Biography: Samuel Gesser was born on January 7, 1930. He grew up in the Plateau-Mont-Royal district of Montreal. He wrote hundreds of scripts for CBC radio and television. He recorded and produced artists, and promoted concerts. He co-founded French-Canadian fold dance company Les Feux Follets in 1955.

Other Awards: Received the Order of Canada in 1993 for "contributing to Canada's cultural fabric." Honored by the Smithsonian Institution and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.