Born in Sainte-Foy in 1961 to Québécois parents, Jean Leclerc grew up in Africa, more precisely in Togo and Algeria. The culture and way of life of his host country had an important influence on him and influenced many of his songs.
He learned to play guitar by listening to the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. He was also influenced by colorful French music icons such as Jacques Dutronc, Jacques Higelin, Serge Gainsbourg and Michel Polnareff.
He returned to Quebec in 1976, and appeared on the music scene in the 1980s. In 1983, he was noticed at the Festival international de la chanson de Granby and participated in the rock opera Starmania in 1986. However, he quickly distanced himself from the latter because of its "clean" character. Opting for the stage name of Jean Leloup (nicknamed John the Wolf by fans and by himself), he appeared on stage in Montreal in the late 1980s. From the beginning of his career, he made waves with his provocative lyrics--in his song "1990", he compares the high-tech actions of Desert Storm to his sexual activities with his girlfriend.

Return to Jean Leloup Autograph Profile