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Natasha St-Pier

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Natasha St-Pier
St-Pier during her concert in Denain, on 2010 France Tour
St-Pier during her concert in Denain, on 2010 France Tour
Background information
Birth nameNatasha St-Pier
Born (1981-02-10) 10 February 1981 (age 43)
Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada
OriginSaint-Hilaire, New Brunswick, Canada
GenresPop, French pop, pop/rock, adult contemporary, dance
OccupationSinger
Years active1996–present
LabelsGuy Cloutier Communications, Sony Music France
Websitewww.natashastpier.com

Natasha St-Pier (born 10 February 1981) is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Acadian origin. She has spent most of her career in France, and represented France in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Je n'ai que mon âme" (English translation: "I have only my soul").

She began her professional career at a young age in Canada, bringing out her first single at the age of 12, followed by her first album (Émergence) in 1996, at the age of 15. Her international career was launched with the English version of the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, which played in Canada and the U.K. In the musical she sang the role of Fleur-de-Lys.

St-Pier has had considerable commercial success in francophone countries, including France, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland. She has also become popular in a number of other countries, including Spain, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Japan. Her Eurovision song ("Je n'ai que mon âme") reached second position on the charts in France and Belgium when released as a single in 2001. In the following year, her single "Tu trouveras" ('You will find') reached position no. 3 in France and Belgium, and position no. 1 in Quebec. In 2006, her single "Un ange frappe à ma porte" ('An angel is knocking at my door') reached no. 1 in Belgium and no. 2 in France. Her albums De l'amour le mieux (2002) and Longueur d'ondes (2006) also reached places 3 and 1 respectively in French album sales.

In interviews, Natasha St-Pier has spoken about the importance of her Catholic faith. She recorded most of the tracks of the concept album Thérèse – Vivre d'amour (2013), based on the poetry of St Thérèse of Lisieux. She herself released two further albums based on St Thérèse´s poetry: Thérèse de Lisieux – Aimer c'est tout donner (2018) and Croire (2020). St-Pier also released the album Jeanne (2022), focused on St Joan of Arc.

St-Pier has appeared as a guest in a number of TV series. She was coach in the second and third season of The Voice Belgique (The Voice of Belgium). In 2024, she and her dancing partner were winners in the French TV series Danse avec les stars season 13.

Biography

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Family background

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Natasha St-Pier was born 10 February 1981 at Bathurst, New Brunswick (Canada). Together with her brother Jonathan, she grew up in Saint-Hilaire, New Brunswick, a small village in the valley of the Saint John River near Edmundston. Both of her parents are ethnically Acadian. Her father, Mario Saint-Pierre, was a primary school teacher who became teacher in a prison for minors and later director of the prison. Later he worked in the Ministry of Justice and in public security. Her mother, Rose-Marie Bard was a nurse, before becoming director of a retirement home.[1][2][3] In April 2013, Natasha St-Pier stated during a broadcast of the radio programme Faites entrer l'invité (presented by Michel Drucker) that she is a cousin four times removed of Pope Pius X.[4]

Career

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Early beginnings in Canada

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At the age of 8 years, St-Pier took the stage for the first time, and began studying classical dance, modern jazz, piano and song. In 1992, she was spotted by Alain Morisod and invited to participate in the Sweet People Show, a program for young talents produced by a local television station in Quebec. The following year, at the age of 12, she became the youngest finalist in the singing competition Le pouvoir de la chanson. She was then invited by producers Regean and Michela Lacroix to sign her first recording contract with their Mi Re La label. In July 1995, she recorded her first single: "Le parcours du cœur", written to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Maurice Tanguay Foundation for underprivileged children.[5] Subsequently, she concentrated her artistic efforts on singing.

In August 1996, she released her debut studio album in Canada, entitled Émergence, which she worked on with Steve Barakatt. She promoted the album with singles: “Il ne sait pas” and "Sans le savoir".[2] After the release of the album, she broke her contract with her agents, which she explained by divergent perceptions of further artistic development. After parting company, she interrupted her career for less than three years. Negotiations between the two sides' lawyers over the broken contract lasted more than two years. Producer Guy Cloutier then decided to help St-Pier and offered her a partnership, in which he invested about one million Canadian dollars in the further development of her career.

