Légendes: Michel Pagliaro, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Florent Vollant, François Consineau inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

PHOTO GALLERY BELOW

On Nov. 17, 2025, the Studio Cabaret at Espace St-Denis in Montréal hosted the second Québec edition of the Légendes series, presented by the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). The event celebrated the remarkable careers of Michel Pagliaro, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Florent Vollant, and François Cousineau. Hosted by Anne-Marie Withenshaw, and featuring heartfelt tributes to the timeless repertoires of these iconic Québécois artists, the evening was also marked by moving testimonials for each inductee.

Daniel Boucher kicked off the evening, as he delivered a powerful rendition of Michel Pagliaro’s “L’espion.” A cavalcade of video tributes followed, with Ariane Moffatt, Breen Leboeuf, Tom Cochrane, Matt Lang, Adam Baldwin, and Claude Dubois all singing the praises of the man widely regarded as the Godfather of rock in Québec.

Jonathan Roy also took the stage to perform his take on one of Pag’s

English-language hits, “Loving You Ain’t Easy.” The honour of officially inducting Pagliaro ultimately went to the great Roch Voisine, who called him a role model, a national treasure, an icon, and a legend.

A rocker of few words, Pag still found some to share his emotions. “When you accomplish things, it’s very rare that you do it alone,” he said. “There are always people around you, friends who make music with you. Most of them aren’t here anymore – I’m one of the only ones left, almost. I’ve also had a lot of support from my wife, who helps me so much, and gives me so much love – and love is the most important thing… Thank you very much. I wish everyone a long life, and lots of joy!”

The second inductee of the evening was the legendary François Cousineau, composer of more than 200 songs that have become cornerstones of the Québec repertoire, many of them in collaboration

with Luc Plamondon. Cousineau has also enjoyed an impressive career as a pianist, conductor, and arranger. Several major figures paid tribute to him, including Marjo, Claude Dubois, Daniel Lavoie, Yvon Deschamps, Judy Richards, François Dompierre, and Diane Juster.

Judy Richards, who was onstage for the official induction, made a point of highlighting Cousineau’s key role in the fight to have the rights of music creators recognized in Québec as the co-founder of both SPACQ and SODRAC, which later became SOCAN – Reproduction Rights.

Emilie-Claire Barlow offered the audience a jazzy take on “J’ai rencontré l’homme de ma vie,” which was followed by a tender and nostalgic rendition of the timeless “Ma mère chantait toujours,” by Viviane Audet on piano and Martine St-Clair on vocals. Cousineau then took the mic and shared a few heartfelt words. “First, I’d like to

thank my father and mother, who gave me a love of life, of learning, of music, and of nature,” he said. “I’d also like to thank the singers who’ve performed my songs, and the songwriters I’ve had the chance to work with, especially Jean-Pierre Ferland and Luc Plamondon, though we haven’t quite finished what we started… It’s been 30 years, and we’ve got another 30 to go!”

After a shout-out to the 2025 Breakthrough Songwriting Award – presented by the CSHF, and awarded to the duo Rau_Ze, who were in attendance – it was time to induct the great Florent Vollant. A trailblazing figure in Indigenous music in Québec, his influence has extended far beyond borders, over the course of a career spanning more than 40 years.

Elisapie had the honour of performing the first song, “Tshinanu,” arguably Florent Vollant’s greatest hit with the duo Kashtin, which he formed with Claude McKenzie. After video tributes from Émile Bilodeau, Zachary Richard, André Lachance, Marc Hervieux, and Dumas, it was his friend Richard Séguin who took the stage to officially induct him, following a powerful rendition of “Tshishe Manitu,” alongside guitarist Ivan Boivin-Flam and Mathieu McKenzie. Said Séguin, “Through his music and his words, he’s always built bridges between nations. He’s a person of great humility, and whenever he’s honoured, he’s quick to share it with the entire community of First Nations creators… He’s a friend and a brother, and this is our way of saying thank you.”

Vollant closed his moving speech with these hopeful words, having suffered a stroke in 2021: “I had an accident recently, but music never let me go. Music never lets me go. So I’m going to keep going, and I hope you’ll be there. Thank you very much.”

Finally, the induction of sisters Kate & Anna McGarrigle brought together multiple generations, with three standout voices from Québec’s new wave of singer-songwriters – Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Thierry Larose, and Ariane Roy – joining forces to perform the beautiful “Complainte pour Ste-Catherine,” the song that instantly endeared the McGarrigle sisters to Francophone audiences in Québec in the early 1970s.

But the sisters’ international impact also warranted video tributes from American stars like Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, and even talk show host Jimmy Fallon, each offering heartfelt words about the profound influence of the duo from Montréal. Representing the late Kate McGarrigle, her children Martha and Rufus Wainwright also shared their love and memories. They performed (alongside Anna’s children Sylvan and Lily Lanken) two cherished songs from their mother’s and aunt’s repertoire, “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Talk to Me of Mendocino.” Anna looked on, visibly moved.

The evening wrapped up in spectacular fashion with a high-voltage performance by Marie-Mai and Steve Hill, who delivered Pagliaro’s timeless “J’entends frapper” – a final rock anthem to echo in the audience’s minds long after the lights came up.

SOCAN congratulates all the inductees for their magnificent achievements!

Additional interviews with the evening’s inductees and guests will be uploaded soon.