In 1942, she recorded her first hit, Y’a pas de cerises en Alaska, and began an extensive tour with the Jean Grimaldi Troupe that introduced her music not only to Quebec, but also to New England, New Brunswick and New York City. Everywhere she performed, Muriel Millard won over her audience with her impersonations of French music hall stars such as Josephine Baker, Mistinguett, and Mireille and Lucienne Boyer.
Her inducted song Dans nos vieilles maisons so closely reflects Quebec’s old-fashioned evenings and Christmas gatherings that many people think it is a traditional folk song, even though it was written in 1960 and first performed in 1961 by Millard as part of Radio Canada’s International Radio Competition. The songs presented in the contest were performed without mention of the songwriters’ names so as not to influence the judges. Millard performed three pieces, winning with Dans ma calèche, but the song that stayed on as a popular favourite was Dans nos vieilles maisons.
Muriel Millard won the Best Popular Singer Award of the Gala de la Radio-télévision de Montréal in 1960 and 1961.
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