Johnny Hallyday facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Hallyday
Hallyday in 2009
Born	Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (1943-06-15)15 June 1943 Paris, France
Died	5 December 2017(2017-12-05) (aged 74) Marnes-la-Coquette, France
Resting place	Lorient, Saint Barthélemy, parish church cemetery
Occupation	Singer-songwriter musician actor
Spouse(s)	Sylvie Vartan ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1980)​ Babeth Étienne ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1982)​ Adeline Blondieau ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1992)​ ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 1995)​ Læticia Boudou ​ (m. 1996)​
Partner(s)	Nathalie Baye (1982–1986)
Children	4 (including David and Laura)
Musical career
Genres	Rock and roll pop yé-yé
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar
Years active	1960–2017
Labels	Vogue Philips Warner Universal
Associated acts	Mick Jones Tommy Brown Jimmy Page Tony Joe White Dalida Bon Jovi Michael Bolton Sylvie Vartan Bono The Jimi Hendrix Experience Connie Francis Laura Pausini

Johnny Hallyday was a super famous French rock and roll and pop singer and actor. His real name was Jean-Philippe Léo Smet. He was born on June 15, 1943, and passed away on December 5, 2017. Many people say he was the one who brought rock and roll music to France!

Johnny Hallyday had an amazing career that lasted 57 years. He released 79 albums and sold over 110 million records around the world. Most of his fans were in French-speaking countries. This made him one of the best-selling artists ever. He earned many awards, including five diamond albums and 40 golden albums. He sang about 1,154 songs and performed 540 duets with 187 different artists.

People loved his powerful voice and incredible live shows. He sometimes made grand entrances, like jumping from a helicopter at the Stade de France stadium! He performed there 9 times. He did 3,257 shows in 187 tours. Some of his most famous concerts were at Parc des Princes in 1993 and the Eiffel Tower in 2000. A million people watched his Eiffel Tower show live, and 10 million more watched it on TV!

Johnny often worked with the best French artists and musicians. He was so popular in France that people just called him "Johnny." He was seen as a "national monument" and a big part of French culture. He was a familiar face to four generations of fans. Over 2,500 magazine covers and 190 books were about him during his lifetime. When he died in 2017, a million people came to his funeral procession, and 15 million watched it on TV. Outside of French-speaking countries, he was sometimes called "the biggest rock star you've never heard of." People also compared him to the American rock legend Elvis Presley.

Early Life and His Name

Jean-Philippe Smet was born in Paris, France, on June 15, 1943. He grew up with his aunt, Hélène Mar. He got his stage name, Johnny Hallyday, from a cousin-in-law named Lemoine Ketcham. Lemoine was from Oklahoma and performed as Lee Halliday. He called Jean-Philippe "Johnny" and introduced him to American music. Lee Halliday became like a father figure to young Johnny.

Johnny's Music Career

Johnny Hallyday performing in 1963

Johnny Hallyday was inspired by Elvis Presley and the rock 'n' roll music of the 1950s. He became famous for singing rock 'n' roll songs in French. His very first song, "Laisse les filles," came out in March 1960. His first album, Hello Johnny, was released that same year.

In 1961, Johnny's French version of "Let's Twist Again" called "Viens Danser Le Twist" sold over a million copies. It was a huge hit across Europe. He even appeared on the American TV show The Ed Sullivan Show with singer Connie Francis. Johnny performed many times at the famous Paris Olympia concert hall.

Hallyday in 1965

In the late 1960s, Johnny made several albums with talented musicians like Mick Jones and Jimmy Page. These albums included Jeune homme, Rivière... Ouvre ton lit, and Vie. For his album Je suis né dans la rue, Johnny worked with Peter Frampton and the band Small Faces. They played on most of the songs. By 1969, he had already sold over twelve million records!

One of Johnny's most memorable concerts was 100% Johnny: Live à la tour Eiffel in 2000. Half a million people watched it live at the Eiffel Tower, and 9.5 million watched it on French TV. In 2005, his song "Mon plus beau Noël" became a number-one hit. He dedicated this song to his adopted daughter, Jade.

Before he announced he would stop touring in 2007, he released a blues-style album called Le Cœur d'un homme. This album included a song called "I Am the Blues," which was written by U2's lead singer Bono. His next album, Ça ne finira jamais, also reached number one in 2008. Johnny continued to release albums and tour, even performing in Russia in 2012. His last albums were Rester Vivant and De L'Amour, released in 2014 and 2015.

Family Life

Hallyday's first wife, Sylvie Vartan, in 1966

Hallyday's fourth and final wife, Læticia Boudou, in 2009

Johnny Hallyday was married five times. His first marriage was to French singer Sylvie Vartan, and they were together for fifteen years. Their son, David, was born in 1966. Johnny also had a daughter named Laura with French actress Nathalie Baye.

His last marriage was to Læticia Boudou, and it lasted for twenty-one years until his death. Johnny and Læticia adopted two girls from Vietnam: Jade and Joy.

Where He Lived

Johnny Hallyday lived in Los Angeles, USA. He also owned a chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, for a while. He enjoyed riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle on long trips through the California desert. He liked staying in small motels along the way.

Illness and Passing

The parish cemetery of Lorient, Saint Barthélemy, where Johnny Hallyday's grave is located

In 2009, Johnny Hallyday was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had surgery for it. Later, in 2017, he died from lung cancer at the age of 74. He passed away near Paris, France.

French President Emmanuel Macron honored Johnny, saying he "transcended generations and is etched in the memory of the French people." On December 9, his funeral was held in Paris. About 900,000 people lined the Champs-Élysées to see his body taken to the Madeleine Church. Many important people attended the service. Johnny Hallyday was buried on the French Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy on December 11, 2017.

His Legacy

Johnny Hallyday was often called "the French Elvis" because he brought rock and roll to France. He was known for his energetic performances and cool style. Even though he was a huge star in French-speaking countries, many people in English-speaking countries didn't know him. He was sometimes called "the biggest rock star you've never heard of."

Johnny received many honors during his life. He was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 1997. This is one of France's highest awards. He also became an Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) in 2001.

Discography

Films

Works

• Hallyday, Johnny; Sthers, Amanda (2014). Dans mes yeux : Johnny Hallyday se raconte à Amanda Sthers. Paris: Pocket. ISBN 9782266236225. OCLC 887560125.

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Hallyday para niños

• List of best-selling music artists