There were only a small handful of brave people waiting in line around 4:30 p.m. to attend the ceremony in tribute to Karl Tremblay at the Bell Center in Montreal, where 14,000 people are expected, Tuesday evening.
As the doors opened, around 6 p.m., the crowd outside grew thicker. But at -5 degrees, Cowboys fans who weren’t able to get their hands on tickets probably preferred to watch the ceremony from the comfort of home.
Crossed in line, Jérôme bought tickets for his father Patrick, a big Cowboys fan, and his two friends Georges and Hovig “to pay tribute to the group”. “I’ve never seen them live, but I listen to their music in my tank,” he tells us.
Extremely rare, the media, excluded from the tribute ceremony, and at the same time from the Bell Center, were gathered outside, on the square of the Rio Tinto courtyard which overlooks avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal. Around 7:45 p.m., around a hundred people followed the start of the ceremony on a giant screen installed outside, wrapped up in their tuques and scarves.
Vanessa came with her sister Cassandra and her family. There was no way she was going to miss this ceremony. “The Cowboys are part of our lives, we absolutely wanted to pay tribute to them. » Vanessa and her sister have seen the group perform several times, the last time at the Montgolfières festival in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. “Their music is always present in our hearts, it will never disappear” this unconditional fan tells us. »
Before entering the Bell Center, around 6:30 p.m., Prime Minister François Legault took the time to address the media.
“Tonight, we say goodbye to Karl, a man who left his mark on Quebec,” he began by saying. It’s incredible what we’ve seen since his death, a wave of love and sadness, it’s as if millions of Quebecers had lost someone in their close family. What we see is that with the songs of the Cowboys, the entire Quebec nation recognizes itself in Karl. My thoughts are with Marie-Annick, who I spoke to, and their two daughters, it must be so hard… It’s shocking to die so young, that’s also what left its mark on Quebecers. So we say: thank you Karl for bringing Quebecers together around values that unite us. »
The Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe was also present. He said he was happy to be able to give Quebecers who want to pay tribute to Karl Tremblay the opportunity to do so. He called the upcoming tribute “celebratory, sober and emotional.”
“Karl Tremblay symbolizes the Cowboys Fringants which, 25 years after its creation, is still together and at the peak of its glory,” he underlined. It’s a group that gave so many Quebecers a feeling of pride. »
Minister Lacombe added that if he was in politics, it was not unrelated to the fact that he grew up with the music of the Cowboys. “The desire to engage, to be outraged, that’s what the Cowboys are all about. We must do more, we must do better. »
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante testified that she had never seen the Cowboys in concert, but that their music was played regularly at home.
“In light of the tributes that are pouring in, we see to what extent Karl’s voice has marked Quebec. » As for the group’s music, the mayor described it as “festive”, but also imbued with “healthy anger”. “The fact remains that there is a lot of tenderness and kindness in their songs and I think that this is a quality that Quebecers hold dear. »
When leaving, the Prime Minister raised the possibility of dedicating land in L’Assomption to games of disc golf, one of Karl Tremblay’s passions.
A quartet from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra will kick off this secular ceremony, before the group’s lyricist and guitarist, Jean-François Pauzé, takes the floor. The musical film America is Crying will then be screened.
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.
Starting at 8 p.m., the musical film America Is Crying will be screened at the Bell Center.
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.
