Johnny Hallyday (born
Jean-Philippe Smet on June 15, 1943 in
Paris) is a
French singer and
actor.
[Hallyday - place/date birth Official site] An icon in the
French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he is considered by some to be the French equivalent of
Elvis Presley.
Biography
He has had a 48-year career in music and is one of France's biggest stars. He has completed 400 tours, had 18
platinum albums, performed in front of 15 million people, and sold 100 million records. Today Hallyday is still seen as a top stage performer, giving first class shows in crowded stadiums. Hallyday announced his retirement from performing on
3 December 2007 at the age of 64
[1], after his last tour, scheduled in 2009-2010.