FRED PELLERIN

A Canadian folksinger who first gained recognition through his gifts as a raconteur, Fred Pellerin waited until after establishing that reputation before launching a commercial recording career. His solo debut album Silence arrived in 2009 and reached the Top Ten on the Canadian albums chart. Born in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Quebec, he pursued literary studies at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. The well-received 2001 volume Dans Mon Village, Il Y a Belle Lurette..., a gathering of tales about his birthplace that his grandmother had originally shared with him, marked his first published book; it was succeeded by Il Faut Prendre le Taureau par les Contes in 2003, Comme une Odeur de Muscles in 2005, and Bois du Thé Fort, Tu Vas Pisser Drette in 2005, the initial trio of which appeared together on a 2006 audiobook. Later volumes included Zoom sur... Saint-Élie-de-Caxton (2006) and L'Arracheuse de Temps (2009). Numerous stories from these works were also staged as theatrical productions. In 2007 he joined his brother Nicolas for the folk album Fred et Nicolas Pellerin, which earned both critical praise and strong sales. Solo releases continued with C'est un Monde in 2011 and Plus Tard Qu'on Pense in 2014.