Jean LeClerc

Québécois rock provocateur Jean Leclerc was the premier exponent of the Francophone pop renaissance of the 1990s. Often compared to Lou Reed for his seedy imagery and enigmatic vocals, he enjoyed his greatest commercial success as Jean Leloup, an alias he finally retired almost a quarter century into his career. Born in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, on May 14, 1961, Leclerc spent the better part of his child in Togo, and its indigenous African rhythms would prove a seminal influence on his later musical efforts. After a brief return to Quebec, his family settled in Algeria in 1969, where he later formed his first band, the Blue Faces. Leclerc returned to Quebec for good in 1975, and after quitting school he cut his first demo session, christening himself Jean Leloup (i.e., "John the Wolf"). He attracted marginal attention from record executives until 1983, when he delivered a breakthrough performance at the annual Festival de la Chanson Francophone. Two years later Leloup was tapped to star as Ziggy in the David Bowie-inspired rock opera Starmania. Labels still had no idea what to make of him, however, and his acclaimed debut LP, Menteur, did not hit retail until 1989, generating the smash "Printemps-Eté." Around the same time Leloup followed an ex-girlfriend to Europe, where he stayed long enough to assemble a band, La Sale Affaire. Its members returned with him to Quebec to cut his sophomore album, L'Amour Est Sans Pitié, a star-making turn highlighted by the controversial "1990," which compared his sexual prowess to the U.S. war with Iraq. The single was a hit both at home and in France, and he spent much of 1992 touring western Europe, followed by a trek through Quebec as part of the Rock le Lait package tour. Leloup did not resurface with a new LP until late 1996. Le Dôme...