When asked to paint a mural paying tribute to the late singer Karl Tremblay, Yan Pigeon was quick to accept, having attended the last Cowboys Fringants show at the Festival d’été de Québec on July 17, 2023.
The painter from Quebec unveiled, last week in Montreal, his mural in tribute to the singer who passed away on November 15, 2023.
“When I projected my image to trace it onto the bricks, I was listening to music on shuffle in my headphones, and as soon as I started painting Karl’s hair, the tune Let fine you show is gone. I was really moved. I mean, that doesn’t happen in life, that kind of thing,” breathes the 48-year-old painter, still shaken by this magical moment.
Highly sought after to take part in various artistic projects, Yan Pigeon was contacted by the owner of the Montreal building where the group recorded the album. Break syndical to paint this mural in honor of the singer.
Photo provided by Yan Pigeon
“Several winks appear on this work that I made with spray paint [peinture en aérosol utilisée en graffitis, NDLR] like lyrics and song titles, and the little yellow cars on a green background from the album Break syndical “exactly,” says the artist, who completed his work in three days.
His creation covers the back wall of the building, in the alley at the corner of Papineau and Saint-Grégoire streets, in Montreal.
“The people in the alley were super happy. A lot of people came up to me and talked to me about what the Cowboys Fringants meant to them,” says the artist.
Accustomed to tribute works, Yan Pigeon painted a large, colorful mural featuring René Lévesque, a large fleur-de-lis, also intended as a tribute to Riopelle, in the office of the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, in Quebec.
The music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Clemens Schuldt, was also immortalized by the Quebec artist. This work can also be found on the cover of the OSQ’s 2024-2025 season program leaflet.
Other tributes to the Cowboys Fringants
-The young 19-year-old artist Nicolas Smith offered Marie-Annick Lépine a huge painting of Karl Tremblay that he made with a pencil. We see the singer, microphone in hand, a halo above his head.
Instagram screenshot @nicolassmithartist
-In November 2023, the Montreal Canadiens paid a vibrant tribute to Karl Tremblay. A CH jersey bearing the name Tremblay and the number 76 (his birth year) was hung in the middle of the ice while the Bell Centre was lit up with hundreds of telephone light points, and the song played THE Shooting Stars.
Photo The Canadian Press
-French admirers have created a Karl-Tremblay square in Pont-du-Fossé, in the heart of the Alps. There is a plaque on it that reads: “Place Karl Tremblay. Quebec singer. Les Cowboys Fringants. 1976-2023.”
Photo provided by Quentin Duhaut
-In November 2023, Montreal International Airport decided to mark the singer’s passing by changing its sign. The “O” for Montreal had been replaced by a white shooting star on a black background.
screenshot X @yulaeroport
-The public square of L’Assomption, a gathering place appreciated by Karl Tremblay, who lived in the city with his family, was renamed Place Karl-Tremblay.
-Written tributes from die-hard fans and Quebec artists alike have multiplied following the release of the Cowboys Fringants’ final album, Pub Royal.
-Marie-Annick Lépine paid tribute to her Karl during her solo show at the Francos de Montréal last June.
-Karl Tremblay’s partner also honoured her late lover during the grand National Day concert on the Plains of Abraham on June 23, one year after the legendary Cowboys Fringants show at the Quebec Summer Festival.
-Tributes were also paid during the national holiday shows and by pianist Alexandra Stréliski at the Quebec Summer Festival.
