Mario Pelchat

Biography

Mario Pelchat is a French pop singer from Quebec whose popularity spans several decades. He made his album debut as a teenager in 1982 and peaked in popularity in 1993. While he is one of Quebec's most popular singers, his popularity doesn't extend overseas to France, where his following is insubstantial in comparison. Born on February 1, 1964, in Dolbeau, Quebec, Pelchat made his album debut with Je Suis un Chanteur (1982) on the label Disques #1. Still a teenager at the time, he released a follow-up album on the label, Tu M'as Fait Mal (1983), before fading away for a half-decade. He returned in 1988 with the album Mario Pelchat, followed by Couleur Passion in 1990. While Pelchat was fairly established by this point, his popularity peaked in 1993 with Pelchat. His debut album on Sony, Pelchat features a duet with Celine Dion ("Plus Haut Que Moi"). A second album on Sony followed, C'est la Vie (1995), before Pelchat took a sabbatical from the studio and performed on-stage in the musical comedy La Vie en Bleu (1997). In the wake of that performance, a couple compilation albums were released: Incontournables (1998), which is comprised of Sony material, and Mes Premières Chansons (1998), which is comprised of '80s-era material. VII (1999) marked Pelchat's return to album making and spawned a large-scale tour. Successive albums include Pelchat 2002, which reflects upon his 1993 breakthrough album; the in-concert album Live - À Guichets Fermés (2003); the Christmas gospel effort Noël Avec Jireh Gospel Choir (2004); the standard full-length effort Le Monde Où Je Vais (2006); a deluxe edition reissue of VII (2008); and Mario Pelchat/Michel Legrand (2009), a collaboration with the famed composer. In addition, he acted in the Juno Award-nominated Félix Gray musical Don Juan in 2003. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide