Michel Pagliaro
Michel Pagliaro is a notable Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter, recognized for his contributions to music in both French and English. Born on November 9, 1948, in Montreal, Quebec, he began his musical journey at a young age, joining various bands before achieving success as a solo artist in the late 1960s. Pagliaro made history by becoming the first artist in Canada to have both an English-language and a French-language album certified gold, showcasing his versatility and broad appeal.
His best-selling album, *Pagliaro Live*, released in 1973, encapsulated his dynamic stage presence and musical talent. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he released a series of successful albums and singles, solidifying his status in the Canadian music scene. Pagliaro also made significant contributions as a music producer, working with prominent artists in France.
Despite his success primarily being localized in Canada, he gained critical acclaim, including the prestigious Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2008. His enduring influence is evident in his continued performances and the release of new music, making him a cherished figure in Canadian cultural history.
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Subject Terms
Michel Pagliaro
Musician
- Born: November 9, 1948
- Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec
Contribution: Michel Pagliaro is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter who had a successful solo career in the 1970s and 1980s. Recording in both official languages, he became the first artist to have both an English-language album and a French-language album certified gold in Canada. A live recording, Pagliaro Live (1973), became Pagliaro’s best-selling album.
Early Life
Michel Armand Guy Pagliaro was born on November 9, 1948, in Montreal, Quebec. He began playing guitar at an early age and joined his first group, Les Stringmen, at age fifteen. He went on to play with bands such as Les Merseys, Les Rockers, and Les Bluebirds before joining Les Chancelliers at the age of eighteen, originally as the bass player and later as lead singer. As lead singer of Les Chancelliers, Pagliaro recorded his first musical hit with the 1968 song “Le P’tit Poppy.”
Musical Career
After some initial success with “Le P’tit Poppy,” Pagliaro decided to embark on a solo career. In 1968, at age twenty, he released the all-French, self-titled album Michel Pagliaro. The album yielded two successful hits and went on to sell fifty thousand (an album is certified “gold” if it sells fifty thousand copies or more). Although Pagliaro recorded predominantly in French, he also produced some songs in English. Early on, he recorded covers of English-language songs as well as his first anthem song, “J’ai marche pour une nation.”
Pagliaro recorded several English-language songs in 1971, including “Rainshowers,” “Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy,” and “Some Sing, Some Dance.” These recordings helped make Pagliaro a household name in Canada. By 1972, Pagliaro had signed a deal with RCA Records and released the album Pag. (“Pag” would become the singer’s unofficial nickname.) The album contained the hit single “J’etends frapper,” which became the best-selling seven-inch record in the history of the Quebec music scene.
In 1975, Pagliaro left RCA and signed with CBS Records, where he continued recording in both French and English. With the release of two more albums—Pagliaro in French and Pagliaro I in English—he solidified his recording career in Quebec and across anglophone Canada.
Pagliaro continued to record and produce music in Canada. He also worked as a music producer in France for well-known French pop singer Jacques Higelin. Pagliaro released several more albums in the 1980s and 1990s, including the 1995 double album Hit Parade, a compilation of his greatest hits in French and English. Ten years later, in 2005, he released the live album Live à Québec. A box set that included his previous albums and a collection of singles was released under the name Pag collection—Tonnes de flashs in 2011. A ten-song Greatest Hits album was released in 2015. He continued performing live, mostly in Canada.
Awards
Although he never achieved mainstream success outside Canada, Pagliaro received recognition in his home country as a recording artist and was the first musician to enter both the francophone and anglophone Top 40 charts. He received numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2008. This award is considered one of the highest honors an artist in Canada can receive.
Bibliography
“Michel Pagliaro.” Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation, 2008. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
“Michel Pagliaro Launches Re-Issue of all of his Albums on CD.” Montreal Gazette. Postmedia Network, 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
“Nod to the Gods: Michel Pagliaro, ‘What the Hell I Got.’” CBC.ca. CBC, 30 June 2013. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
Pagliaro, pagliaro.ca/en/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
Pagliaro, Michel. Interview. “Orcasound Meets Pagliaro @ The Hard Rock Café.” Orcasound. Orcasound.com, 2002. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.
Rodriguez , Juan. “Pop Montreal (Friday): Michel Pagliaro.” Montreal Gazette. Postmedia Network, 6 Oct. 2007. Web. 5 Aug. 2013.