Lapointe began his stage career as part of the duo Les Jérolas with Jérôme Lemay, performing in such venues as The Ed Sullivan Show and at the Olympia in Paris.
He launched his solo career in 1974 and performed on stage, albums and in two feature films.
[1] He was also a social activist who campaigned against alcoholism and drug abuse through his Jean Lapointe Foundation.
Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984, he was appointed to the Senate by Jean Chrétien in 2001, where he served as a Liberal until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on December 6, 2010.
[3][4] Jean Lapointe owned the sprinter Diapason whose wins included the 1984 Nearctic Stakes and who was voted the Sovereign Award as that year's Canadian Champion Sprint Horse.