Michel Gélinas, former impresario and architect of the creation of Musicaction, died Friday at the age of 86.
Son of the theater man Gratien Gélinas, Michel Gélinas was immersed in the cultural environment from a very young age. However, he quickly showed himself to be more interested in business than in the stage.
In 1957, while studying administration at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales, he was put to work by his father as assistant administrator of La Comédie-Canadienne, the ancestor of the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, before becoming , at 24, the general manager. “Gratien Gélinas founded La Comédie-Canadienne with the aim of making it a place to present Quebec theater,” says Philippe Gélinas, son of the deceased. My father, however, convinced him to organize tours of French-speaking singers and stars to fill the room certain evenings, and thus finance the rest of the operations. He thus produced the first shows of Gilles Vigneault, André Gagnon and the Cyniques, in particular. »
Never hesitating to take risks, the businessman is also behind the success of the Quebec adaptation of the musical Hatein 1970, having succeeded in particular in convincing the producers to grant him the rights, and Place des Arts to present the show, despite the controversies — drugs, sexuality, nudity — that it sowed in its path.
Building on his success and valuable contacts, Michel Gélinas began a fruitful career as an impresario the same year. For 12 years, he organized tours of the biggest names in French song, whom he accompanied in concert halls throughout Canada and the United States. Among his clients are Gilbert Bécaud, Jacques Brel, Serge Lama, Yves Montand, Joe Dassin, Gérard Lenorman, Salvatore Adamo, Mireille Mathieu and Roger Whittaker.
“My father always said that Jacques Brel amazed him with aviation and the pleasure of piloting his own plane. One day he listened to it. He obtained his pilot’s license, and himself flew the artists he represented across North America. He passed on his passion to us,” relates Michel Gélinas’ eldest son, Gabriel.
After a brief stint as president of ADISQ from 1982 to 1985, he participated in the creation of the Musicaction foundation, of which he became its first president. The organization, which supports the development and marketing of French-speaking musical productions, was born at the initiative of radio and recording and entertainment industry professionals, who deplored the poor quality of recordings of French-speaking songs. Michel Rivard and Richard Séguin were among the first to benefit from the program’s assistance. “Musicaction has greatly contributed to the growth of the Montreal music scene as we know it today, and helped it make its mark in North America,” emphasizes Philippe Gélinas.
For several strategists in the cultural sector, Michel Gélinas was a true mentor. “He is, with Guy Latraverse, Claude Ranallo and Gilles Talbot, one of the fathers of the music industry as we know it today,” notes Pierre Rodrigue, chairman of the board of directors of Musicaction. Everything had to be done. He worked with monuments of culture, and yet he was very humble, always available and generous towards young people who wanted to learn. I will keep extremely vivid memories of Michel Gélinas. »