In the late 1990s, during a tour in Quebec, she was offered the opportunity to replace Julie Zenatti in the role of Fleur-de-lys for the Canadian French-language production of Notre-Dame de Paris (directed by Luc Plamondon). In the same year, she completed her baccalaureate, majoring in the sciences since she wished to become a biologist.[2][3]Thanks to her performance in the show, she was involved in the production of the British version of the musical, where she starred alongside Tina Arena. In 2000, she recorded the song “My Heart If You Will Swear”, which was included in an album of songs from the show.[6]

À chacun son histoire and Eurovision (2001)

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Natasha St-Pier´s second album À chacun son histoire was initially released only in Canada (11 April 2000). The same year, she brought out three singles from the album (the title track, as well as "Et la fille danse" and "Tu m’envoles"). In the same year, she appeared as supporting act for the Québecois singer Garou at Olympia (Paris).[2]

St-Pier was chosen by the media network France 3 to represent France in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, singing the power ballad "Je n'ai que mon âme". Music and lyrics for the song were written by Robert Goldman (as "Jill Kapler"), the brother of Jean-Jacques Goldman. St-Pier released the song as a single (30 April 2001) and added it to the European recording of the album À chacun son histoire (released 3 April 2001).

Several days before the Eurovision Song Contest, St-Pier revealed in a media interview that she was undecided as to whether to use English or not in her performance of the song. (The single and video clip had been recorded only in French.) On 12 May 2001, she performed the song under its French title, but sang the final verse in English.[7] She was given 12 points (the maximum score) by Bosnia & Herzegovina, Portugal and Russia, and gained fourth place overall among the 23 participants.[7] Her performance was the seventh time a French contestant had gained 4th place since the beginning of the competition, and was not again equalled until the second place gained by Barbara Pravi in 2021. After participating in the contest, she became the winner of several music industry awards in Canada and France, and toured internationally.

The single version of "Je n'ai que mon âme" reached no. 2 on the charts in France and Belgium. St-Pier subsequently released an English version of the song: "All I Have Is My Soul". The album À chacun son histoire gained Gold certification in France.[8]

Development of career (2002-2010)

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In 2002, her collaboration with Pascal Obispo on the album De l'amour le mieux propelled Natasha St-Pier to her greatest commercial success. The album was certified as double platinum status in France,[9] and gold in Canada, Belgium and Swizerland.[10][11][12] Three tracks from the album were released as singles ("Tu trouveras", "Nos rendez-vous" and "Alors on se raccroche".) All three singles reached the top 100 singles, and "Tu trouveras" was certified platinum in France and Belgium and no. 1 in Quebec.[13][14][15]

The album was released in slightly different versions in France, Canada, Japan and Spain. The Spanish version featured three tracks re-recorded in Spanish, including "Encontrarás" ("Tu trouveras"), with Miguel Bosé singing the male vocal part taken by Pascal Obispo in the French original.[16] When released as a single on 5 October 2003, "Encontrarás" peaked at no. 2 on the Spanish charts and remained in the charts for 15 weeks.[17] Also in 2003, St-Pier appeared in a duo with Johnny Hallyday at the Parc des Princes in Paris (10 and 11 June). The two performed his song J'oublierai ton nom.[18][19][20]

In 2004, St-Pier released the album L'Instant d'après, which reached platinum status in France.[21] She promoted the album with the singles: "Tant que c'est toi", "Quand on cherche l' amour", "Je te souhaite" and "Mourir demain" (recorded with Pascal Obispo). In the same year, Sony Music France released a Natasha St-Pier DVD, Un Instant Avec Natasha St-Pier, that included a video tour diary, a personal video dictionary, and seven music videos.[22] At the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004, she released two double-disc compilation albums featuring her most popular songs, as well as a debut concert release entitled Un instant avec Natasha St Pier.[23]

At the beginning of January 2006, St-Pier released a studio album entitled Longueur d'ondes,[24] with which she debuted at the top of the list of most-sold albums in France and reached, among others, the second place of the charts in Belgium. The album was certified Gold for its national sales of over 160,000 copies sold.[25] In the same year, she flew to Poland at the invitation of the weekly magazine Gala and played a mini-concert during the award ceremony for the Roses of Gala statuettes.

