![[Trending News] Singer Herbert Léonard, performer of “for pleasure”, died](https://i0.wp.com/img.lemde.fr/2025/03/02/0/25/5955/3970/1440/960/60/0/6fd03f8_sirius-fs-upload-1-bb2kd7vhwe2w-1740951059903-grk6982476.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "[Trending News] Singer Herbert Léonard, performer of “for pleasure”, died")
It was one of the most disseminated songs in the spring of 1981, For fun. His interpreter, singer Herbert Léonard, died on Sunday March 2, at 80 years old from lung cancer at Fontainebleau hospital (Seine-et-Marne), his wife announced, Cléo Léonard.
In his warm and full voice, he claims, in this title, optimism (smile, dream, “Take life on the right side”…) Then the regret in love, on a text co-signed by Vline-Buggy-which wrote many hits for Claude François-and by Claude Carmone, on music by Julien Lepers, a composer in his spare time, in parallel to his profession as a host on radio or television.
Another great success for Herbert Léonard, the song Power and glory, in the credits of the television soap opera Châteauvallon Broadcast in the first half of 1985 on Antenna 2 (today France 2). Again a text by Vline-Buggy (“Power and glory/in troubled water with a look/adventure and passion/around Chateauvallon”) on music by Vladimir Cosma.
At the time of this double, Herbert Léonard is not really a newcomer, but his career started a good fifteen years ago is rather in a sawtooth.
Léonard is starting to play with groups that animate the balls
Born February 25, 1945, in Strasbourg, Herbert Léonard, his real name Hubert Loenhard, is from a working environment – he writes in a biography posted on his website “My father was a garbage man and my mother was” housewife “”. He is a good student, except in mathematics he specifies, but a moped accident prevents him from spending a diploma of technical and industrial drawing and continuing his studies.
He discovered rock, learned the basics of the guitar and around the age of 16 begins to play with local groups that animate the balls. At the end of 1965, professional advanced, he joined the Lionceaux, founded in Reims (Marne) in 1961. After the separation of the group, at the end of 1966, he recorded under his artist name Herbert Léonard adaptations of American success, and some originals grouped in a first album published in 1967, If I only loved you. On the back of the cover is roughly the word “soul”, which gives an indication of the content of the album.
It is with Something holds my heart, In 1968, adaptation of Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart, Success of the American Geneston, whom Herbert Léonard will know his first recognition.
In March 1970, he had a serious car accident. After a long convalescence, he can resume his job but he has already been forgotten. Three steps in silence, An album rather rock-pop-psycho composed in collaboration with Gérard Manset and unveiled at the end of 1971, is today highly sought after by collectors.
Until 1977, Léonard recorded several 45-tours, including, in 1973, a song written by Vline-Buggy, Under a sky of fire, For the television series Doctor Caribbean (With Louis Velle and Jess Hahn). Passionate about aeronautics, he became an editor for a specialized magazine and will regularly continue to write books on the war aircraft of the first half of the XXe century, especially German and Soviets.
Vline-Buggy will convince Herbert Leonard to return to the song after having made him meet Julien Lepers who presents him some compositions of which For fun. The 45-tours marketed in May 1981 is at the top of the best sales until mid-July and it opened face B of the 33-tours of ten songs that comes out at the same time.
The Vline-Buggy/Lepers combination still on the front line
Variety shows Herbert Léonard, who finds the scene, tours. The Vline-Buggy/Lepers combination is still on the front line for the album It makes you want to love, in 1982, which also experienced very good sales figures such as Crazy loverNew creation Vline-Buggy/Lepers, Duo de Leonard with singer Julie Pietri. Apart from the parenthesis Châteauvallon, Herbert Leonard, Vline-Buggy and Lepers worked together until the late 1980s.
From the 1990s, Herbert Léonard continued to record albums, in parallel with the publication of compilations, gave concerts by highlighting the repertoire of his “Golden Age”, participated in nostalgic tours with several interpreters from the 1980s.
In 2016, a double CD entitled Update and subtitled “50 years of career” is published with new orchestrations of its successes, duos and some unpublished.
In 2017, a pulmonary embolism requires that it be put in artificial coma for a month. It is also seriously affected by the COVVI-19. At the end of May 2023 he must again be hospitalized for an infection which led him to treatment in a specialized establishment. On his website, he wrote in July 2023: “In mid-October, everything should be better and I can resume” real life … normal “”.
Herbert Léonard in dates
February 25, 1945 Birth in Strasbourg
1967 Premier album, If I only loved you
1971 Three steps out in silence, a collaboration with Gérard Manset
May 1981 Song success For pleasure
2016 Release of his double album Update Subtitled “50 years of career”
2 mars 2025 Died in Fontainebleau, at 80 years old