THE show business Quebec has lost one of its pioneers. Producer Jean-Claude Lespérance died last week, his family announced in a press release on Tuesday morning. He contributed to several projects that left their mark on Quebec popular culture: A guy a girl, The Little Life or even Brew.
Jean-Claude Lespérance first distinguished himself as a producer of shows in the 1980s and 1990s. He was among the first to grasp the potential of Houndstooththis musical comedy by Marc Drouin with innovative musical sounds that marked the 1980s. With his wife, Louise Claude, Jean-Claude Lespérance produced tours for several artists in Quebec, from Ding et Dong to Céline Dion, including Starmania, Lara Fabian, Jean Lapointe, Michel Barrette and Stéphane Rousseau.
He retired in 2017, after the last performance with the original cast of Brew, of which he was one of the producers. On television, he is responsible, among other things, for Ha! Ha! Mondayswhich allowed the emergence of a whole new generation of comedians in Quebec. Jean-Claude Lespérance co-produced this show with the late Jean Bissonnette.
Together, in 1989, they founded the production company Avanti, which is behind the greatest successes on Quebec television. The Little Life, A guy a girl, Hot pepper or even the sitcom Catherine. The two producers sold Avanti in 1999, which remains one of the largest companies in the industry. Jean-Claude Lespérance continued to manage the careers of Dominique Michel and Patrice L’Écuyer.
Besides his eternal accomplice, Louise Claude, he leaves behind his son, Guillaume Lespérance, who followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming one of the most important producers in Quebec, with shows like Everyone is talking about it and the Bye bye.