Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (1943 –2017), better known by his
stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and
actor, considered to be a legend in France and credited for having imported
rock and roll there. However, his musical universe continued to be centred on
the blues.
During a career spanning 57 years, he released 79 albums and
sold 110 million copies worldwide, mainly in the French-speaking world, making
him one of the best-selling artists in France and in the world.
Hugely popular in France, he was usually referred to as
simply "Johnny" and seen as a "national monument" (the only
one since Edith Piaf) and a part of the French cultural legacy. His exceptional
longevity in public life made him a familiar figure for four generations and a
symbol of the Thirty Glorious Years when he emerged in 1960. More than 2,500
magazine covers and 190 books have been dedicated to him during his lifetime.
He remained largely unknown in the English-speaking world
where he was dubbed "the biggest rock star you've never heard of" and
introduced as the French version of Elvis Presley.
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