Karl Tremblay, the singer of the most popular Quebec group Les Cowboys Fringants died Wednesday, November 15 at the age of 47 from prostate cancer. For more than 25 years, the songs of this ensemble, known throughout the French-speaking world, have accompanied Quebecers who have made it their cult group. The announcement of the singer’s illness had triggered an unprecedented wave of love for the leader of the Cowboys Fringants.
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With our correspondent in Quebec, Pascale Guéricolas
Last July, more than 90,000 gathered at the Quebec Summer Festival to applaud the Dashing Cowboys. 90,000 to proclaim their love for singer Karl Tremblay. He insisted on honoring his commitment on stage despite his cancer treatments.
“ He was an exemplary warrior in the face of illness and a role model for us all. “, underlined the group in a press release on Instagram.
An outstanding crowd leader, he embodied the group brilliantly. If at the beginning, the songs composed by his accomplice Jean-François Pauzé seemed like schoolboy jokes, little by little the group’s repertoire expanded. Over the course of their hundreds of thousands of albums sold, these artists in tune with the times have taken a stand in favor of independence, attacked social injustices and alerted public opinion to the climate crisis.
“America cries”, first extract from their album Les antipodes, released in 2019
“ The voice of an entire generation is extinguished », Testified Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, of the Québec solidaire party, while the Quebec Minister of Culture confided that he was heartbroken by the death of Karl Tremblay.
💔 I am heartbroken to learn of the death of Karl Tremblay, the singer of Cowboys Fringants. Phew. How to say? Karl, with the Cowboys, not only marked the history of Quebec, but he was also the voice of so many people, of so many struggles. He also has… pic.twitter.com/CcqVDYMk3k
— Mathieu Lacombe (@lacombemathieu) November 15, 2023
Karl Tremblay’s influence on Quebec and its culture is unparalleled. His music and lyrics have inspired millions. My sincere condolences to his family, friends and admirers, who mourn the loss of an icon.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 16, 2023
Robert Charlebois, collapsed at the microphone of Radio Canada, had shared with Les Cowboys Fringants, the stage of the Quebec Summer Festival, last July on the Plains of Abraham. He spoke of the talent of the artist, his humanity and the mark he will leave in the history of popular music in Quebec.
