André-Philippe Gagnon
Encyclopedia
André-Philippe Gagnon (born December 17, 1962 in Loretteville, Québec
) is a Canadian comedian
and impressionist
. He has been married to Marie-Claude Chantal since the late 1980s.
His impressionist act is unique for his specialized talent in impersonating the singing
voices of celebrities as opposed to his contemporaries who typically can do only the speaking voices. He is best known for duplicating We Are the World
.
He gained widespread recognition in North America
after a 1985 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
and went on to play a regular act at The Venetian in Las Vegas
and other venues around the world.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) is a Canadian comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
. He has been married to Marie-Claude Chantal since the late 1980s.
His impressionist act is unique for his specialized talent in impersonating the singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
voices of celebrities as opposed to his contemporaries who typically can do only the speaking voices. He is best known for duplicating We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
.
He gained widespread recognition in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
after a 1985 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
and went on to play a regular act at The Venetian in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and other venues around the world.
Notable Performances
- 1989 - SkyDomeRogers CentreRogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
opening ceremony in Toronto, also broadcast live on the TVA Channel.
Discography
- 1991 L'intégrale [enregistrement sonore] (Distribution Select formerly Distribution Musicor)