On February 16, Gilles Girard, the big boy of the Classels, will be 80 years old. In 1964, Les Classels sold four times more albums in Quebec than the Beatles. This legendary band is still giving shows. Throughout my interview, Gilles sang songs to me.
He is very proud to see that Les Classels have left their mark on many Quebec generations since 1960. Gilles pointed out to me that the Classels are not ready “to say goodbye to us”.
Gilles, are you from Montreal?
I was born in Montreal. My father, Lucien, machinist at the Canadian Allis-Chalmers, my charming mother, Bibiane Tardif, my brother and I lived on rue Saint-Denis, near Boucher, just opposite Clermont Automobile.
At the age of 10, you were singing to raise money.
I was singing happy as a king for the sum of 25 cents. Later, I sold women’s shoes before starting my singing career with the troupe of Grand Domineau, the master of hypnosis. He believed in me when I first started.
Did you play hockey with “road apples”?
We were playing hockey in the neighborhood alley and instead of using a puck it was road apples.
What was road apples?
Road apples were made from cold-frozen horse manure. However, the season ended early because of the thaw period.
Have you been part of a choir?
Yes, at school, but not for long, because I wanted to be a soloist.
You have won many amateur competitions.
The group of my uncles, my aunts and my parents was made up of 17 people. So the count favored me.
Your family members contributed by each paying $2 to dress you.
Yes, to buy me a beautiful blue satin jacket that I wore on stage.
Tell us about your family vacation.
We were going to Entrelacs and I took the opportunity to go trout fishing.
You didn’t understand the English lyrics.
(He starts singing to me Only You Platters.)
I had no idea, but I loved musical composition.
He sings to me Diana by Paul Anka.
Paul Anka was composing songs for you.
My manager, Ben Kay, was a good friend of the Anka family. One day, I met Paul Anka, just like Elvis, with whom I had my picture taken. He sang in my ears The wonder of you. Also, I met Mohamed Ali in his early days, Al Martino and Ray Charles. I couldn’t tell them more than: “Hello, nice to meet you” with a big smile on my face.
Why the name Classels?
Ben Kay, who became my agent, René Angélil and Guy Cloutier attended our show by the group Les Special Tones. They liked us and Ben thought we dressed with a lot of class, so he chose the name: Les Classels.
Who were the other members of the group Les Classels?
I was accompanied by Michel Caron on guitar, Jean-Clément Drouin on guitar, Serge Drouin on drums and Pierre Therrien on bass. They wanted me to play a musical instrument, however, I told them to forget that and let me continue as a singer.
You had white cars.
My first car was my father’s, a Ford 63. On the other hand, a little later, each of the members of the group had a convertible white Galaxie which allowed us to make a masterful entry into a city. Often, in the evening, we took the wrong car.
The mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau, has named you “ambassadors”.
He had come to our show to offer me to become an ambassador for Expo 67. I thanked him, but I told him: “It’s the whole group or nobody”. He named us ambassadors and we toured the United States to sing the O Canada.
An unusual encounter with the legendary James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul”.
(He sings me a song by the latter.)
Imagine, it’s 10 a.m. and we find ourselves in an elevator in Cleveland with James Brown. He turns to us with an intriguing look, seeing singers all dressed in white with white hair. He walked out shaking his head.
You had a meal with Marilyn Monroe’s husband?
After one of my shows in Miami, he invited my manager Ben Kay and me to join him. I’m not a huge baseball fan, but I used to watch the World Series when I was younger. I was in the presence of Marilyn Monroe’s husband, the famous Joe DiMaggio, of the Yankees.
(Gilles performs the song for me, Mrs. Robinson “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?” A free comment from me: I’m glad he doesn’t sing to me Happy Birthday Mister President, performed by Marilyn Monroe.)
Do you have the chance to see your two sons?
He sings to me: “La La La La La La… The pandemic has changed my life”.
The pandemic changed my life, because before, I could see my sons, Samuel Girard and Yan Dufour. Today, I just talk to them on the phone.