Lewis Furey, born Lewis Greenblatt (born 7 June 1949) is a Canadian
composer, singer, violinist, pianist, actor and director.Born in
Montreal, Quebec to French and American parents, Furey trained as a
classical violinist, and at age 11 performed as a soloist in the
Matinées pour la jeunesse concert series of the Montreal Symphony
Orchestra. From 1961 to 1965 he studied at the Conservatoire de
musique du Québec à Montréal. He later studied at the Juilliard
School in New York City. In 1972, he began playing and recording his
own rock music compositions. In the ensuing years, he produced three
albums of pop music: Lewis Furey (1975, A & M 4522), The Humours of
Lewis Furey (1976, A & M 4594) and The Sky is Falling (1979, Aquarius
AQR-521). Distinguishing features of the albums were Furey's Lou
Reed-like vocal stylings, a number of songs with gay content
(particularly the local Montréal radio hit Hustler's Tango), and
exotic arrangements featuring unusual uses of violin and banjo as well
as elements of klezmer music.In 1975, he began a new venture as a
composer for films. His first film score, for director Gilles Carle's
La Tête de Normande St. Onge (1975), won a Canadian Film Award. In
1977, he worked on the Gilles Carle film L'Ange et la femme along with
his future wife, the actress and singer Carole Laure. This project
involved more than composing alone; Furey and Laure are famously seen
performing a sex act in the film. Furey also composed for the Allan
Moyle film The Rubber Gun, which despite the risqué-sounding title
was about families affected by drug use. Later in the 1970s, Furey and
Laure produced a number of successful stage reviews in Paris. Furey
also served as producer and frequently also as songwriter for a series
of albums by Carole Laure, beginning with Alibis (1979, RCA
KKL-1-0290), a hit in Québec in 1979. In 1980, Furey wrote the music
for another Gilles Carle film Fantastica, which starred Laure in the
lead role of Lorca. Furey also acted in the film and was nominated for
a Genie Award in Canada for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading
Role."
composer, singer, violinist, pianist, actor and director.Born in
Montreal, Quebec to French and American parents, Furey trained as a
classical violinist, and at age 11 performed as a soloist in the
Matinées pour la jeunesse concert series of the Montreal Symphony
Orchestra. From 1961 to 1965 he studied at the Conservatoire de
musique du Québec à Montréal. He later studied at the Juilliard
School in New York City. In 1972, he began playing and recording his
own rock music compositions. In the ensuing years, he produced three
albums of pop music: Lewis Furey (1975, A & M 4522), The Humours of
Lewis Furey (1976, A & M 4594) and The Sky is Falling (1979, Aquarius
AQR-521). Distinguishing features of the albums were Furey's Lou
Reed-like vocal stylings, a number of songs with gay content
(particularly the local Montréal radio hit Hustler's Tango), and
exotic arrangements featuring unusual uses of violin and banjo as well
as elements of klezmer music.In 1975, he began a new venture as a
composer for films. His first film score, for director Gilles Carle's
La Tête de Normande St. Onge (1975), won a Canadian Film Award. In
1977, he worked on the Gilles Carle film L'Ange et la femme along with
his future wife, the actress and singer Carole Laure. This project
involved more than composing alone; Furey and Laure are famously seen
performing a sex act in the film. Furey also composed for the Allan
Moyle film The Rubber Gun, which despite the risqué-sounding title
was about families affected by drug use. Later in the 1970s, Furey and
Laure produced a number of successful stage reviews in Paris. Furey
also served as producer and frequently also as songwriter for a series
of albums by Carole Laure, beginning with Alibis (1979, RCA
KKL-1-0290), a hit in Québec in 1979. In 1980, Furey wrote the music
for another Gilles Carle film Fantastica, which starred Laure in the
lead role of Lorca. Furey also acted in the film and was nominated for
a Genie Award in Canada for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading
Role."
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