Kevin Parent

Parent, Kevin

Kevin Parent, singer, songwriter (b at Nouvelle, Qué, 12 Dec 1972). Hailing from the Gaspé region, Parent is a raspy-voiced singer-songwriter whose rootsy, folk-based songs possess a down-home edge - thanks to his twangy "gaspésien" accent. Best described as a young, edgier Jackson Browne, Parent adds a rock element to his chanson. Parent grew up bilingual: he spoke English at home, but was educated in French. At 17 he quit high school and started performing at local bars and private parties.

In January 1993, Parent won first prize at a local song contest for "Nomade sédentaire." This success landed him a record deal with Montréal-based Tacca Musique, which released his acclaimed debut, Pigeon d'argile, in early 1995. The album has sold more than 360 000 copies and spawned such hits as "Boomerang,""Seigneur" and "Father on the Go." His second album, Grand parleur petit faiseur, was released in June 1998 and has sold over 300 000 copies. In light of such numbers, Parent has become the best-selling recording artist in Québec after Céline Dion.

For 3 consecutive years Parent walked away with the Québec entertainment industry's ADISQ award for most popular song: "Seigneur" (1996), "Father on the Go" (1997) and "Fréquenter l'oubli" (1998). In 1999 Parent picked up the trophy for best pop-rock album (Grand parleur petit faseur).