Johnny Hallyday

Jean-Philippe Smet, known as Johnny Hallyday, born on June 15, 1943 in the 9th arrondissement of Paris (Seine) and died on December 5, 2017 in Marnes-la-Coquette (Hauts-de-Seine), was a French singer, songwriter, and actor. Over his 57-year career, he established himself as one of the most famous French-speaking singers and one of the most prominent personalities in the French media landscape.

While he was not the first to sing rock in France, from 1960 onward, he was the first to popularize the genre. Although he performed numerous sentimental ballads and country songs throughout his career, rock remained his primary reference, encompassing its various currents all rooted in the blues: rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues, soul, psychedelic rock, soft rock, and pop rock.

His longevity at the forefront of the artistic scene and his vocal and stage performances earned him recognition from both peers and the public. In total, he recorded 80 albums, including 51 studio albums and 165 singles. He accumulated 6 diamond records, 22 platinum records, 40 gold records, and 10 Victoires de la musique. Outside French-speaking countries, while he failed to establish a lasting presence despite several successful tours, particularly in South America, his reputation as a stage performer crossed borders nonetheless. He conducted 184 tours and performed over 3,425 concerts, totaling nearly 30 million spectators, with high-budget productions and elaborate stage effects.

While suffering from lung cancer, he performed his final tour in June and July 2017, alongside his friends Jacques Dutronc and Eddy Mitchell, with whom he formed the trio Les Vieilles Canailles in 2014. His death, which occurred a few months later as a result of his illness, led to a major public tribute. At the time of his death, his album sales totaled 110 million copies.