Félix Leclerc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Félix Leclerc
Félix Leclerc (July 1957)
Background information
Born	(1914-08-02)August 2, 1914 La Tuque, Quebec, Canada
Origin	Quebec City, Quebec
Died	August 8, 1988(1988-08-08) (aged 74) Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Quebec, Canada
Labels	Polydor, Philips

Félix Leclerc (born August 2, 1914 – died August 8, 1988) was a famous Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, writer, and actor. He was also known for his strong support of Québec culture and identity. He received many important awards, like being made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1968. After he passed away, he was honored in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 for his popular songs "Moi, mes souliers", "Le P'tit Bonheur", and "Le Tour de l'île".

Félix Leclerc's Story

Félix Leclerc was born in La Tuque, Quebec, Canada, in 1914. He was the sixth of eleven children in his family. He started studying at the University of Ottawa, but he had to stop because of a tough economic time called the Great Depression.

Félix Leclerc worked at different jobs before he became a radio announcer. He worked in Québec City and Trois-Rivières from 1934 to 1937. In 1939, he started working as a writer for Radio-Canada in Montréal. There, he wrote stories for radio shows and even performed some of his first songs. He also acted in many radio dramas. Later, he published some of his writings and started a theater company. This company performed plays all over Québec.

In 1950, a talent manager from Paris, Jacques Canetti, discovered Félix. Félix performed in France and became very successful. He signed a music contract with Polydor Records. He came back to Québec in 1953. In 1958, he won a top award in France for his second music album. He continued to receive many honors throughout his life. These included the Order of Canada in 1971, the National Order of Québec, and the French Légion d'honneur in 1986.

Félix Leclerc had three children. His son Martin became a photographer and cameraman. Another son, Francis Leclerc, became a film director. His daughter, Nathalie Leclerc, now manages the Félix-Leclerc museum and foundation.

Félix Leclerc passed away peacefully in his sleep in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, in 1988. A special monument was built there in his memory in 1989. There is also a museum in Vaudreuil-Dorion, near Montréal, in a house where he used to live.

Félix Leclerc was very important for Québec's folk music. He helped bring back and make popular the "chanson" (song) tradition. He also strongly supported the idea of Québec having its own unique identity and culture.

Many places in Québec are named after him, like parks, roads, and schools. The Félix Awards, which are given to music artists in Québec, are also named in his honor. In 2000, the Canadian government even put his picture on a postage stamp.

His book, Pieds nus dans l'aube (which means 'Barefoot at Dawn'), tells a story that is partly about his own life. His son, Francis Leclerc, made it into a movie in 2017 called Barefoot at Dawn.

Félix Leclerc's Music Albums

• Chante ses derniers succès sur disques (1951)
• Félix Leclerc chante (1957)
• Félix Leclerc et sa guitare (1958)
• Félix Leclerc et sa guitare Vol. 2 (1959)
• Félix Leclerc et sa guitare Vol. 3 (1959)
• Le roi heureux (1962)
• Félix Leclerc (1964)
• Mes premières chansons (1964)
• Moi mes chansons (1966)
• La vie (1967)
• L'héritage (1968)
• Mes Longs Voyages (1968)
• Félix Leclerc dit pieds nus dans l'aube (1969)
• J'inviterai l'enfance (1969)
• L'alouette en colère (1972)
• Le tour de l'île (1975)
• Mon fils (1978)
• Le bal (1979)
• Mouillures (1979)
• Prière bohémienne (1979)
• La légende du petit ours gris (1979)

Félix Leclerc's Books and Writings

• Adagio (tales, 1943)
• Allegro (fables, 1944)
• Andante (poems, 1944)
• Pieds nus dans l'aube (novel, 1946)
• Dialogue d'hommes et de bêtes (theater, 1949)
• Le hamac dans les voiles (anthology, 1952)
• Moi, mes souliers (autobiography, 1955)
• Le fou de l'île (novel, 1958)
• Le calepin d'un flâneur (short texts, 1961)
• L'auberge des morts subites (theater, 1963)
• Chansons pour tes yeux (poems, 1968)
• Cent chansons (songs, 1970)
• Carcajou ou le diable des bois (novel, 1973)
• Qui est le père? (theater, 1977)
• Le petit livre bleu de Félix ou Le nouveau calepin du même flâneur (short texts, 1978)
• Rêves à vendre (poems, 1978)
• Le dernier calepin (short texts, 1988)

See also