Kevin Parent

Discovered in 1995, with the release of his first album Pigeon d’argile, Kevin Parent immediately approached his profession like an old roadie. This young singer-songwriter grew up in Nouvelle, in the region of Gaspesia, steeped in the open-air lifestyle and music: country music in the local bar, heavy metal listened to intently with his friends, and Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. Through the turmoil of adolescence, he spent more and more time strumming on his guitar and found an outlet in writing songs.

Kevin Parent's participation in a contest attracted media attention and led to a recording deal with Tacca Musique. His first releases were acclaimed by peers and critics alike, bringing him many Félix awards and appearances in a festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. Hits like "Nomade sédentaire", "Seigneur" and "Boomerang" made him one of the biggest names in Québec music in the 90s.

Back in the recording studio, he put together another album asserting his quiet strength. Grand parleur, petit faiseur confirmed the initial public perception of Kevin as a big nice guy who was slightly uncomfortable with the trappings of fame but cared about reaching out to people. He was adored by the public and his first two albums attained triple platinum status, an honour shared by very few singer-songwriters!

Greatly in demand at cultural events, he appeared at the FrancoFolies de Montréal in 1999, and at the St-Jean Baptiste celebrations, the Festival d'été de Québec (Quebec City summer festival) and other outdoor festivals during 2000, as well as giving many indoor performances. He then took a break to prepare his third album Les vents ont changé, with Catherine Durand, Claire Pelletier, Gillian Farabee and renowned musicians Tony Levin, Bill Dillon and Jim Keltner. The summer hit "Caliente" heralded an album that was more varied but in a similar vein to his previous work, the best example being "Father On The Go part 2". And for the first time, Kevin recorded a classic, the unforgettable "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.

In January 2002, he embarked on a solo tour from Yellowknife in the Yukon Territory across Canada, ending in Montreal more than a year later. The highlights of this intimate tour, which drew huge crowds everywhere, were recorded on Retrouvailles, his first recording for Universal, in October 2003. The album featured the singer-songwriter performing solo on his many guitars, but he was surrounded by a solid team for the major concerts interspersing his series of solo performances. He played in Woodstock-en-Beauce (a major event in Quebec), at the 5th Rendez-vous de la Francophonie canadienne in March of the following year, at the closing performance of the Festival d'été de Québec in July, and at the opening of the FrancoFolies de Montreal, sharing the stage with Éric Lapointe and Daniel Boucher for the only performance of the concept show Le vent, la mer, le roc.

Kevin has always been slightly uncomfortable with stardom and the unfettered adulation of his audiences. He cares about more concrete issues than superficial glory. The region where he grew up is especially close to his heart; he is currently involved in a campaign to prevent a contaminated soil incinerator from opening at Belledune, in the Baie des Chaleurs region. But the warm, natural relationship that Kevin enjoys with his fans shows he never takes them for granted.