Marie-Carmen Aubut, known professionally as Marie Carmen, is a Canadian pop singer and musical theatre actress from Quebec, celebrated for her powerful vocals and significant contributions to Francophone music in the 1990s.

Rising to fame with her debut album Dans la peau (1988) and the hit single “Piaf chanterait du rock,” she achieved widespread acclaim with her double-platinum album Miel et venin (1992), featuring the chart-topping cover “L’Aigle noir.”

Early Life and Education

Marie-Carmen Aubut was born on August 24, 1959, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada, to parents referred to as Mr. Aubut and Mrs. Aubut, with limited public information about their identities. Details about her siblings are not publicly known. Her passion for performance was sparked in childhood, particularly after hearing Barbara’s “L’Aigle noir” on the radio.

She began exploring theatre in 1976, laying the foundation for her artistic career. Specific details about her formal education are scarce, but she developed her musical and theatrical skills through early band involvement and stage performances. Her ethnicity is French-Canadian, and her religious beliefs are not publicly known.

Career

Marie Carmen began her career in the early 1980s with Quebec bands Accident, Blood et Marie, and The Radio Rats, honing her stage presence and vocal style. She later became a backing vocalist for Claude Dubois and The Box, catching the attention of producer Luc Plamondon, who cast her as Marie-Jeanne in a revival of the rock opera Starmania in the mid-1980s.

This role led to her adopting the stage name Marie Carmen and releasing her debut single, “Piaf chanterait du rock,” in 1987, followed by her first album, Dans la peau (1988), which gained significant traction in Quebec. Her 1988 engagement in the musical revue Vis ta vinaigrette further showcased her versatility.

Her breakthrough came with the 1992 album Miel et venin, produced by Jean-Pierre Isaac, which sold over 270,000 copies in Quebec and topped charts with hits like “L’Aigle noir,” a cover of Barbara’s classic, and “Entre l’ombre et la lumière.” The album earned her two Félix Awards for Female Performer of the Year and a nomination for Album of the Year (Pop-Rock) at the 1992 ADISQ Gala.

After moving to France to play Sadia in another Starmania production in 2000, she released L’Autre (1998), which, despite critical praise for tracks like “J’veux d’la tendresse,” did not match her earlier commercial success. In the early 2000s, she stepped away from music due to media pressure and depression, focusing on humanitarian work in Peru.

Marie Carmen returned to Montreal in 2005, performing benefit concerts to support Peruvian development projects. In 2008, she released Le Diamant, collaborating with artists like Luc De Larochellière and France D’Amour, with the single “Une vie douce” topping Quebec radio charts for six weeks. She joined Star Académie in 2005 and performed in the 2007 musical Let’s Dance at Quebec’s Impérial Bell.

Her 2016 collaboration with Safia Nolin on “Entre l’ombre et la lumière” for Reprises vol. 1 and her 2017 Marie Carmen en concert discret at Montreal’s Le National marked a triumphant return. In 2022, she launched the Pour une histoire d’un soir tour with Joe Bocan and Marie Denise Pelletier, reinforcing her enduring legacy in Quebec’s music scene.

Personal Life

Marie Carmen has been in a relationship with François Jean, a drummer, but she is possibly single at the moment. There is no widely reported information about a spouse or children linked to her.

She is primarily known for her music career and humanitarian work, including a period of retirement to do humanitarian work in Peru in the early 2000s, and a return to music for benefit concerts.

Discography

• Dans la peau (1988)

• Miel et venin (1992)

• L’une (1995)

• L’Autre (1998)

• Le Diamant (2008)

Net Worth

Marie Carmen has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. Her wealth primarily stems from her successful music career in the 1990s, driven by album sales, particularly Miel et venin, as well as her live performances. Her work in musical theatre, including Starmania, and benefit concerts for Peruvian causes, along with royalties from her discography, contribute significantly to her financial success.