Guylaine Guy

Early Years

Guylaine Guy owed her early musical training to her mother, the actress and singer Lise Bonheur (née Leontine Laurendeau, a niece of Alexandre Laurendeau), who ran a theatre and dance school.

Guylaine made her debut in Montreal at the club Au Faisan doré in 1950, and was voted Miss Radio-Television at the Gala des artistes organized in Montreal by the periodical Radiomonde in 1952. She made some 78s for RCA Victor in this period and was the understudy on Broadway to the famous Lilo in Cole Porter's musical comedy Can-Can.

The Paris Years

In 1955 Charles Trenet took Guylaine Guy to Paris as his protégée, writing songs for her, and arranging her debut opposite him at the Olympia. She is awarded the title of “Espoir de 1956” (Hope of 1956) at the Prix Triomphe held on 10 December of that year.

Taking up permanent residence in Paris, Guy recorded several of Trenet's songs for Pathé-Marconi, performed in 1956 at the Bobino theatre and at the cabaret La Villa d'Este, and shared top billing in 1957 at the Olympia with the actors Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault. During the late 1950s she made several tours that included North Africa, the Middle East, Spain, Holland, and Switzerland.

Career in Canada

In Canada Guylaine Guy sang at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, in 1958, made two series of TV programs in 1961, and played the title role in Irma la douce with the Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde at Montreal's Orpheum Theatre in 1963.

Soon after she abandoned her singing career in favour of painting (she studied with Jean Picard-Ledoux) but was heard in a comeback around 1970 and participated in a show commemorating CBC Montreal TV's 20th anniversary in 1972.

On 21 March 2022, author Catherine Genest published a novel inspired by Guylaine Guy's life story, titled La princesse du rythme (Éditions Boréal).

Family

Two of Guylaine Guy’s sisters were also singers, Monique (Marie Hélène) Chailler (born 28 August 1922 in Montreal, QC; died 17 February 2013 in Montreal) and Colette Bonheur (born 20 September 1927 in Montreal, QC; died in Freeport, Bahamas, 15 October 1966).

Monique Chailler, a soprano, was heard for the most part on CBC radio 1943–65 (“Concert intime,” “Sunday Morning Recital,” “Crépuscule,” etc.) and after 1963 also in recital in Canada and abroad. She later taught singing in Montreal.

Colette Bonheur made her debut in 1951 at the Au Faison doré and for CBC TV sang 1952–54 on Mes jeunes années and starred 1954–57 in Porte ouverte. Bonheur, who moved to the Bahamas in 1961, was heard on the LP Colette Bonheur chante pour vous (Epic LF-2007).