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Quebec singer and Harmonium frontman Serge Fiori dies at 73
Serge Fiori, singer, guitarist and founding member of the legendary Quebec band Harmonium, died Tuesday at the age of 73.
His manager of 36 years, Serge Grimaux, said in a statement that Fiori died in the early hours of June 24 at his home in Saint-Henri-de-Taillon, Que., in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Grimaux said he died following a long illness.
"Serge left us the same way he lived — with that legendary smile that lit up everyone who knew him, everyone he brought immense joy to, and the country that was his, in his heart and in his eternal passion," Grimaux said.
"He leaves behind his family, his friends, and all those in whom the songs he wrote and the harmonies he created will forever resonate."
Premier François Legault praised Fiori in a lengthy social media post, saying he left a lasting mark on Quebec through songs "filled with poetry, depth and sensitivity." With Harmonium, Legault said, Fiori touched the hearts of several generations of Quebecers, starting with the band's first album.
"By pushing the boundaries of rock music, he broadened the horizons of an entire era," Legault wrote. "His work helped redefine the place of music in Quebec. Harmonium's three albums have become cult classics for our nation. He put words and melodies to what we were living and who we were."
Fiori also helped bring Quebec music to the world stage, the premier noted. "From Mount Royal to the stages of Europe, his voice resonated everywhere."
Born in Montreal in 1952 to an Italian father and a French-speaking mother, Fiori founded Harmonium in the early 1970s with Michel Normandeau and Louis Valois. The band's three folk-rock albums — Harmonium (1974), Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison (1975) and L'Heptade (1976) — became hallmarks of Quebec's musical identity.
The band stood out at a time when most Quebec acts leaned toward chanson-style music, combining complex lyrical and instrumental arrangements that helped it gain a following beyond provincial borders. Despite singing exclusively in French, Harmonium became one of the few Quebec bands of the 1970s to gain some recognition in the United States.
The group's debut album, recorded in just six days, sold more than 100,000 copies and quickly topped the charts. It included Pour un instant, Harmonium's first commercial success, as well as Un musicien parmi tant d'autres.
In 1978, Harmonium toured California, with Fiori joining then-premier René Lévesque in a showcase of Quebec music's vitality in the U.S. The group dissolved shortly after, worn down by relentless travel. Fiori, emotionally and physically exhausted, struggled with the effects of LSD use, which had caused a neurotransmitter disorder — a condition he described in his 2013 biography S'enlever du chemin, written by longtime friend Louise Thériault.
After Harmonium disbanded, Fiori teamed up with Richard Séguin to release Deux cents nuits à l'heure in 1978, an album that won three Félix awards. He later contributed music to Yvon Deschamps's stage shows and released a self-titled solo album in 1986. He collaborated over the years with artists including Diane Dufresne and Nanette Workman.
Fiori stepped away from the public eye for many years before returning in 2014 with the album Serge Fiori — his first in nearly 30 years. The record featured Le monde est virtuel, which was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2015 ADISQ gala and won Félix awards for best-selling album and adult contemporary album of the year.
He also composed music for films, including the 2009 feature Babine, which earned a Félix for best original soundtrack.
On Tuesday, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon called Fiori "a true ambassador of Quebec culture."
"Serge Fiori was an immense lyricist and melodist whose songs have accompanied us for more than 50 years — and will continue to do so," St-Pierre Plamondon said, offering condolences to his family and loved ones.
