{{Short description|French impressionist and humorist}} {{cleanup rewrite|date=December 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{infobox person | name = Thierry Le Luron | image = Thierry Le Luron.jpg | caption = Thierry Le Luron (1980) | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1952|04|02}} | birth_place = Paris, France | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1986|11|13|1952|04|02}} | death_place = [[Boulogne-Billancourt]], France | occupation = Impersonator, comedian, singer | mother = | father = }}
'''Thierry Le Luron''' ({{IPA|fr|tjɛʁi ləlyˈʁɔ̃}}; 2 April 1952 – 13 November 1986) was a French [[impressionist (entertainment)|impressionist]] and comedian.<ref>{{cite web| title=A Pioneering Artist| work=Aubonsketch (in French)| url=http://aubonsketch.ifrance.com/leluron.htm| accessdate=5 January 2010| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106223230/http://aubonsketch.ifrance.com/leluron.htm| archivedate=6 January 2010| df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[File:ThierryLeLuronLeMeilleurDVDCover.jpg|200px|right|thumb|French DVD cover for a Thierry Le Luron compilation.]]
== Early life == Born in [[Paris]], [[France]], to Francis Le Luron (1926–2012) and Huguette Gousserey (1922–2009).
==Career== ===Debut=== In 1969, when Thierry Le Luron was a 17-year-old student at the [[:fr:Lycée Emmanuel-Mounier|Lycée Emmanuel-Mounier]] in [[Châtenay-Malabry]], he and his friends created a band called "Les rats crevés" ("The Dead Rats") and performed a few gigs in the [[Hauts-de-Seine]] region. The band debuted in several Parisian cabarets, including [[L'Echelle de Jacob]]. Le Luron was featured on 4 January 1970 on the [[game show]] "Le jeu de la chance," a segment of the TV show ''[[Télé Dimanche]]''. He won six consecutive times, first singing classic tunes before choosing to devote himself to imitation. He performed his first sketches on the same program, including the 1 February 1970 (imitation [[Salvatore Adamo|Adamo]]) and 15 February 1970 editions, even on the anniversary of [[Jean Nohain]], when he sang for [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]] [[Jacques Chaban-Delmas]] and [[Jean Nohain]].
In 1971, Le Luron released his first album, ''Le Ministère patraque'' ("The Ministry out of sorts"), which became very popular. He gave his first performance as an actor in [[Bobino]] between February and March 1972 and opened for the [[Claude François]] tour in the summer of 1972.
===Success=== From November 1972 to July 1973, Le Luron hosted his first show, "Le Luron du dimanche" ("Le Luron on Sunday"), on the first channel of [[ORTF]]. It was created the same year as his new show was premiered at the [[Théâtre des Variétés]].
Thierry Le Luron performed every evening with some of his friends, his last acts were poignant. The band "Le Luron" included [[Jacques Collard]], [[Jacques Pessis]], [[Pierre Guillermo]], [[Francis Diwo]], [[Luc Fournol]], and [[Bernard Mabille]]. The portraits, sketches and imitations were refined and gave birth to very elaborate performances at the [[Olympia (Paris)|Olympia]] (December 1976), [[Bobino]] (February-April 1978), [[Théâtre Marigny]] (October 1979 – June 1980), ''Thierry Fééries'' at the [[Palais des congrès de Paris]] (November 1980 – January 1981), ''De [[Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]] à [[François Mitterrand|Mitterrand]]'' at the [[Théâtre Marigny]] (January- December 1983), and ''Le Luron en liberté'' at the [[Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell]] (November 1984 – March 1986).
The last show attracted about 400,000 viewers. He then worked mainly with Bernard Mabille and created the character of Adolphe Benito Glandu, caretaker at 22 Rue de Bièvre, a "fairly extensive caricature of the average Frenchperson: an individual with no particular equities, influenced by calamities, and that defines Le Luron: Petainist under [[Pétain]], Mendesist under [[Mendès France]], and Socialist May 10 to 11!".
He also pursued an intense activity on television and radio: ''[[Chat en poche]]'' by [[Georges Feydeau]] as part of the TV show ''Au théâtre ce soir'' (released 24 October 1975) and ''Numéro 1'' by [[Maritie]] and [[Gilbert Carpentier]] (March 1976 and June 1979). From 1978 to 1979, he hosted a weekly show, ''Les Parasites sur l'antenne'', on [[France Inter]] including [[Pierre Desproges]], [[Lawrence Riesner]], [[Bernard Mabille]] and [[Evelyne Grandjean]] as columnists. In 1981, he recorded the theme song of the animated television series ''[[Rody le petit Cid]]''.
Thierry Le Luron later imitated [[Gilbert Bécaud]] on the TV show ''[[Champs-Elysees]]'' on 10 November 1984, singing and making the public sing along a song titled "L'emmerdant, c'est la rose" ("The rose is what's annoying", a parody of Bécaud's ''[[L'important c'est la rose]]''), with the rose being the symbol of the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] dedicating this song to President [[François Mitterrand]].
On 25 September 1985, he "married" [[Coluche]] "for better or for laughter" ("pour le meilleur ou pour le rire," a pun on the phrase "pour le meilleur ou pour le pire") to great fanfare in [[Montmartre]]. A few weeks later his "son," played by [[Carlos (singer)|Carlos]] was born. Le Luron said: "I wanted Coluche to be dressed by [[Pierre Cardin]]. But...for [[Yves Mourousi|Mourousi]]'s marriage, he has to make both dresses". This statement, and the false marriage itself, are often interpreted as a public act of vengeance, especially by Le Luron's friends, as most of the attention was focused on Coluche, although the press commended both of them for their outspokenness.
==Death and legacy== Le Luron was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 34, and cancelled his scheduled appearances in December 1985. He died on 13 November 1986.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100106223230/http://aubonsketch.ifrance.com/leluron.htm Biography] (in French)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Luron, Thierry}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:1986 deaths]] [[Category:French comedy musicians]] [[Category:Parody musicians]] [[Category:French satirical musicians]] [[Category:French parodists]] [[Category:French LGBTQ musicians]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in France]] [[Category:20th-century French comedians]] [[Category:20th-century French male singers]] [[Category:French impressionists (entertainers)]] [[Category:20th-century French male writers]] [[Category:20th-century French LGBTQ people]] [[Category:Comedians from Paris]]