Karl Tremblay’s star shone brightly at L’Assomption on Thursday evening, during a tribute evening where thousands of people gathered to honor the memory of the singer who died the day before.
Candles in hand, cell phones lit to brighten the night, the crowd sang in unison and with emotion the songs of the Cowboys Fringants, who had made the small town their stronghold for 20 years.
The singer’s admirers had a nice surprise: the two members of the group, Jean-François Pauzé and Marie-Annick Lépine, came to the honor after receiving a video from Sébastien Nadeau, the mayor of L’Assomption, who accompanied them They shared strong emotions that ran through the crowd.
The decision had been made ten minutes earlier, says Sébastien Nadeau in a somewhat tense voice, who decided that the square where the honor took place would henceforth be called Place Karl Tremblay.
When you lose someone close to you, you usually have your little family close by. “It’s really very touching that all this love comes from all over the French-speaking world, so we thank you for that,” said Jean-François Pauzé from the stage.
For her part, Marie-Annick Lépine revealed that her partner had expressed the wish to be buried in L’Assomption since he spent his best years there. She also wished that the public would reflect on it with humor, human warmth and cheerfulness.
After those few words, admirers went backstage to greet the two grieving musicians. That evening, Karl Tremblay’s two daughters also took the stage to sing.
Honors elsewhere in the country
In Quebec, hundreds of people gathered on the Plains of Abraham to remember the singer who gave a memorable concert there last summer.
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This Thursday, hundreds of people paid tribute to Karl Tremblay at Jeanne-Mance Park in Montreal.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Benoit Gagnon
In Montreal, the heartbroken gathered in Jeanne-Mance Park. One remembered a singer whose DNA is inscribed in that of Quebec, another celebrated simple lyrics that speak of profound things inextricably linked to the most intimate family memories.
He’s like a big brother and then we’re all stuck in our pain. He carried Quebec on his shoulders without knowing it. It’s crazy how much pain we are in
The Montreal Canadiens also held a pre-game ceremony at the Bell Center in honor of the singer. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, a big fan of the group, walked toward center ice to put on a sweater emblazoned with the late singer’s name and a 76, the birth year of Karl Tremblay and the number he has long worn while playing hockey was reported by the National Hockey League website.
The audience then sang in the choir Les Étoiles filantes, one of the group’s great hits, the words of which resonated throughout Quebec that evening.
With information from Louis-Philippe Ouimet and Mathieu Papillon