By 2010, St-Pier had released 7 albums, topped the French album and singles charts, and made it to the top 10 of the Eurochart Hot 100.[citation needed] St Pier has become popular in francophone Europe, and in countries such as Poland and Russia.[26] Her seventh album, Tu Trouveras: 10 Ans De Succès, which is largely a "Best of" compilation of her songs previously recorded, was released in November 2009. During 2010 she toured Canada, Belgium and France.

St-Pier has recorded duos (and trios) with Pascal Obispo, Florent Pagny, Mickaël Miro, Anggun, Élisa Tovati, Sonia Lacen, Grégory Turpin, Les Stentors, Les Petits Chanteurs à la croix de bois, Jean-Michel Di Falco, Roch Voisine, Tony Carreira, Michel Fugain, Grégoire, Florent Mothe, Hélène Segara, Vincent Niclo, Anne Sila and Glorious, among others. She has also appeared in the troupe of Les Enfoirés.

Since September 2013, Natasha is the host of the television show "Les chansons d'abord" (Songs First) to France 3. She was also one of the commentators of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 for French television.[27] In October 2015 St-Pier, signed to the Smart label, released the album Mon Acadie, a collection of covers of traditional folk songs.

Natasha St Pier singing Un ange frappe à ma porte.

In 2024, St-Pier announced a new tour between November 2025 and January 2026 under the title "Mon histoire d'amour c'est vous", with concerts in France featuring her great hits and giving homage to composers and singers who have inspired her.[28] She also continued her programme of performances in Catholic churches, based on the albums Jeanne and Thérèse.[29]

Musical style

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Beginning 2001-2004, the French media began referring to St-Pier as one of the grandes voix québécoises (big Quebecois voices) at the centre of contemporary trends in popular music. Other singers grouped in this category included Isabelle Boulay, Céline Dion, Lara Fabian, Garou, Daniel Lavoie, Lynda Lemay, Bruno Pelletier and Roch Voisine. However, the musicologist Catherine Rudent concludes that only Boulay, Dion and Fabian truly resemble St-Pier in répertoire, voice and techniques of interpretation. These singers have in common a style inherited from soul music, in which expressive vocality takes priority over the text, making full use of registers of the chest and head, vocal ornamentation and improvisation.[30]

Personal life

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On 9 March 2012, she married her boyfriend of a year and a half, Gregory Quillacq, a member of the aquatic and subaquatic fire brigade of Paris). They married at a private ceremony in Lit-et-Mixe.[31] St-Pier has a son named Bixente Maxime, who underwent a successful heart operation.[32] She is a dietitian, vegetarian[33] and a Catholic. She is also a yoga teacher[34] and an occasional scuba diver. In 2021 she announced she and her husband were separated.

Discography

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Albums

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Studio albums

Year Album Charts Certification
BEL
(WAL)
[35] 		CAN (QC)
[10] 		ESP
[17] 		FRA
[36] 		POL SWI
[12] 		TUR
1996 Émergence — — — — — — —
2000 À chacun son histoire 23 — — 37 — — — Gold (FRA)
2002 De l'amour le mieux 3 — — 3 8[37] 12 — 2 x Platinum (FRA); Gold (CAN, BEL, SWI)
2003 Encontrarás[a] — — — — — — —
L'instant d'après 6 — — 3 17[38] 14 — Platinum (FRA); Gold (BEL)
2006 Longueur d’ondes 2 — — 1 — 11 — Gold (FRA)
2008 Natasha St-Pier 16 — — 16 — 63 —
2012 Bonne nouvelle 11 — — 11 — 80 —
2013 Thérèse – Vivre d'amour[b] 4 — — 2 — — — Platinum (FRA)
2015 Mon Acadie 18 8 — 16 — 62 —
2017 L'alphabet des animaux 68 — — 44 — — —
2018 Thérèse de Lisieux – Aimer c'est tout donner 55 — — 23 — 40 — Gold (FRA) [39]
2020 Croire 29 — — 31 — — —
2022 Jeanne 113 — — 52 — — —
2023 Christmas Album 20 — — 68 — — —

