Roger Prud'homme[1] (October 3, 1953 – July 5, 2023), better known by the stage name of Martin Stevens, was a Canadian pop singer prominent in the disco era.[2] He was most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Best Selling Single, receiving nominations at the Juno Awards of 1979 for "Love Is in the Air"[3] and at the Juno Awards of 1980 for "Midnight Music".[4]
Martin Stevens | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Roger Prud'homme October 3, 1953 Verdun, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | July 5, 2023 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Pop singer |
Life and career
editA francophone from Verdun, Quebec, he recorded a number of French-language singles in the 1970s, including "J’aime la musique (Comme un fou)" and "Sans ton amour".[5] His self-titled debut album, released in 1978, consisted entirely of French material except for his cover of Vanda & Young's "Love Is in the Air". His version of the song debuted on the Canadian charts in July 1978,[6] and had already reached #21 by September 9,[7] the week the more internationally familiar version by John Paul Young debuted.[8] The two versions appear to have cut into each other's chart performance; Stevens' version immediately stalled, peaking only at #19 a few weeks later before beginning to decline,[9] while Young's peaked at #26 two weeks later.[10]
Stevens' second album, Midnight Music, was released in 1979 and consisted entirely of English-language songs.[11] The title track was a hit in Quebec, but did not perform strongly on the English Canadian charts, reaching number 50.[12] Stevens was a Prix Félix finalist for Male Artist of the Year in 1979, but did not win.
Stevens published an autobiography, Sexe, drogue et disco, in 2007.[13]
Martin Stevens died on July 5, 2023, at the age of 69.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Sonne ma cloche! Encore, encore, encore!". Le Devoir, May 2, 2003.
- ^ "Winds of change blow through Quebec". Billboard, January 27, 1979. p. C23.
- ^ "Juno list has that familiar look". The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1979.
- ^ "Complete list of nominees for tonight's Juno Awards". The Globe and Mail, April 2, 1980.
- ^ "Quatre décennies de disco". Le Journal de Montréal, April 30, 2017.
- ^ "RPM100". RPM, July 22, 1978.
- ^ "RPM100 (1-50)". RPM, September 9, 1978.
- ^ "RPM100 (50-100)". RPM, September 9, 1978.
- ^ "RPM Magazine - September 30, 1978 - page 13" (PDF).
- ^ "RPM100". RPM, October 21, 1978.
- ^ "Quebec talent back on disk, tour scene". Billboard, December 22, 1979. p. 72.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 1, 1979" (PDF).
- ^ "La comédie humaine". Métro, April 7, 2008.
- ^ "Le chanteur disco québécois Martin Stevens est décédé". Tvanouvelles.ca. 5 July 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
External links
edit- Martin Stevens discography at Discogs
- Martin Stevens at IMDb