I heard this song on the radio and it brought back a flood of memories.

Born in New Brunswick, Canada and perfectly bilingual, Roch Voisine aspired to be a professional hockey player. His musical breakthrough came with this song, Hélène, which sold three million copies and became a major hit not only in Quebec but also in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

After a highly successful European Tour in 1991, he was awarded France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, becoming the youngest artist to receive it at age 28. His second European tour culminated in Paris where he sang in front of 75,000 people. The show was broadcast live on television and reached 14 million viewers.

This clip below is from his Canadian tour. He shows remarkable sang-froid in front of the screaming mob of adoring women. Notice the absence of phones and how people can enjoy themselves without.