Preparations for the tribute to the late singer of the Cowboys Fringants, Karl Tremblay, are underway. More than 14,000 people are expected at the Bell Center, while thousands more will gather outside the amphitheater, where the ceremony will be broadcast on a giant screen.
The doors of the Bell Center will open around 6:30 p.m., with the national tribute ceremony beginning around 7:30 p.m. Prime Minister François Legault will deliver a short speech before a quartet from the Orchester symphonique de Montréal (OSM) give a short performance.
Members of the Cowboys Fringants are expected to address their fans, who have purchased tickets (free). We have been confirmed that lyricist and guitarist Jean-François Pauzé will testify. It remains to be seen if Karl Tremblay’s lover, multi-instrumentalist Marie-Annick Lépine, will say a few words.
From 8 p.m., the musical film America Is Crying will be screened at the Bell Center, but also on the screen installed outside, for the benefit of people who were unable to obtain tickets, which sold out in a few minutes just last Thursday.
Extremely rare, at the request of the singer’s family, the media were excluded from the tribute ceremony. The extremely public event will however be broadcast on social networks (on the Cowboys Facebook page).
The Quebec flag on the central tower of the Parliament Building has been at half-mast since dawn on Tuesday. A condolence register has also been posted online for those who would like to offer their condolences to the family. It’s available until November 29.
Karl Tremblay died on November 15 at the age of 47 following prostate cancer diagnosed in January 2020. The Cowboys Fringants singer announced his illness in the summer of 2022. His death was followed by an immense wave of sympathy across Quebec.
The next day, Prime Minister François Legault proposed to Karl Tremblay’s family to organize a national funeral. “I feel that there is a great demand from many Quebecers who want to pay a last tribute to Karl,” indicated Mr. Legault.
The proposal was accepted by his partner Marie-Annick Lépine, who however wanted the ceremony to be secular.
