Félix Leclerc was a highly-acclaimed Canadian-French author in the early 1940s, well-known in particular for his trilogy, Adagio, Allegro and Andante. He was a pioneer who opened the way for the concept of “songs with content”, and in fact gave legitimacy to this way of singing which would become so popular in France, in Québec and all across French Canada.
Background
Félix Leclerc was born on August 2, 1914, in La Tuque, Quebec, Canada, the sixth in a family of eleven children. His parents were Leo and Fabiola (Parrot) Leclerc. His affection for life and his love of music was in large part due to the loving, nurturing home environment created by his mother.
Education
Leclerc began his studies at the University of Ottawa but was forced to stop because of the Great Depression.
Leclerc worked at several jobs before becoming a radio announcer in Québec City and Trois-Rivières from 1934 to 1937. In 1939, he began working as a writer at Radio-Canada in Montréal, developing scripts for radio dramas, including Je me souviens. He performed some of his earliest songs there. He also acted in various dramas, including Un Homme et son péché.
In 1950, he was discovered by Paris impresario, Jacques Canetti, and performed in France to great success. He signed a recording contract with Polydor Records. He enjoyed a few successful years in Paris performing and making records, 1950-53. Perhaps the best capsulation of his career, though not necessarily his best work, can be seen in his 1961 Le Calepin d’un flaneur, a casual collection of ruminations which cover a wide range of subjects.
He returned to Québec in 1953. Leclerc exercised his talents as a writer for stage and then television, and he continued to give conceits throughout the region. He was extremely popular, and continued to receive honors and accolades for his work, which he produced through 1980.
He died in his sleep in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Québec, in 1988.
Leclerc was identified with the independence movement in the 1970s.
Views
Leclerc was a strong voice for Québec nationalism.
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
Paul Socken: “Leclerc has embodied and expressed, perhaps more than any other single artist, Quebec’s complex evolution.”
Interests
music, especially playing guitar and singing
Connections
Leclerc married Andree Vien in 1942. He was the father of three children: the photographer and cameraman Martin Leclerc, film director Francis Leclerc and Nathalie Leclerc, general and artistic director of l’Espace Félix-Leclerc and vice-president of the Fondation Félix-Leclerc.