Mr. Speaker, the great Quebec pianist André Gagnon passed away yesterday.
He was a truly monumental figure in the music world and a prolific composer who brought pianos to life all around the world from Montreal to Japan. He was a recipient of 16 ADISQ Félix awards, and his album Neiges spent 24 weeks in the top 10, selling 700,000 copies.
He was a big fan of Émile Nelligan and would go on to compose the famous opera Nelligan by Michel Tremblay, as well as TV show scores. He collaborated with Ferland, Léveillée, Julien, Dufresne, Plamondon and so many others. His melodies live on in each of us.
Beyond his profound contribution to our identity, he was a generous, light-hearted man who brought people together. We used to go to the same dentist, and he once gave up his appointment for me so that I could have a crown put in. He told me, “A singer needs her smile. I just need my fingers to make the piano smile.”
André “Dédé” Gagnon, we will miss those big smiles from your fingers. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I offer my deepest condolences to his loved ones and to all of Quebec.