Christine Charbonneau
A pillar of Quebec's chanson scene who wrote poetic, enduring hits for iconic singers while maintaining her own gentle performing presence.
1943–2014 (age 71)·French Canadian singer and songwriter·Birthday: October 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Christine Charbonneau was the quiet architect behind some of the most beloved songs in the French-Canadian repertoire. While her own voice was soft and intimate, her songwriting pen was profoundly influential. Emerging in the 1960s, she became a key contributor to the Quebec chanson movement, crafting lyrics that were both personal and universally resonant. Her greatest fame came through others, most notably the superstar chanteuse Ginette Reno, for whom she wrote the monumental hit "Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin" (also known as "Je suis seulement une chanson"). Charbonneau's own recordings, like the delicate "Je ne suis qu'une chanson," offered a more introspective window into her talent. She remained a respected and active figure in Montreal's artistic community, her work providing a timeless soundtrack to Quebec's cultural identity.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Christine was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Christine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2014Died at 71
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- Wrote the classic song "Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin" for Ginette Reno, which became an anthem in Quebec and won the Felix Award for Song of the Year in 1977.
- Released several albums of her own as a singer-songwriter, including 'Je ne suis qu'une chanson' and 'Comme une poste restante.'
- Her compositions were recorded by a who's who of Quebec artists, including Claude Léveillée and Renée Claude.
- Was a active and enduring presence in the Association professionnelle des auteurs et des compositeurs du Québec (APACQ).
Did You Know?
She was the sister of Quebec actor and singer Sylvain Lelièvre.
Before her music career, she worked as a secretary.
The title of her famous song for Ginette Reno is often translated as "A Little Higher, A Little Further" but is also known by its first line, "Je suis seulement une chanson" (I Am Only a Song).
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