Les Colocs

(Born: 1962; died: 11 May 2000)

Quebec singer Dede Fortin’s death ruled a suicide
MONTREAL – A Montreal coroner has confirmed that Quebec singer Andre Dede Fortin died from a self-inflicted wound. Fortin, 38, was found in his Montreal home Wednesday with stab wounds to his chest. Fortin, known as Dede to his friends and fans, was a songwriter and the lead singer of the group Les Colocs. He was expected at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Friends worried after he didn’t show up and went to his apartment to look for him. Finding the door locked and no answer from inside, they went in through an open window and discovered Fortin’s body. Les Colocs won the Felix, Quebec’s equivalent to the Juno awards, for rock album of the year in 1998. Fortin’s writing helped the group earn its reputation as one of the most original voices in Quebecois song through the 1990s. The singer-songwriter was born in St-Thomas Didyme, Que. He grew up in a family of 11 children. Late Wednesday, the official Internet site of Les Colocs carried a black page with a picture of Fortin and the message: “Dede has decided to leave, May 10, 2000.”
—Les Annees 1992-1995 (Enhanced)~Amazon