with Marcel Hurten, and has been described as "eternal" and "written with intensity by Vilard". Following the success of Capri c'est fini, French newsmagazine France Dimanche offered the singer a deal under which the magazine would help him find his mother. In return, Hervé Vilard gave the magazine exclusive rights to the interviews and the press coverage that would follow a successful reunion. After Vilard accepted the offer, France Dimanche launched a publicity campaign which eventually resulted in Vilard reuniting with his mother. At the same time, the sales of France Dimanche increased substantially. His mother died in 1981. Building on the success of Capri c'est fini Vilard released two more hits Mourir ou vivre and Fais-la rire which establish him as a successful artist. In 1966, he became the opening act for Claude François, with whom he later went on a European and world tour. After some time, disagreements arose between Vilard and François and their co-operation ended. International success From 1967 to 1969, he embarked on a tour of South America where he met with success. He went back to France between 1969 and 1970 and subsequently left again to take up residence in Buenos Aires until his successful come back to France in 1978. He met with great success in Latin America, including Mexico where he was under a contract. Beyond Latin America, his records become hits in Korea, Turkey, and Japan. He also played to sold-out concerts at the Palais de Sport in Oran, Algeria in 1966. France In 1978, his single Nous became a hit in France, selling 2 million records. On 31 December 1979, he appeared for the first time at L'Olympia where he starred in a variety show which became very successful. In the summer of 1980 his hit single Reviens sold 1 million copies. During this period, he combined his studio work with tours across France, and in 1984, 1985 and 1987, he produced the hit albums Ensemble, Les Chansons que j'aime and P'tit brun, forming a chain of 1980s album hits. His tours also included performances for charity and appearances at orphanages. In the early 1990s, Vilard produced L'Amour défendu and also appeared at the L'Olympia again. In 1992, he received the Ordre national du Mérite in a special ceremony at the Parisian Théâtre des Variétés hosted by Jean-Paul Belmondo. In 2004, the Berry region honoured Villard by officially naming a