Rereleases / Compilations

Year Album Charts Certification Note
BEL
(WA)
[35] 		CAN (QC)
[10] 		FRA
[36] 		SWI
[12]
2001 Je n'ai que mon âme — — — — Gold (CAN) Compilation – Best of
2003 À chacun son histoire /
L'instant d'après 		— — 102 — — Double CD rerelease
2004 À chacun son histoire /
De l'amour le mieux 		23 — 37 — — Double CD rerelease
2009 Tu trouveras... 10 ans de succès — — — — — Compilation – Best of
2010 Natasha St-Pier /
De l'amour le mieux 		— — 117 — — Double CD rerelease
2013 La sélection - Best Of 3CD — — — — — Compilation – Best of
2021 Croire + Aimer c'est tout donner - Thérèse de Lisieux — — — — — Double CD rerelease
2021 Je n'ai que mon âme[c] — — — — — Compilation – Best of

Singles

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Year Title Chart positions Album
BEL
(Wa) 		CAN (QC) [15] ESP
[17] 		FRA POL SWI TUR
1993 "Le parcours du cœur" — — — — — — — Émergence
1996 "Il ne sait pas" — — — — — — —
"Sans le savoir" — — — — — — —
1997 "Portés par la vague" — — — — — — —
2000 "À chacun son histoire" — — — — — — — À chacun son histoire
"Et la fille danse" — — — — — — —
"Tu m’envoles" — — — — — — —
2001 "Je n'ai que mon âme" [d] 2 — — 2 — — —
2002 "Tu trouveras"
(with Pascal Obispo) 		3 1 — 3 — 20 — De l'amour le mieux
2003 "Nos rendez-vous" 15 — — 15 5[40] 45 —
"Alors on se raccroche" — — — 47 — 72 —
"Toi qui manques à mon vie" — — — — — — —
"Encontrarás"
(with Miguel Bosé)[e] 		— — 2 — — — — Encontrarás
"Por probarlo todo (No se pierde nada)"[f] — — — — — — —
"Tant que c´est toi" 5 — — 11 6[41] 31 — L'instant d'après
2004 "Quand on cherche l' amour" — — — — — — —
"Mourir demain"
(with Pascal Obispo) 		4 — — 7 — 18 —
"Je te souhaite" — — — — — — —
2005 "Ce silence"
(with Frédéric Chateau) 		25 — — 28 — — — Longueur d'ondes
2006 "Un ange frappe à ma porte" 1 — — 2 — 19 —
"Tant que j'existerai" 23 — — 36 — — —
2008 "Embrasse-moi" — — — — — — 12 Natasha St-Pier
"1, 2, 3" — — — — — — 90
2009 "L'instant T" — — — — — — 73 Tu trouveras... 10 ans de succès
2012 "Bonne nouvelle" — — — 194 — — — Bonne nouvelle
2013 "Vivre d'amour"
(with Anggun) 		63 — — 86 — — — Thérèse: Vivre d'amour
2015 "Cap enragé" (with Roch Voisine) — — — — — — — Mon Acadie
"Tous les Acadiens" — — — — — — —
2016 "Mon pays bleu" — — — — — — — —
2018 "Le cantique des cantiques" (with Glorious) — — — — — — — Thérèse de Lisieux – Aimer c'est tout donner
"Aimer c'est tout donner" — — — — — — —
2020 "Viens sois ma lumière" — — — — — — — Croire
2022 "Jeanne" — — — — — — — Jeanne
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Year Title Chart positions Album
BEL
(Wa) 		FRA SWI QUE
2007 "Pour que tu sois libre (La rose Marie Claire)"
(Leslie / Anggun / Jennifer McCray /
Natasha St Pier / Elisa Tovati / Julie Zenatti) 		— 21 — —
2013 "Donne-moi le temps"
(Segara / St Pier / Keim / Alizée / L'Orchestre Ostinato) 		45 99 — —
2014 "Laissez-nous chanter" (live)
(Goldman / Fiori / Clerc / Youn / Lorie / Laroque / Foly / Tal / Ségara / St-Pier / Nolwenn Leroy / Zazie) 		— 196 — —

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Spanish version of De l'amour le mieux.
  2. ^ Thérèse – Vivre d'amour is strictly speaking not an album by Natasha St-Pier, but rather a concept album featuring various artists. However, she features in nine of the twelve tracks.
  3. ^ Despite the identical name, Je n'ai que mon âme (2021) is distinct from Je n'ai que mon âme (2001). The 2001 album was released only in Quebec and the 2021 album in Europe. Although both are compilations, the track selections are quite different, since the 2021 album contains tracks recorded in the preceding two decades.
  4. ^ The single was released both in its original French version, and in an English recording ("All I have is my soul").
  5. ^ Spanish version of "Tu trouveras", released 2003, with Miguel Bosé singing the male part in the third verse.
  6. ^ Spanish version of "On peut tout essayer".

