Lenny Kuhr

Biography

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×De Troubadour1998 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1De troubadour2Geef mij een lied3’t Winkeltje4Geen eeuwig gouden bergen5Eiland in de storm6De oude harmonicaspeler7De staking van de dichters8De ballade van Li‐Po9In de ogen van de nacht10De straten11Voorbij12De vogels13De zomer achterna14Sterren15Ga met me mee16Kom liefste geef me je hand".

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×De Troubadour1998 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1De troubadour2Geef mij een lied3’t Winkeltje4Geen eeuwig gouden bergen5Eiland in de storm6De oude harmonicaspeler7De staking van de dichters8De ballade van Li‐Po9In de ogen van de nacht10De straten11Voorbij12De vogels13De zomer achterna14Sterren15Ga met me mee16Kom liefste geef me je hand" (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.