Martine St-Clair

While devoting herself to her studies in nursing, Martine St-Clair entered the very first edition of the “CÉGEPS en spectacle” competition (1979-1980). She made it all the way to the grand finale, becoming the first winner of what was to become an event that launched the careers of many artists over the years.

Later, in 1982-1983, she became the first spokeswoman for the competition. Noticed by Luc Plamondon, he offered her the role of Cristal in the avant-garde production STARMANIA. She played the role for over 500 performances in Quebec and France. Her voice, stage presence, and talent were immediately noticed by all.

At the 1981 ADISQ gala, she won the Félix for Best Newcomer of the Year. To this day, she remains the only Félix winner in this category without an album to her credit.

In 1981, she met the legendary Gilbert Bécaud, with whom she recorded the duet L'AMOUR EST MORT in France, which became her first No. 1 in Quebec. Luc Plamondon took the young Martine under his wing and offered her the lyrics for his first album, CŒUR ORDINATEUR, released in 1982. LE FILS DE SUPERMAN (SUPERMAN'S SON), taken from this album, is one of its greatest hits. In 1984, the artist returned with his second album, IL Y A DE L'AMOUR DANS L'AIR. The title track, which became an essential francophone hit, remained at number one in the charts for nine weeks. From the same album, the catchy mega-successful ON VA S'AIMER spent six weeks at the top of the charts, and a sublime duet with Nicole Martin entitled JE L'AIME took the radio airwaves by storm.

In 1986, Martine made a name for herself with the release of her third album, featuring the iconic title track CE SOIR, L'AMOUR EST DANS TES YEUX. Certified Gold on the day of its release with 50,000 albums sold, it quickly went Double Platinum with sales surpassing the 200,000 mark. Martine remained at the top of the charts for several months, the title track topping the charts for 15 weeks, followed by HEUREUSE SANS ÊTRE AMOUREUSE for 4 weeks. QUAND JE TOMBE EN AMOUR, DIS-MOI DE REVENIR, and PLUS PRÈS DES ÉTOILES also made the charts. At the 1986 ADISQ gala, she won 4 Félix awards, establishing herself as one of the greats of Quebec’s french music scene.