Daniel Lavoie: 40 secrets

 

Le Lundi, 15th June 1991     
Louise Nicolas


1.  Name: Daniel Lavoie.
2.    Date of birth: 17th March 1949, born under the sign of Pisces.
3.    Place of birth: Dunrea, Manitoba.
4.    Height: Just over 6ft.
5.    Weight: 170 pounds.
6.    Hair: Dark brown.
7.    Eyes: Green.
8.    Occupation: Writer, composer, singer.
9.    Marital status: In love.
10.Children: Three children, a sixteen year old son, a six year old daughter and a two year old son.
11.Parents: Athanase and Therese.
12.Brothers and sisters: Two brothers: Denis and Rolland, and three sisters, Marcelle,Linda and Angela.
13.Childhood: He says he is lucky to have had a peaceful and happy childhood.
14.First jobs: Nursing auxiliary in a hospital and sailor on an oil-tanker.
15.Musical experience: As a child he played the piano, which led him to play in rock bands (among others with the group ‘Nomads’) as a teenager and then to become a singer. When he was 18, he started writing his own songs. Yvan Dufresne gave him his chance with his first album ‘A court terme’ in 1973, followed by Berceuse pour un lion; Tension, attention; Vue sur la mer  and Long courrier. He did two albums in English, Cravings and Tips.
16.Awards: Since 1979 he has received eight Felix as well as two Victory awards in France for best album of the year, in 1984 and 1987.
17.Childhood dream: He wanted to become a doctor, but, having worked in a hospital, he realised it wasn’t a career for him.
18.Best qualitities: Perseverant, tolerant, and willing to take risks.
19.Main weaknesses: impatient, ready to jump to conclusions and a touch lazzy.
20.Tree, flower and favourite precious stone: Oak tree, forget-me-not and poppy. He isn’t fond of precious stones but like the colour of emeralds.
21.Favourite animals: Wild ones because they are free.
22.Favourite colours: He likes them all, with a slight preference for  green and blue.
23.Favourite clothes: Very casual
24.Favourite sports: Walking and cycling
25.Favourite drinks: Like all Pisces he likes a drink. He does not really like strong spirits but likes wine and beer as much as water and fruit juice.
26.Favourite dishes: He has a preference for Indian and North-African food.
27.Superstition: Murphy’s law.
28.Car: Owns a jeep for convenience sake but would like to be able to manage without a car.
29.Favourite day of the week: Sunday.
30.Favourite singers: Preferably barytons and altos as he loves classical music. He likes Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streissand and Sarah Vaughan.
31.Favourite actors: Philippe Noiret and Jessica Lange
32.Favourite films: Poetic films, Pagnol’s films
33.Favourite perfumes: He wears a personalised perfume, specially made for him. The woman he loves wears ‘Diva’, he finds it divine. He likes perfumes to be soft and discreet.
34.Address: Montreal
35.Favourite cities: Paris and Vancouver.
36.Best memories: Childhood memories of plains and open spaces.
37.Worst memories: None in particular, bad memories fade in time.
38.Social causes: He worries about the survival of the planet and about what will be passed on to his children. He is also the spokesman the Association of Juvenile Diabetes.
39.Plans: In the long term he’d like to put on an opera or something along those lines. He does not know whether or not he’ll manage but it’s part of the things he would really like to do.
40.Philosophy: ‘Never postpone to tomorrow what you can do today, that is to say do not postpone being happy.’

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