Biography:Théodore Duguay

THÉODORE DUGUAY (1904-1950) was born in Rivière-au-Tonnerre, a small village on the Gaspé Peninsula, one of six children. His mother played accordion and was his first teacher. In 1937 he won the fifty dollar first prize in an accordion contest in Quebec City, as well as a week-long engagement at Quebec's Imperial Theatre with performer Madame Bolduc (née Mary Travers, 1894-1941), known as the 'Queen of Canadian Folk Singers', then at the height of her popularity. From 1938 to his death he played on C.H.R.C. radio in Quebec City, and was sponsored by the station to perform in nearby localities. However, Duguay, like many performers, could not make a living solely on his music and had a day job as a stevedore. He was a versatile musician who played the piano, harmonica and left-handed fiddle as well as the accordion, and he was an excellent step dancer. Although he was a regionally popular musician, Duguay's recordings were limited to the two discs he cut for the Vox label (owned by the newspaper L' Action Catholique) in 1945, He was also a guest on a few radio broadcasts such as Les Soirées Canadiennes.