Belle Dalida b/w 18 Ans

Les Héritiers were a Granby-based rock group active in the mid-1960s, part of Québec’s first wave of francophone pop-rock. Originally formed in 1964 under the name Les Venthols, they soon rebranded as Les Héritiers with a lineup that included Michel Déragon (vocals), Jean “Johnny” Gravel (guitar), Réal Perreault (guitar), André Thibodeau (bass), and Roger Belval (drums), later joined by Yves Caron (organ). Both Belval and Gravel would later find wider recognition in the legendary band Offenbach.

They released two singles during their short career. The first, “Belle Dalida” b/w “18 ans” (Télédisc TD-17, 1966), was produced by Denis Pantis and stands as a lively example of yé-yé rock from the period. Their second, “Ma calèche” b/w “Jamais je n’oublierai” (Sonore S-8005, 1967), produced by François Carel, pushed further into original songwriting, with Déragon himself credited on the B-side.

Though their recording legacy is brief, Les Héritiers capture the energy of Québec’s 1960s youth movement—bridging dance-hall rock & roll with the growing ambition of homegrown chanson-rock.
-Robert Williston

Roger Belval: drums
Michel Deragon: vocals
Jean “Johnny” Gravel: guitar
Réal Perreault: guitar
André Thibodeau: bass

Produced by Denis Pantis
Written by D’Aragon
Published by Éditions Densta Music
Distributed by Trans-Canada