Claude Rajotte
A foundational voice of Quebec's music scene who introduced generations to rock and pop with infectious enthusiasm on radio and TV.
Born 1955 (age 71)·Canadian broadcaster·Birthday: July 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Claude Rajotte introduced Quebec audiences to new wave and alternative music through his long tenure at CHOM-FM starting in the 1970s. He hosted 'Clip,' a music video program on Télévision de Radio-Canada that ran through the 1980s and 1990s and reached a wide French-speaking audience. Rajotte did not simply play records; he advocated for the music he believed in, shaping the listening habits of a generation. His magazine-style television specials and ongoing radio work kept him present as a trusted guide even as media fragmented. He built a reputation as a curator rather than a mere presenter, using his deep knowledge and genuine enthusiasm to break emerging acts. Rajotte remained a central figure in Quebec's musical landscape for decades, his voice accompanying listeners through years of discovery.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Claude was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Claude Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Claude's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
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
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hosted the influential music video program 'Clip' on Radio-Canada for over a decade.
- Was a defining on-air personality at Montreal's iconic rock station CHOM-FM.
- Served as a music critic and columnist for publications like Voir and La Presse.
- Produced and hosted numerous television music specials for Canadian networks.
Did You Know?
He is known for his signature catchphrase, 'C'est le meilleur!' (It's the best!).
He interviewed a vast array of international stars, including David Bowie and The Police.
He began his career working in record stores before moving to radio.
“Listen to this guitar riff—it tells the whole story.”