References

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  1. ^ "Comme si c'était hier : Natasha St Pier : "Mon père ce héros !"". Première. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2024..
  2. ^ a b c d Anthony Verdot-Belaval (14 April 2014). "Je quitte l'Acadie pour mon rêve français". Paris Match. Retrieved 17 August 2024..
  3. ^ a b Pauline Lallement (24 December 2017). "Natasha St-Pier : Noël au Canada". Paris Match. Retrieved 17 August 2024..
  4. ^ "Faites entrer l'invité – Natasha St Pier". Europe1. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2024..
  5. ^ "Biographie de Natasha St-Pier". Chante France!". 2 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2018..
  6. ^ "Notre-Dame De Paris (Version Anglaise)". Discogs. 2000. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b Arthur Œuvrard-Savouret (19 February 2015). "Eurovision : les 20 candidats les plus inoubliables du concours: Natasha St Pier (2001)". Elle. Retrieved 2 August 2018..
  8. ^ "Les Certifications: À chacun son histoire". SNEP. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024..
  9. ^ "Les Certifications: De l'amour le mieux". SNEP. 17 December 2003. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "De l'amour le mieux". Music Canada. 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  11. ^ "De l'amour le mieux". Ultratop. 2002. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Edelmetall". hitparade.ch. 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Les certifications". snep: Tu trouveras. 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Goud en platina". hitparade.ch. 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Playlist Palmarès Chansons no 1 au Québec années 2000 à 2020 - Musique populaire au Québec". Philouzone. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Natasha St-Pier, una voz angelical". 20 Listas. 24 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "spanishcharts.com – Natasha St-Pier albums discography". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  18. ^ Dominique Simonet (11 June 2003). "Johnny Hallyday, l'homme des stades". La Libre. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Duo avec Nathasha St-Pier". Johnny Hallyday - Le Web. 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  20. ^ "2003". Johnny Hallyday - Le Web. 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Les certifications". Disque en France. 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  22. ^ Un Instant Avec Natasha St-Pier: COL 2027359-2027359000
  23. ^ "Un instant avec Natasha St Pier". Worldcat. 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  24. ^ "Natasha St Pier - Longueur d'Ondes". Discogs. 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  25. ^ "Les 200 albums les plus vendus en France en 2006". Charts France 2005. 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Natasha St-Pier conquers Poland". Ecstoday. 9 August 2003. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  27. ^ (in French) Chartsinfrance.net ; Natasha St-Pier News Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Mes liens - Natasha St-Pier". Natasha St-Pier. 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Billeterie - Natasha St-Pier". Premiere Partie Music. 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  30. ^ Catherine Rudent: L’analyse musicale des chansons populaires phonographiques. Musique, musicologie et arts de la scène. Université Paris 4 Paris-Sorbonne, 2010.
  31. ^ (in French) People.premiere.fr ; Natasha St-Pier épouse son chéri français Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Natasha St-Pier : nouvelle photo de son fils Bixente, visiblement bien remis de son opération". Femme actuelle. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Interview : découvrez les secrets beauté de Natasha St Pier". Lci. 9 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  34. ^ "Exclu – Natasha St-Pier se confie sur sa nouvelle vie "simple et belle", loin du showbiz". Gala. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2018. le yoga, (...), vise la même prise de conscience.
  35. ^ a b "Ultratop.be/fr/ – Natasha St-Pier albums discography". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  36. ^ a b "lescharts.com – Natasha St-Pier albums discography". lescharts.com. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  37. ^ De l'amour le mieux, in Polish Albums Chart [1] (Retrieved 11 November 2024)
  38. ^ L'Instant d'après, in Polish Albums Chart Olix.onyx.pl (Retrieved December 23, 2008)
  39. ^ "Les Certifications: AIMER C'EST TOUT DONNER - THÉRÈSE DE LISIEUX". SNEP. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  40. ^ "Polish Airplay Charts - Lista krajowa 22/2003" (in Polish). PiF PaF Production. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  41. ^ "Polish Airplay Charts - Lista krajowa 30/2004" (in Polish). PiF PaF Production. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
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Preceded by France in the Eurovision Song Contest
2001 		Succeeded by
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