In 1992, in recognition of his contributions to French culture, he was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite in a ceremony at the Parisian Théâtre des Variétés hosted by Jean-Paul Belmondo.

[2][4] Eventually young René left La Celette for Paris where he met Daniel Cordier, a former member of the French Resistance and Art dealer who later adopted him in 1962.

[2] His first single Capri c'est fini was released in June 1965 under the Mercury label and instantly became a hit both in France and abroad selling 3.3 million copies and making Hervé Vilard a household name overnight.

[6] 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.

In 1992, he received the Ordre national du Mérite in a special ceremony at the Parisian Théâtre des Variétés hosted by Jean-Paul Belmondo.

The same year his compilation CD Cri du coeur, which includes lyrics from the works of Marguerite Duras, Aragon, Brecht, Pablo Neruda and other writers and poets, marked a departure from his usual entertainment-oriented style and gave him wide recognition among France's literati.

[2] He declared, in Paris Match magazine, that same year, he noticed former nazi officer, Klaus Barbie, had attended one his concerts in Bolivia, that helped arrest him to deport him to France for trial.

[8] In 2006, he wrote an autobiography L'âme seule followed a year later by Le Bal des papillons, recounting in both books his experiences from humble origins to stardom and the relationship he developed with his mother after he found her.