by Runs Feb. 17-21st.
Joseph Armand Roch Voisine, Better known as Roch Voisine, (born 26 March 1963) is a Canadian Acadian singer-songwriter, actor, and radio and television host.
Born in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada, to Réal Voisine, former mayor of Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Quebec and a former English teacher, and to Zélande Robichaud, a former nurse. He grew up in Saint-Basile, New Brunswick. He was the oldest of three children. His brother Marc was born in 1965, and his sister, Janice, in 1966.
At age four, Voisin’s parents divorced and he moved to live with his paternal grandparents, Maurille and Dorina Racine Voisine until he was eight, when he went to live with his father again. Roch considered his grandparents very influential on him, even as an adult. Roch moved to Notre-Dame-du-Lac when he was 12.
Voisine studied at École technique de métiers de Lauzon in Lévis (today Guillaume-Couture Secondary School) and at Polyvalente de Lévis (today École Pointe-Lévy). Then he continued for 4 years at Cégep Limoilou. He attended the University of Ottawa where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in physiotherapy.
Voisine aspired to be a professional ice hockey player. He had to set his plans aside when he was severely injured while playing baseball in 1981.
Voisine married Myriam Saint-Jean on 21 December 2002. The couple had two sons, Killian (born 25 June 2004) and Alix-Élouan (born 9 January 2006). On 15 October 2007, Voisine’s website announced his and Myriam’s separation.
Roch Voisine had his great music debut in the summer of 1986 where he sang before more than 50,000 people at LaRonde in Montreal on Canada Day. And, after many televison appearances, he hosted Top Jeunesse in 1988, a television show which brought him considérable public attention.
In June 1989, he released his first album Hélène, which in a very short time became a huge success in Quebec and in France.
Just three weeks after the album was released in France, Hélène held first spot for nine consecutive weeks on the Top 50 chart.
Over the years, he has continued alternating between recording both French and English-language albums. His French language work and concert tours have continued to enjoy success in Europe (especially France) and Quebec, while his English-language recordings are a frequent mainstay of Canadian adult contemporary radio. He also enjoys huge success internationally.
A successful singer, songwriter, performer and philanthropist, Roch Voisine has sold 12 million records worldwide over his career uniquely maintaining superstar profiles in both French and in English. Over the past 25 years, all of Roch Voisine’s English albums have achieved Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum status.
ROCH VOISINE CELEBRATES 25 YEAR MUSIC CAREER BY RELEASING ‘MY VERY BEST’ THIS MONTH (FEB/2014). IT FEATURES 12 HIT SONGS PLUS 4 NEW TRACKS. INCLUDES “LIVING OUT MY DREAMS / POUR L’HONNEUR”: CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ANTHEM FOR THE 2014 OLYMPIC TEAM
