He was nicknamed “Monsieur Jazz Montréal”. Charles Biddle was born in 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lived until the age of 16. In 1948, this talented musician fled racial segregation in the United States to settle in Montreal. Soon after his arrival in Quebec, he was offered a position with the Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke. At the same time, he played double bass with the Société orchestrale de Montréal.
His career as a jazz musician really took off in the early 50s, when he began performing in and around Montreal. In 1957, he met Constance Marchand, who became his wife and the mother of his four children. In 1979, he organized a jazz festival considered by many to be the precursor of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, a major event that attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.
A jazz promoter and true mentor, Charles Biddle inspired the entire population of Quebec through his commitment to young artists from all communities. He has performed before Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II, and has taken part in many international jazz festivals. He has received three major awards: the Oscar Peterson Prize, the Calixa-Lavallée Prize and the National Order of Canada.
Photo: Caroline Hayeur © Festival International de Jazz de Montréal