Marie-Mai

Marie-Mai is a pop/rock singer from Quebec who rose to fame as a finalist on a Canadian reality show, Star Académie, before embarking on a popular solo career in 2004. Born Marie-Mai Bouchard on July 7, 1984, in Varennes, Quebec, she took an early interest in music and was encouraged to develop her talent by her grandmother, who recommended that she audition for Star Académie, a Pop Idol-style reality show that was entering its first season in 2003. Marie-Mai ultimately finished in third place and made a strong impression with her pop/rock style. After the show’s final episode, Marie-Mai embarked on a country-wide Star Académie tour with other performers from the show. The tour wrapped up in 2004, and she began laying the foundation for a strong career. A recording contract quickly arrived, as did an acting role in the musical Rent at the Olympia Theatre in Montreal. Released in 2004, Marie-Mai’s full-length album debut, Inoxydable, was a commercial blockbuster in Quebec, spawning a two-year series of hit singles (“Il Faut Que Tu T’en Ailles,” “Tu T’en Fous,” “Encore une Nuit,” “Rien,” “Chanson Pour Hier et Demain,” “Tous les Chemins”), several of which topped the regional singles chart. In 2006, the album was released in France and supported by a European tour. Marie-Mai’s follow-up album, Dangereuse Attraction (2007), continued her success in Quebec, spawning another series of chart-topping regional hit singles (“Qui Prendra Ma Place,” “Mentir,” “Emmène-Moi”). Version 3.0 followed in 2009. ~ Jason Birchmeier