Félix Leclerc

Félix Leclerc was an influential Québécois folk singer, poet, writer, actor, and political activist. Born on August 2 in La Tuque, Quebec, he was the sixth child among eleven siblings. Between 1934 and 1937, he worked as a radio announcer in Quebec City and Trois-Rivières. By 1939, he was a writer for Radio-Canada in Montreal, where he developed scripts for radio dramas and performed his early songs. His career took a significant turn in 1950 when Paris impresario Jacques Canetti discovered him, leading to a recording contract with Polydor Records. In 1951, he released his first album, Chante ses derniers succès sur disques. Several years later, his second album, Félix Leclerc chante (1957), was released and received the Académie Charles-Cros' top award in 1958. He went on to release albums such as Le Roi Heureux (1962) and Mes Longs Voyages (1968), among many others. Félix Leclerc's contributions were further recognized when he was awarded the Order of Canada in 1971, the National Order of Quebec in 1985, and was made a Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur in 1986. A strong voice for Quebec nationalism, he revitalized the Quebec folk song tradition. His legacy includes the Félix Awards, which honor Quebec recording artists, and various places in Quebec named in his honor. In 2006, he was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for his songs "Moi, mes souliers," "Le P'tit Bonheur," and "Le Tour de l'île."

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.