It was at the request of Guy Lafleur and his family that the songs The essentialby Ginette Reno, and My Wayby Frank Sinatra, resonated in the Bell Center on Sunday evening during the sober and touching tribute to the Blond Demon.
• Read also: Guy Lafleur (1951-2022): moving tribute for an idol
The organization of the Canadian has presented a beautiful farewell to one of its greatest legends, before the meeting with the Boston Bruins.
As archival images of the best moments of their idol’s career paraded on the ice, spectators were able to hear his favorite song and singer.
“It was at the request of Guy and his family,” explains the vice-president of communications of the Canadian, Chantal Machabée.
The organization of the Canadian had also invited Ms. Reno to come and sing The essential on the Bell Center ice rink on Sunday evening. “But she was not available,” underlines Chantal Machabée.
mutual admiration
The mutual admiration that Guy Lafleur and Ginette Reno had for each other has been known for a long time. On Friday, on her Facebook page, Ginette Reno wrote that she sang “J’aime Guy, j’aime Guy” at the start of her career.
“You were the first man to whom I declared my love on record and probably the last too, continues the interpreter. You lived a life that resembled you: full of passion and intensity, full of strength and courage. »
A few days ago, the Quebec Remparts also paid tribute to Guy Lafleur, at the Videotron Center. This time it’s the room Those who leavestill by Ginette Reno, who played on a montage of archive footage.
“Guy adored Ginette. They were two Quebec icons,” mentioned the Journal Michel Bergeron, who had it coached with the New York Rangers.
Her favorite song
For those close to him, Guy Lafleur would have liked us to play My Way of Frank Sinatra during his final tribute in front of his fans.
According to Michel Bergeron, the song represented the way Guy Lafleur conducted his career and lived his life. “Guy has always made his life his own way. He was extraordinary,” explains Michel Bergeron.
At the funeral?
For the moment, we do not know if The essential et My Way will perform at the state funeral honoring Guy Lafleur on Tuesday, May 3.
“It’s not decided yet, mentions Chantal Machabée. We are currently working on all the logistics of the funeral, such as the guest list and the positioning of the media. We haven’t gone into those details yet. »
Meaningful words
Guy Lafleur found himself very much in the words of My Way, by Frank Sinatra. What was this song from 1969 which is an adaptation of the French hit about As per usual ? Here is a free translation of a few stanzas.
–
–
My Way
My way
And now, the end is near ;
And now that the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain,
And I face the final curtain,
My friend, I’ll say it clear,
My friend, I’ll say it out loud,
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain.
I will defend my case, of which I am certain.
I’ve lived a life that’s full.
I have lived a full life.
I’ve traveled each and every highway ;
I have traveled all the roads;
And more, much more than this,
And more, much more than that,
I did it my way.
I did it my way.
Regrets, I’ve had a few ;
Regrets, I had some;
But then again, too few to mention.
But again, too little to mention.
I did what I had to do
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption.
And accomplished it with nothing spared me.
I planned each charted course ;
I planned every initiative;
Each careful step along the byway,
Every careful step along my way,
And more, much more than this,
And more, much more than that,
I did it my way.
I did it my way.
[…]
To think I did all that ;
To think that I did all this;
And may I say – not in a shy way,
And I take the liberty of saying it – boldly,
No, oh no not me,
Oh no, shyness is not mine
I did it my way.
I did it my way.
For what is a man, what has he got ?
For what is a man, what does he possess?
If not himself, then he has naught,
If not himself, he has nothing,
[…]
The record shows I took the blows,
History records that I took the blows,
And did it my way !
And that I did it my way!
–
