Singer Belgazou, who rose to fame in the 1980s, died Sunday at the age of 74 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Belgazou, born Diane Primeau, first led a career as a model, then as an actress, notably in 1972 with the film doves, by Jean-Claude Lord. But it was above all thanks to her new wave-inspired music that she became a real star in the early 1980s. In 1982, she rose to the top of the charts with the piece Talk about it, which earned him several nominations at the ADISQ gala the following year. She will never be able to repeat this success thereafter. The discs which will follow will turn out to be resounding commercial failures.
Belgazou will also regret having chosen this artist name, which, according to her, undermined her credibility as a singer. And for good reason. For years, when she no longer even occupied the front of the stage, Belgazou was one of the Turkish heads of Rock et Belles Oreilles, then of the show Hot pepper. “She never, ever talked about that. She really had a great strength of character, ”underlines her brother Jean-Claude Primeau, who assures us that his sister was not resentful.
After her career as a pop singer, Belgazou, who became Diane Guérin after her marriage, gave a little to children’s music, in addition to working for a time as a cook. She had retired several years ago to the countryside, where she led a peaceful life, away from the spotlight.
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