Lenny Kuhr

Helena Hubertina Johanna "Lenny" Kuhr (born 22 February 1950) is a Dutch singer-songwriter. She was one of the four winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 with the song "De troubadour".

Career

In 1967, she started a singing career in the Netherlands, performing songs in the French chanson tradition. She represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 with her composition "De troubadour" (lyrics by David Hartsema; orchestra conducted by Franz de Kok). She was one of the four winners that year.

In the early 1970s, Kuhr was more successful in France than in her home country. In 1970, she toured with Georges Brassens. Late 1971, she had a top 10 hit in France with "Jesus Christo".

In 1980, she had her biggest hit in the Netherlands: "Visite", a song she performed with the French group Les Poppys. She has been releasing records ever since, though without major chart success.

Lenny Kuhr was one of the artists who recorded the song "Shalom from Holland" (written by Simon Hammelburg and Ron Klipstein) as a token of solidarity with the Israeli people, threatened by missiles from Iraq, during the Gulf War in 1991.

Lenny Kuhr performed "De troubadour" during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, in a segment called "Rock the Roof", together with other Eurovision winners. Kuhr later recorded the song in five additional languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

In March 2024, Kuhr was heckled while on stage by pro-Palestine activists during a concert in Waalwijk. In February 2026, Kuhr announced that she would retire from performing and move to Israel after May.

Personal life In May 1973, Kuhr was assaulted while waiting for a train at Haarlem railway station, suffering a nasal fracture that required surgical repair. The following year, she married the Israeli doctor who had performed the operation and subsequently converted to Judaism. Together they had two daughters before emigrating to Israel in 1980. The marriage ended in divorce just one year later, prompting her return to the Netherlands in 1981.

After her divorce, Kuhr was romantically involved with songwriter Herman Pieter de Boer from 1981 to 1993. She married a second time in 2003.

In October 2023, Kuhr's grandson was injured while serving in the Israeli military during the Gaza war. Kuhr has publicly sympathised with Israel in the context of the war. In 2026, she announced that she and her husband would emigrate to Israel, stating that their decision was motivated by concerns over growing antisemitism in the Netherlands.

Discography 1969: Lenny Kuhr 1971: De zomer achterna 1972: Tout ce que j'aime / Les enfants 1972: De wereld waar ik van droom 1974: God laat ons vrij 1976: 'n Dag als vandaag 1980: Dromentrein 1981: Avonturen 1982: Oog in oog 1983: De beste van Lenny Kuhr (compilation album) 1986: Quo vadis 1988: Lenny Kuhr (compilation album) 1990: Het beste van Lenny Kuhr (compilation album) 1990: De blauwe nacht 1992: Heilig vuur 1994: Altijd heimwee 1997: Gebroken stenen (also released in German as Gebrochene Steine) 1997: Stemmen in de nacht 1999: Oeverloze liefde 2000: Visite (compilation album) 2001: Hollands glorie (compilation album) 2001: Fadista 2004: Op de grens van jou en mij 2005: Panta Rhei 2007: 40 Jaar verliefd (live album) 2010: Hollands glorie (compilation album) 2010: Mijn liedjes mijn leven (CD/DVD boxset) 2011: Liefdeslied 2013: Wie ben je 2017: Gekust door de eeuwigheid 2019: Het lied gaat door 2021: Favorieten Express (compilation album) 2022: Lenny Kuhr