Quick Facts
Biography
Jean Leclerc (born May 14, 1961) is a Québécois singer-songwriter and author from Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada. He is popularly known as Jean Leloup (which he likes to translate to John the Wolf), a stage name he kept using until 2006, when he temporarily changed his name to Jean Leclerc, only to resurrect his wolf character in August 2008. He is known for his colourful personality and unique musical style in the francophone rock community.
Biography
Born in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Leclerc grew up in Togo and Algeria, where he was influenced by traditional African rhythms. He returned to Quebec in 1976, and appeared on the music scene in the 1980s, making waves with his provocative lyrics—in his song "1990", he compares the high-tech actions of Desert Storm to his sexual activities with his girlfriend.
His 1990 album L'amour est sans pitié was a hit outside of Quebec, and was released in the rest of Canada, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan.
He was the recipient of a Félix Award in 1997, following the success of his 1996 album Le Dôme.
At the end of 2003, Leclerc retired the name Jean Leloup and went on hiatus from his recording career. In August 2005, he announced his temporary return to the music scene with a collaboration with a band called the Porn Flakes. A first single called "Les Corneilles" has been heard on Quebec's radio stations.
In the months preceding his return, Leclerc wrote the philosophic novel Noir destin que le mien (originally entitled Le Tour du monde en complet); it was published October 5, 2005 at the Leméac editions under the pen name Massoud Al-Rachid.
Leclerc released the album Mexico in September 2006, his first under the name Jean Leclerc.
Jean Leclerc returned to the stage on August 29, 2008 for the 400th year of Quebec City's founding. He revived the name Jean Leloup for the occasion. The show was held at the Colisée Pepsi. Although controversial, Jean Leclerc mentioned that the "last hour of the show was the best of his life".
Leclerc released the album Mille Excuses Milady (translated to "a thousand apologies, Milady") on April 28, 2009, under the name Jean Leloup and the first since he publicly declared that he wouldn't produce another album.
In 2016, his album À Paradis City was nominated for the Juno Award for Album of the Year, and won the Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year.
Discography
- 1989: Menteur
- 1990: L'amour est sans pitié
- 1996: Le Dôme
- 1998: Les Fourmis
- 2002: La Vallée des réputations
- 2004: Exit (live album)
- 2005: Je joue de la guitare 1985–2003 (compilation)
- 2006: Mexico (as Jean Leclerc)
- 2009: Mille excuses Milady
- 2015: À Paradis City
Collaborations
- 1997: Glee (with Bran Van 3000)
- 2001: Discosis (with Bran Van 3000)
- 2011: The Last Assassins (with The Last Assassins)