Quebec disco singer Martin Stevens (real name Roger Prud’homme) died Wednesday morning in Gaspé at the age of 69.
He is believed to have died of a lung disease.
Martin Stevens was a prominent Canadian pop singer during the disco era. It was twice nominated for Juno Awards for Best Selling Single, receiving nominations at the 1979 Juno Awards for ‘Love Is in the Air’ [3] and at the 1980 Juno Awards for “Midnight Music”.
A francophone from Verdun, Quebec, he recorded a number of French-language singles in the 1970s, including “J’aime la musique (Comme un fou)” and “Sans ton amour”.
His self-titled debut album, released in 1978, consisted entirely of French material except for his cover of Vanda & Young’s “Love Is in the Air”. His version of the song debuted on the Canadian charts in July 1978 and had already reached No. 21 by September 9, the week the more familiar John Paul Young version debuted.
Stevens’ second album, Midnight Music, was released in 1979 and consisted entirely of English language songs. The title track was a hit in Quebec, but did not perform strongly on the English Canadian charts. Stevens was a finalist for the Felix Award for Male Entertainer of the Year in 1979, but did not win.
Stevens also published an autobiography, Sex, drugs and discoin 2007.
Martin Stevens died on July 5, 2023, at the age of 69.
