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Date Posted: 12:38:08 07/18/02 Thu
Author: Shirleym
Subject: What great news! Here's a bio I found on Langlois.
In reply to: BlueWolf 's message, "Roy to star in "Jack Paradise"" on 15:21:39 07/17/02 Wed

One of the very first White, Francophone, bandleaders in Montreal. He came from a musical family, where his brothers and cousins all played the piano. His idol was another pianist, Willie Eckstein. He would often skip classes to hear Eckstein playing at the Strand Theater. As a twelve year old, he summoned the courage to visit Eckstein, where he played his harmonica for the pianist. (He had learned to play the harmonic by ear.) Eckstein was so impressed he had
Langlois play on his radio show. It was this direct contact with Eckstein that inspired Langlois to take up the piano.

His father dis-approved of his son's ambitions fearing that the boy would eventually succomb to the alcohol and drugs, often associated with musicians. He sold the family piano hoping to discourage his son from this career. The
young boy began to secret study on a neighbor's piano. At fifteen, he quit school. Taking a job delivering Bailiff's notices, he saved up enough to buy a home, much to his father's consternation. He continued his piano studies with dance band pianist Pierre Drolet. Drolet often took the boy along on his gigs, and also took Langlois around to the after hours Black Jazz clubs. It was at the Club Clef that Langlois met Fats Waller; Adrien Paradis, and Willy Girard. These three white musicians often 'jammed' with their
Black contemporaries.

performed as a two-piano team that often were accompanied by the house orchestra. Langlois' 1941 orchestra (playing at the Chateau St. Rose) consisted of Langlois and Eckstein on the twin pianos; Willy Gerard on violin; Marcel
Scherer on trumpet; a trombone (unknown); Adrien Paradis on Tenor, clarinet, and flute; with Tony Sabetta and Stan Simons on alto saxes. The rhythm section had Roy Decair on drums with Pete Gravel on Bass.

Langlois retired in 1981. Respected by Montreal's Francophone musicians, he was only little known to the English speaking musical community.

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Replies:

[> Re: Here's a short note about it from the Montreal Gazette (r) -- Trish, 09:51:20 07/19/02 Fri

'Actor Roy Dupuis bound for Paradise -- Roy Dupuis will play the lead role in the coming film Jack Paradise, a Gilles Noel production inspired by the life of musician Bob Langlois, who live in Montreal from 1930 to 1970. The France-Quebec co-production has an estimated budget of $3.5 million. Most of the story takes place in Montreal, where the musician hones his craft and where he also fell in love.

Filming is set to begin in the fall. '


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