Raymond Lévesque (October 7, 1928 – February 15, 2021) was a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet from Quebec. One of the pioneers of the chansonnier tradition in Quebec,Bruno Roy, "Chansonniers". The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 7, 2006. he was best known for writing "Quand les hommes vivront d'amour", one of the most famous pop standards in French-language popular music.

Early life Lévesque was born in Montreal on October 7, 1928. He learned piano under Rodolphe Mathieu and drama under Madame Audet. Shortly after, he met his wife and they married soon after. Inspired by the work of Charles Trenet,"RAYMOND LÉVESQUE (1928 – …)". Star Québec, March 31, 2013. he began writing songs in the 1940s and started performing in various cabarets around Montreal. He had his first significant breakthrough in 1947, when he was invited to perform several of his songs on CKAC radio by Fernand Robidoux.

Career Lévesque was cohost with Colette Bonheur of the variety series Mes jeunes années on Radio-Canada from 1952 to 1954. He subsequently spent several years living in France, where he recorded for Barclay Records and had his songs recorded by French artists such as Bourvil, Jean Sablon, Cora Vaucaire and Eddie Constantine. During this time he wrote "Quand les hommes vivront d'amour", which was inspired by the contemporaneous Algerian War; first recorded by Constantine, the song has since been recorded and performed by many artists in both France and Canada. Other noted songs he wrote during this era included "Les Trottoirs", "La Vénus à Mimile", "Le Coeur du Bon Dieu" and "Rosemont sous la pluie".

After returning to Quebec in 1959, he took acting roles in several téléromans and hosted the children's television series Coucou, and cofounded a boîte à chansons called Chez Bozo with Jean-Pierre Ferland, Clémence DesRochers, Hervé Brousseau, André Gagnon and Claude Léveillée."Giant of Quebec music; Wrote for Edith Piaf, and honoured by both Canada and France". Ottawa Citizen, June 26, 2011. In 1968, he also began to write poetry and plays, and became politically active in the Quebec separatist movement."Wait is on for Bill 86 regulations; Key nationalists divided on sign law". The Gazette (Montreal), June 2, 1993.

Later life Lévesque received a lifetime achievement award from the Prix Félix in 1980. By the mid-1980s, Lévesque had suffered profound hearing loss and was diagnosed as deaf. He abandoned music but continued to write, publishing several further works of poetry, fiction and political satire.

Lévesque was awarded the Prix Denise-Pelletier in 1997. He was named a winner of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 2005,"Governor General honours six artists". Windsor Star, September 30, 2005. but declined the honour due to his sovereignist views."Poet rejects G-G arts award over sovereignty issues". Windsor Star, October 26, 2005.

In 2016, a new song written by Lévesque, titled "Les jours d'amour", was recorded and released by singer Marie-Josée Longchamps."Une nouvelle chanson signée Raymond Lévesque". Le Journal de Montréal, July 7, 2016. He died on February 15, 2021, in Montreal. He was 92, and had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec in the time leading up to his death.Le père de Quand les hommes vivront d’amour emporté par la COVID-19

Discography Albums 1962 – Chansons et monologues 1965 – Raymond Lévesque à la Butte-à-Mathieu 1967 – Après 20 ans 1971 – Raymond Lévesque 1972 – Qui êtes-vous, Raymond Lévesque? 1975 – Raymond Lévesque chante pour les travailleurs 1977 – Le p'tit Québec de mon cœur

Compilations 1989 – Collection souvenir 1993 – Québec love : Raymond Lévesque 1999 – Raymond Lévesque : 50 ans de chansons – Quand les hommes vivront d'amour 2005 – Raymond Lévesque – Collection Québec Info Musique

Bibliography Poetry 1956 – Quand les hommes vivront d'amour 1971 – Au fond du chaos 1971 – Le malheur n`a pas des bons yeux 1974 – On veut rien savoir 1977 – Le Temps de parler 1981 – Électrochoc 1989 – Quand les hommes vivront d'amour II 2012 – La nouvelle pensée

Plays • 1968-Médée 1970 – Bigaouette 1974 – Tharèse 1980 – On veut savoir 1983 – C'est à ton tour mon cher René 1986 – Waitress 1988 – Deux mille ans après Jésus-Christ

Autobiography 1986 – D'ailleurs et d'ici

Novels 1995 – Ketchup : ou comment refaire le monde 2000 – Le petit Lalonde

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