Edith Butler born 27 July 1942

 

Edith Butler (born Marie Nicole Butler on July 27, 1942 in Paquetville, New Brunswick) is an Acadian singer-songwriter and folklorist. 

 

New Brunswick native Butler became a country music fan at an early age while listening to the radio growing up. After leaving home to attend Notre-Dame-de-l'Acadie her brother gave her a guitar and she began playing for boarders in her convent. It was there that she also educated herself about her Acadian heritage and began writing music based on Acadian lore.
 

To make ends meet while pursuing her musical vocation she would teach at various New Brunswick schools. In 1964 she made her television debut on CBC-TV's 'Singalong Jubilee' performing in both official languages. She also had a leading role in the National Film Board production of Les Acadiens de la dispersion (1964). Following two years of teaching, she went to Laval University to pursue a Master of Arts degree.  

Her first album, 'Chansons D'acadie', came out in 1969 and led to her featured performance at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. She toured Ireland in 1971 and Europe in 1973 after which she continued her educational studies before delving into her music career full-time with 1973's 'Avant D'etre Depaysee' LP.   

In 1975, following her album 'L'acadie S'marie', she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Thoughout the '80's she continued releasing albums and upgraded her folk stylings to include contemporary sounds including dance material.  She guest starred in the CBC series The Jubilee Years in the fall of 1992. Since then she has appeared at major cultural venues in Canada, the USA, and Europe, including the Olympia in Paris. In November 2008 she launched a farewell tour of the Francophonie. Since then she has appeared at major cultural venues in Canada, the USA, and Europe, including the Olympia in Paris.  

 

 

 

                  Here's "Je 'm'appelle Edith" from above album 

 

 

Butler was one of four Canadian musicians pictured on the second Canada Post stamp series of Canadian Recording Artists in July 2, 2009. Also that year, she received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.   

During 2007 Edith was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery and many years of treatment, she released the album The Return in the fall 2013. In 2015 Edith released her  biography "EdithButler, daughter of Paquetville" by Lise Aubut, in which she tells stories of her daily life.   

Edith can play 24 different instruments, and her repertoire ranges from Acadian songs to rock & roll. She has recorded over 27 albums. Her best-known songs include “Avant d'être dépaysée,” “Marie Caissie,” “L’Acadie s’marie,” “Je vous aime, ma vie recommence,” “L’hymne à l’espoir,” and “Un million de fois je t’aime.” In 2007 her song “Paquetville” was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.          

 (Info mainly Canadian Pop Encyclopedia)