Moved by the outpouring of love after the announcement of the death of his brother, Guy Latravers, nicknamed the “Father of Quebec Show Business,” Louis Latravers humbly collects these tributes: “This love is beautiful…the family takes him with him through all the festivities, the shows, Guy brings so much joy. Brought…”
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Guy Latravers, one of the founders of the Quebec Association of the Recording, Entertainment and Video Industry (ADISQ) and the Francofolies de Montreal, behind the careers of Robert Charlebois, Claude Léville, Diane Dufresne, Louis Forestier and others, died Saturday at the age of 84 after a long illness. He passed away in the evening. As soon as his death was announced, reactions from cultural and political circles flooded newspapers and social networks.
Days after her brother’s death, Louise Latravers reminisces about their childhood. As she looks back, the 83-year-old artist already sees the beginnings of the great man she later became.
“He was the little king, the little boss. [Rires…] A born organizer, a leader. He made the decision and I had to get out of his way! I tried to hold my ground, but it wasn’t easy with him. Even when we worked together, he told me: “Radio-Canada doesn’t have room for two Latravers”. I went through it. ”
Ironically, it was Louise Latravers – “I was the artist in the family!” – who took his brother to the world of culture. One evening, when her boyfriend at the time, Claude Leveille, was struggling to get money from a venue manager, Louise Latravers called her big brother for help. “The boy came straight up and said: “You pay for it, or else Mr. Leville will leave! “Claude found him so nice that he asked him to take care of his business,” she laughs.
It was the early 60s.
“One thing led to another, and he did this job. I introduced everyone to him,” he says.
Guy Latravers became an artist manager and producer of shows like I saw a wolf, a fox, a lion Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault and Robert Charlebois and co-founder of ADISQ, among other achievements.
In 1981, producer Guy Latravers was surrounded by Yvonne Deschamps and Jean-Guy Moreau.
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A generous man
Louise and Guy Latravers, sister and brother, followed each other through their journeys in the art world. Did they consult each other? “As a small boss, he knows everything. [Rires…] I don’t think I acted as a counselor to my brother. After all, I have to give him my contacts. We exchanged ideas, but although we often dined with artists, we couldn’t say we hung out that much… He called me when he asked. It was always sharp. That’s it. It’s not a dialog box.”
Guy Latravers and Jean-Pierre Ferland
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They have found each other over the years mainly around family. “My grandfather, the patriarch, had big parties with more than 60 children. There were always a lot of people at home. We got this sense of celebration from childhood. My brother threw wonderful parties at his house in Saint-Hilaire. Guy had a wonderful party for my 80th birthday with all my friends. He was very generous.
This great generosity often comes to the reference of Guy Latravers. “My brother was in love with Quebec and its artists. He said to himself “Why don’t we let our artists know? “History is made by what we do. Guy has done many great things for Quebec. It lives on in its history.
“Pop culture practitioner. Award-winning tv junkie. Creator. Devoted food geek. Twitter lover. Beer enthusiast.”
