Dédé Fortin
André "Dédé" Fortin (17 November 1962 – 8 May 2000) was a founding member, frontman, and guitarist of the Québécois band Les Colocs, formed in 1990.
Dédé Fortin | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | André Fortin |
| Born | 17 November 1962 Saint-Thomas-Didyme, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | 8 May 2000 (aged 37) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Folk rock, Ska/Reggae, Blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, violin, guitar |
| Years active | 1990–2000 |
| Website | fondationandrededefortin.com (Archived from the original 24 March 2012.) |
Born in rural Quebec, André "Dédé" Fortin was the tenth of eleven children. After studying cinema at the Université de Montréal, he formed the folk-rock band Les Colocs in 1990. The band's music addressed serious issues such as poverty, loss of community, and drug dependence. Fortin was also an activist for Quebec sovereignty, campaigning for the "Yes" side in the 1995 Quebec referendum. The last LP from Les Colocs, Dehors Novembre, won the Félix Award for Rock Album of the Year.
Fortin struggled with depression and died by suicide in 2000. His legacy includes the renaming of a street in his hometown, a biographical film, and the Fondation Andre Dédé Fortin, which focuses on depression education and suicide prevention.