian singer from Quebec, Gerry Boulet fronted the blues-rock band Offenbach for two decades before his death in 1990. He was born as "Joseph Gaétan Robert Gérald Boulet" on March 1, 1946, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. His first band, Les Gants Blancs, formed during the 1960s and adopted a new name, Offenbach, in 1970. Singing in the Joual language, Boulet distinguished himself from another Québécois rock vocalists and helped turn Offenbach into a Félix Award-winning band. Although he continued performing with the group during the early 1980s, he also launched a solo career during the same era, with Presque 40 ans de blues marking his debut in 1984. A second solo record, Rendez-vous doux, followed in 1988, filled with songs that dealt frankly with his life-altering diagnosis of colon cancer. A critical success, Rendez-vous doux won three Félix Awards for "Best Rock Album," "Best Rock Concert," and "Best Television Special" in 1989. The following year, Boulet lost his battle with cancer on July 18, 1990, passing away at the age of 44. He won two additional Félix Awards later that year, including the posthumous honor of "Song of the Year" for the single "Un beau grand bateau." His debut album was reissued under a new title, Gerry, in 1991, and a recording of his original rock opera, Jézabel, was released in 1994. An arrival live album, Gerry Boulet...en rappel, followed in 1998.