Chestnut Hill resident Lucie Daigle, who has played dozens of times at Paris Bistro and Mermaid Inn, will be back at the Mermaid performing her French magic on Friday, May 10, 8:30 p.m.

by Len Lear

Chestnut Hill’s multi-talented French-Canadian chanteuse Lucie Daigle, who will perform Friday, May 10, 8:30 p.m., at Mermaid Inn, is a virtual Eiffel Tower to her countless local fans, having performed about 25 mostly sold out shows over two and a half years at Paris Bistro and perhaps as many as 50 times over 25 years (she has lost count) at the Mermaid Inn, but she insists honestly and humbly, “We are grateful for every opportunity to play.”

In addition to being a smoking volcano of talent as a vocalist, pianist and guitarist, Daigle has been a psychiatric nurse, a college professor at Laval University in Quebec, a high school French teacher at Mount St. Joseph's Academy in Flourtown, and she ran her own translation agency with mostly medical and legal clients. In recent times, she has also become a fitness professional who works as a group fitness instructor at two different venues and as an in-home personal trainer for women. When asked her age, she replied, “I am old enough to drink responsibly.”

If there is a sunnier disposition than Daigle's, an FBI investigation would have to be launched to find it.

“We moved to Chestnut Hill over three years ago,” she said last week, “but while living in Mt. Airy and then in Flourtown during our child-raising years, we kept gravitating to the Hill and ended up developing life-long friendships, happy memories and a desire to live in Chestnut Hill some day. We are definitely happy campers!

“My husband, bass-player Richard Tuttle, and I have always enjoyed playing music together and still do so with a few different bands ... When we have a little more time to ourselves, we plan on learning chamber music duets that Richard will play on his newly acquired cello and I on my classical guitar.”

Daigle, who has identified with female singer-songwriters since she was 8 years old, memorizing tunes and singing them on the swing set, long ago created a “Women’s Songbook” that includes songs from icons like Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Christie McVie, Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, Carole King, Aretha Franklin, Peggy Lee and Joni Mitchell, although recently she has been playing more jazz songs and French tunes. (But if she could meet anyone from the past, it would be Josephine Baker. “She was an incredibly brave, driven and capable woman, as well as a phenomenal performer, splendid singer and fantastic dancer!”)

Born in French Quebec City, (her ancestors settled there in the 1600s), this 7th generation daughter of an orthopedic surgeon and operating room nurse was educated at the Convent de Notre Dame in Levis, a city across the river from Quebec. "My great grandmother went to Notre Dame, as did my grandmother, my mother, my sister, my daughter and my two nieces."

Daigle had a few years of classical piano lessons as a child but no voice lessons and taught herself to play the guitar by ear. Later as an adult, she took a few lessons when she needed to “unlock” a new door and expand her horizons, “thanks to my friends and mentors Ellyn Hill and Richard Drueding.”

In addition to Paris Bistro and Mermaid Inn, Daigle has performed locally at World Café Live, Four Seasons Hotel, Union League, Jarrettown Inn, Tin Angel, The Main Point, Brittingham’s, Halligan’s Pub, Bocce and Venetian Clubs, Sorella Rose, country clubs, church halls, etc.

But Daigle's most memorable performance was when Bruce Springsteen’s drummer, Max Weinberg, “sat in with us near the end of our regular Friday night gig at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown. He showed up after a Springsteen concert at the Linc. We were already having a great night with many attendees, but his presence, energy and fabulous musicianship took us all to another level, and soon the whole house was rocking like never before. The magic of music!!!”

Since 2017, Daigle and her band have played at Paris Bistro for Bastille Day in July, the French Independence Day. “What can I say but ‘pour nous c’est merveilleux,’” she said. “A perfect fit!”

In 2011, Chestnut Hill freelance writer Sabina Clarke wrote in the Local, “Several years ago, I was stopped in my tracks listening to Lucie sing 'La Vie En Rose' on stage at Philadelphia International Airport while a passing stewardess sat down, overcome with tears, so moved was she by Lucie’s performance.”

Prior to 2011, Daigle was the voice fronting 6-Pack, a popular rock cover band.

Daigle is also a passionate dog lover (greyhounds, not French poodles).

“For many years,” she said, “we walked daily with our dogs on Forbidden Drive in Fairmount Park and became recognizable by our greyhounds Ella and Billie, so much so that some of the regular walkers and joggers are still giving us a puzzled look when they see the two of us walking unaccompanied by beautiful greyhounds … but we are planning on adding a greyhound to our family in the fall.”

Daigle’s daughter, Catherine Tuttle, 32, is also an accomplished singer whose debut album, “Peel,” was released in 2003 when she was a junior at Mount St. Joseph High School in Flourtown.

More details about Daigle's May 10 performance at 215-247-9797. Sabina Clarke also contributed to this article. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com