Originally from Sherbrooke, René Veilleux learned the accordion in a musical family. In 1977, he joined the dance troupe Les Cantonniers de Sherbrooke as an accordionist, the official troupe of the Festival des Cantons, founded by Louis Bilodeau. In 1978, he became part of the group Matante Alys, touring Québec, Canada, the U.S., and Europe with violinists Daniel and Jean-François Lemieux and guitarist-singer Bernard Simard. From 1992 to 2002, René performed with La Veillée Est Jeune, recording four albums. Since 2002, he has focused on his career as a chef.