Michel Rivard - Compagnon des arts et des lettres du Québec

His head in the clouds, but with both feet planted on the ground, for over 50 years Michel Rivard has been excelling as a singer songwriter, actor, improvisor, host, and even, in his spare time, comedian and storyteller. With his insatiable curiosity and gregarious instinct as his compass, Michel Rivard has taken many artistic paths, which he has enriched with his very own contemporary urban folk and nourished with a wholly personal vision of the world.

Musically from La Famille Casgrain, traveling by bus from La Quenouille bleue, Michel Rivard’s career took off as a young man in the brilliant, magnificent Beau Dommage. From 6760 Saint-Vallier Montréal to the quays of Châteauguay, from the city to villages dominated by the hammering of the woodpeckers, by way inescapably of Alaska with Beau Dommage… everything was beautiful! The unique vocal harmonies by Flybin and his bandmates left an indelible mark on the imaginations of Quebecers, seeing themselves in their aptly offbeat lyrics. What other group has a fresco, an alley, a circus, and a stamp in their name? Clearly this phenomenon is timeless.

The winner of many awards for his solo albums and gaining renown on countless collaborations, Michel Rivard has made his presence felt as the master of nuance and the perfect word, as a poet of day-to-day life. His body of work is a monument to finesse, sophistication, and intelligence that is both artistic and human, that shows his iconic character on Québec’s cultural scene. He enjoys reinventing himself, making the artistic paths he has taken converge – L’origine de mes espèces being a perfect example – and he has a place in our hearts that is much bigger than a roi de rien, a king of nothing at all.

About the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec

The Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec is a distinction bestowed by CALQ honouring those individuals who have played a prominent role in Québec's artistic development.

The CALQ would like to thanks its partners, the Caisse de la Culture and the newspaper Le Devoir.

List of recipients This link will open in a new window