At the age of 74, Leonardo Favio, who was considered one of Argentina’s best film directors, singers, and songwriters died. He was one of the fan’s favorites during his time especially during the 1960s and 1970s when he was well known as a Latin American singer.
Known for his hit songs, Chiquillada and La Cita, Favio also had a stellar career as an actor before he became a director. Due to the good quality of films he made, he stood out and enjoyed great popularity.
The filmmaker married his first wife, Maria Vaner an actress in 1967 and it ended in 1973. Until his demise, he was married to Carola Leyton.
Leonardo Favio’s Early Life
The singer was born to a Syrian-Lebanese family on May 28 1938 in Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza) and was named Fuad Jorge Jury. His parents were Jorge Jury Atrach and Manuela Olivera. He was raised by his mother who was known as a writer with radio theatres.
He is the brother of the writer and director Jorge Zuhair Jury. He grew up with his family in the North-West province of Mendoza.
How Did the Singer Die?
According to reports, the famous filmmaker died after a series of illnesses on November 5 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina, at 74. In his later years, he reportedly suffered poor health.
Some sources claim the singer suffered from polyneuritis for several years and it made it difficult for him to move his body. However, there are other sources that claimed he died of pneumonia and Hepatitis.
Some of His Best Songs
From 1960 to 1970, Favio established his career in music as one of the greatest Latin Americans and he was loved for it. He would be forever remembered for some of his best hit songs. Most of his songs have been from Spanish to over 14 languages today. Here are a few:
He was Married Twice
In 1967, Leonardo met and married his fellow actress Maria Varner but the marriage was reportedly short-lived. The actors gave welcomed two children, Leonardo Fury, and before the marriage ended.
Maria appeared in some of Favio’s works like El Romance del Anieceto y la Francisca. She is also well known for her role in Los Jovenes Viejos and Ancieto in the 1960s. The actress would later die in 2008.
Following his divorce, he was later allegedly romantically involved with another actress Carola Leyton. The pair first met at the Florida Jockey Club. Although the year they married is not available, she was recognized as his only wife when he passed.
Carola reportedly lived with the singer for almost 26 years before marrying him. They had two children as well: Maria Salome and Nicolas Favio. However, the exact number of children the singer had has been disputed. While others claim he had just two children, there are sources that believe he had not less than four children
Take a Look at Other Interesting Facts about Leonardo Favio
1. Leonardo Favio Spent 11 Years in Exile Due to His Involvement with Peronism
Leonardo Favio was said to be a loyal follower and supporter of the former Argentine leader, Juan Domingo Peron. Due to his involvement with the leader, he had to go into exile when the military staged a coup against the leader in 1976.
He fled Argentina and lived abroad for 11 years and in 1996, he made a documentary about Juan Domingo Peron entitled Peron Sinfonia del Sentimiento.
Upon his return, he gained so much popularity among several Argentine film critics, and in 2010, the Peronist-oriented president Cristina Kirchner gave him an appointment as the Ambassador of culture.
2. He Shared a Very Close Bond with His Brother
Jorge Zuhair Jury is the older brother of the singer. Jorge is also a filmmaker and a screenwriter. The brothers have both worked as a director. Jorge credits his brother for the success of most of his scripts. He added that Favio helped him magnify his stories with his ideologies.
Read Also: Jorge Falcon- Bio, Best Songs And Albums, Net Worth, 5 Fast Facts
3. One of His Children Took after Him
According to reports, Nico Jury is a composer. He is one of the two children the Argentine actor had with his first wife Maria. Although there is very little information about him, he seems to have a YouTube channel.
Just like his father, Nico’s mother was an accomplished actress before she passed in 2008. She also followed the footsteps of her parents, Pedro Aleandro and Maria Luisa Robledo. Indeed he was born into an entertaining family.
4. The Singer Received Quite a Number of Awards for his Achievements
Here are some of the awards the singer cum director won during his lifestyle.
5. Leonardo Favio Spent His Later Years as an Ambassador
On 9 October 2010, Leonardo Favio was made Argentina’s Ambassador of Culture by the national decree of president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
