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Roger DoucetCanadian singer, tenor
Date of Birth: 21.04.1919
Country:  Canada |
Content:
Biography of Roger Doucet
Early Life and Musical TrainingRoger Doucet, a Canadian singer and tenor, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1919. As a child, he sang in the Immaculée-Conception Church choir, where choir director Émile Fontaine gave him his first vocal lessons from 1929 to 1933. In the late 1930s, Doucet worked on his tenor with Céline Marier and Georges Toupin, and in the early 1940s, he was mentored by Sarah Fischer. During this time, the young tenor began participating in vocal competitions, which eventually led him to perform in several Montreal cabarets such as "Faisan bleu," "Casino Bellevue," and "Montmartre."
Career and Military Service
Doucet later served in the military, where he became a member of the army troupe "The Army Show," touring across Canada and visiting several European countries. After leaving the army with the rank of sergeant, Doucet used an army scholarship to study music at the New York College of Music from 1946 to 1949, under the guidance of Alfredo Martino.
Continuing to perform in cabarets, Doucet also started working on radio and landed a role in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) opera project called "Théâtre lyrique Molson." In the CBC television concert "L'Heure du concert," Doucet performed excerpts from various opera arias, including the Count Almaviva from "The Barber of Seville" and Romeo from "Roméo et Juliette." He later collaborated with the Canadian Opera Company, where he sang the role of the Prince in "The Love of Three Oranges" in 1959 and portrayed Fenton in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in 1960.
Later Years and Legacy
In the mid-1950s, Doucet toured Europe, performing at the Glyndebourne Festival and participating in recordings for BBC in London and NDR in Hamburg. He became well-known for his rendition of the national anthem "O Canada" during hockey tournaments, starting in 1971. Doucet gained particular fame for singing a bilingual version of the anthem, beginning in French and ending in English, as a tribute to Canada's two languages.
In 1980, Doucet received the highest civilian honor in Canada, becoming a member of the Order of Canada. He passed away in Montreal on July 19, 1981, due to a brain tumor.
