9: 00 a. m. ET — Fans, collaborators and the small team behind his vineyard will lose a year of new concerts and contractual work as Mario Pelchat announces a yearlong sabbatical to focus on his health and life changes, the singer said in interviews with 7 Jours and on Tout peut arriver.
Mario Pelchat’s audience and partners face a pause in performances and new deals
Mario Pelchat will not accept new professional engagements for the coming year, ending live-performance plans and major projects while he steps back to recover. He has said finishing his contract on La Voix felt like climbing an “Everest, ” and that he is unable to sing or even speak normally because of unexplained breathlessness. For fans, that means no new touring commitments; for venues and collaborators, it means cancelled or postponed negotiations until his sabbatical ends.
Legal fight with the CPTAQ and near-$40, 000 legal bill intensified Pelchat’s decision
The stress of a prolonged dispute with the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ) over permission to present shows at his vineyard contributed directly to Mario Pelchat’s choice to stop. He said legal fees approached $40, 000, on top of lost income and the toll on his health. While he considered continuing the fight, he ultimately informed his lawyer — while in Guadeloupe — that he was stepping away from the battle to breathe and regroup.
Personal losses, therapy, lifestyle changes and plans around Duos de mes 60 ans
Pelchat has tied his symptoms to several recent bereavements: the deaths of both his parents and the mother of Claire, who lived with them. He also cites the pandemic and financial strain as compounding factors. Medical exams found nothing physically abnormal, so he began therapy to address what might be causing his breathing difficulties. He has made concrete lifestyle shifts: hiring a trainer, following a nutrition plan and cutting alcohol. During the sabbatical his most recent album, Duos de mes 60 ans, will be released digitally, and he plans limited public appearances at Jean Coutu stores that do not require him to sing.
Still, he has started an organizational overhaul at home and work, sorting papers, affairs and his office as part of what he calls a “grand ménage” to reset priorities. He has expressed a desire to write more personally; one goal is to create an album written entirely by him, a project he sees as a way to refocus on essentials and regain balance.
Yet, the immediate practical effect is clear: Mario Pelchat will give himself time away from major professional obligations. He describes this as one of the largest breaks in his career and says he needs the space to heal physically and emotionally.
For now, Pelchat will still meet the public in select, low-demand settings tied to his record release, which he says energize him without forcing him to perform. He also plans to emphasize viticulture and related offerings, exploring wines, products and tastings at his vineyard as part of a different public-facing approach during the year off.
What would change this outcome is a clear medical diagnosis or a resolution of the CPTAQ dispute that reduced immediate financial and emotional strain; if he receives definitive medical clearance, he could consider returning to performance sooner.
