{{Short description|Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1953)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=June 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{expand French|date=May 2024|topic=bio}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = Marjo | image = Marjo.jpg | caption = | image_size = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Marjolène Morin | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|08|02|df=yes}} | birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada | death_date = | origin = | instrument = vocals | genre = rock, pop | occupation = singer, songwriter | years_active = 1979–present | label = | associated_acts = Corbeau, Gerry Boulet | website = }}

'''Marjolène Morin''' (born 2 August 1953), professionally known as '''Marjo''', is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Quebec.<ref name=canenc>[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/marjo-emc/ "Marjo"]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', 5 November 2007.</ref>

==Background== Morin was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec.<ref name=sherbrooke>"Marjo broke ground for female Quebecois songwriters". ''Sherbrooke Record'', 8 October 2010.</ref> She worked as a model and editor for the fashion magazine ''Madame'', and as manager of the Montreal jazz club L'Air du temps,<ref name=sherbrooke/> and was cast in two musicals by François Guy.<ref name=sherbrooke/>

She joined the band Corbeau in 1979, two years after the group was started by Pierre Harel.<ref name=sherbrooke/> After Corbeau disbanded, she cowrote and recorded "Touch Me", the theme song for the film ''A Woman in Transit (La Femme de l'hôtel)'', which earned a Genie Award for Best Original Song in 1985.<ref name=magic>"The Marjo magic". ''The Globe and Mail'', 13 February 1988.</ref>

==Solo career== She released her debut album, ''Celle qui va'', in 1986.<ref name=canenc/> One of her first concerts to promote the album on its initial release was as an opening act for Eartha Kitt, but a press conference to promote the concert ended in controversy when Kitt pulled Morin's hair and spilled wine in her lap.<ref name=MusiMax>"Ignored by anglos Marjo rocks Quebec; She's the hottest French ticket in province." ''Montreal Gazette'', 23 January 1988.</ref><ref name=ignored>MusiMax via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JriHQV_mMmg</ref> The album ultimately sold more than 250&nbsp;000 copies, was certified double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, and won three Prix Félix.<ref>"Marjo, The Box, Rivard top Felixes with 3 each". ''Montreal Gazette'', 26 October 1987.</ref> One critic wrote at the time that her stage show generated so much electricity that she was the musical equivalent of James Bay.<ref>"'Sainte Marjo' hottest attraction on Quebec music scene". ''Ottawa Citizen'', 19 February 1988.</ref> The album was subsequently released in France under the title ''Amoureuse'', and was promoted by a tour of Europe.<ref>"Marjo sets sights on European rock market". ''Montreal Gazette'', 4 April 1988.</ref>

In 1988, she appeared on Gerry Boulet's influential album ''Rendez-vous doux'', as a duet vocalist on the song "Les Yeux du cœur".<ref>"Gerry Boulet: Quebec rocker rose with fledgling industry". ''The Globe and Mail'', 19 July 1990.</ref>

She followed up with ''Tant qu'il y aura des enfants'' in 1990.<ref name=lifeact>"Marjo has her act and her life together". ''Montreal Gazette'', 6 October 1990.</ref> The album was again a chart success in Quebec; in addition to the hit singles "À bout de ciel" and "Je sais, je sais", the album included the English language song "Crazy Notions".<ref name=lifeact/> She won four Prix Félix for the album, including Best Rock Album and Best Song for "Je sais, je sais".<ref>"Marjo wins four Felix awards". ''Ottawa Citizen'', 15 October 1991.</ref> The album was again certified double platinum for sales of over 200,000 copies.<ref name=rockeuse>"Platinum diva Marjo resurfaces; Rockeuse ends hiatus with release of Bohemienne, concert tour". ''Montreal Gazette'', 18 March 1995.</ref>

She returned in 1995 with the album ''Bohémienne''.<ref name=rockeuse/> The album was certified platinum by October 1995,<ref>"Gold, platinium records piling up". ''Vancouver Sun'', 26 October 1995.</ref> garnered awards from SOCAN for the singles "Bohémienne" and "Trop d'amour",<ref>"SOCAN honors Vigneault". ''Montreal Gazette'', 20 November 1996.</ref> and was a shortlisted Juno Award nominee for Best Francophone Album at the Juno Awards of 1996.<ref>"Juno nominees reflect success of female singers: Shania Twain leads with seven nominations, followed by Alanis Morissette with six, Susan Aglukark with five and Celine Dion with four". ''The Globe and Mail'', 1 February 1996.</ref>

She released the albums ''Bootleg Blues'' in 1998, ''Sans retour'' in 2001 and ''Turquoise'' in 2005.<ref>[http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2015/05/15/la-releve-trop-tranquille-pour-la-rockeuse "La relève en musique est «plate», selon Marjo"]. ''Le Journal de Montréal'', 15 May 2015.</ref> In 2009 and 2010, she released the albums ''Marjo et ses hommes, Vol. 1'' and ''Marjo et ses hommes, Vol. 2'', which featured songs from throughout her career newly rerecorded as duets with a variety of male vocalists including Martin Deschamps, Jonathan Painchaud, Yann Perreau, Éric Lapointe, Richard Séguin, Richard Desjardins, Mario Pelchat, Gilles Vigneault, Dan Bigras and Luc de Larochellière.<ref>[http://www.lapresse.ca/la-voix-de-lest/arts/200911/20/01-923450-le-retour-de-marjo-en-duo.php "Le retour de Marjo... en duo"]{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}. ''La Presse'', 20 November 2009.</ref> The second volume also included the original recording of "Les Yeux du cœur", which had not previously been available on one of Marjo's albums. She has not released a new album of material since ''Vol. 2'', but has continued to undertake occasional live performances, most recently at a 2017 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day concert on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City.<ref>"Fête nationale: lancement des festivites vendredi, partout au Quebec". Canadian Press, 23 June 2017.</ref>

In 2016, she took her first acting role, in Sophie Dupuis's film ''Family First (Chien de garde)''.<ref>[http://www.lapresse.ca/cinema/201611/15/01-5041518-marjo-au-grand-ecran.php "Marjo au grand écran"]. ''La Presse'', 15 November 2016.</ref>

==Discography== ===Albums=== * 1986: ''Celle qui va'' * 1990: ''Tant qu'il y aura des enfants'' * 1995: ''Bohémienne'' * 1998: ''Bootleg Blues'' * 2001: ''Sans retour'' * 2005: ''Turquoise'' * 2009: ''Marjo et ses hommes, Vol. 1'' * 2010: ''Marjo et ses hommes, Vol. 2''

==References== {{reflist}}

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Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Montreal Category:Canadian women rock singers Category:Canadian women singer-songwriters Category:Singers from Montreal Category:French-language Canadian singers Category:Best Original Song Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Category:Canadian film actresses Category:Canadian women pop singers Category:20th-century Canadian women singers Category:21st-century Canadian women singers Category:20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Category:Judges in Canadian reality television series