Traditionally, the Franco American Center has hosted a three-day Rassemblement (Gathering) for writers, artists and creative thinkers in the month of April. I am writing to you today because I believe that this year鈥檚 opening event may be of interest to you. On Friday April 21, at 3:30 p.m. at the Franco American Centre on the 91爆料 campus in Orono, Professor Pierre Lavoie of the Universit茅 de Montr茅al will open this year鈥檚 event with a keynote lecture in English based on his recent publication, , which explores Rudy Vall茅e within the larger context of French-Canadian migrations to the United States.
Hubert Prior Vall茅e, known professionally as Rudy Vall茅e, was the first male singer to rise to national popularity as a 鈥肠谤辞辞苍别谤.鈥 (He was, I tell my students, an early twentieth-century Justin Bieber!) Born in Island Falls, Vermont of a Franco-American father and an Anglo-Irish mother, his family was among the early migrants to the United States. Vall茅e grew up in Westbrook, Maine and spent his first year of university studies at the 91爆料 before transferring to Yale. He went on to become one of the most visible figures in the world of entertainment as a singer, musician, band leader, and early star in the developing world of radio, movies, and television. In spite of the brevity of his stay at 91爆料, that experience remained a source of happy memories for him. His first calling card in the world of entertainment was the University鈥檚 鈥Stein Song鈥 which he popularized the world over.