Michael Burgess, (July 22, 1945 – September 28, 2015) was a Canadian actor and tenor singer, best known for his portrayal of

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

in the Toronto production of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' and was the former anthem singer of the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

Early life and career

Burgess was born in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city populatio ...

; his early musical training included education at Toronto's

St. Michael's Choir School St. Michael's Choir School (also known as SMCS, The Choir School, or St. Mike's Choir) is a semi-Independent school, private Catholic Church, Catholic Cathedral school, choir school for boys from Educational stage, grades 3-12 in Toronto, Ontario, ...

. He studied at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...

. Burgess appeared as one of the 17 Jean Valjeans at the end of the '' Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert''. His other major performances include '' Man of La Mancha'', '' Blood Brothers'', and starring roles throughout Canada and the United States. He is also known in Canada for his frequent vocal performances of national anthems; he was the first individual to sing "

O Canada "O Canada" (french: Ô Canada, italic=no) is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony; Calixa Lavallée composed the mus ...

" at the baseball World Series, in Atlanta in 1992. In 2013, he was made a Member of the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official Award, honour in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the A ...

Personal life and death

He married fellow ''Les Misérables'' performer Susan Gilmour on October 8, 1994. He also has a son Jesse Burgess from a previous relationship. Burgess died in a hospice in Toronto on September 28, 2015, from skin cancer. He was 70.

References

External links

*
Michael Burgess article at The Canadian Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgess, Michael 1945 births 2015 deaths Canadian male singers Canadian pop singers Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Canadian people of Scottish descent Members of the Order of Ontario Musicians from Regina, Saskatchewan Male actors from Regina, Saskatchewan Deaths from cancer in Ontario