Download Free Johnny Halliday * Songs

Johnny Halliday music biography continued...

an appearance on the Paris Cocktail television show led to a record contract with Vogue. Hallyday released his first single, "Laisse les Filles," in early 1960. Its follow-up, "Souvenirs, Souvenirs," became his first major hit, and when he performed at France's first rock festival at the Palais de Sport in early 1961, he prompted a near-riot that led to a ban on rock concerts for several months. He switched from Vogue to Philips later that summer, and released the smash LP Salut Mes Copains, which made him a full-fledged teen idol. His tour of France that year touched off a frenzy not unlike that surrounding Elvis in the U.S. Toward the end of the year, Hallyday appeared in the film Les Parisiennes, and had a huge hit with "Viens Danser le Twist," an adaptation of Chubby Checker's "Let's Twist Again." Hallyday's commercial success continued to grow exponentially over the next few years, as he mixed American covers (for instance the LP Johnny Hallyday Sings America's Rockin' Hits) with more traditional French pop: "Retiens la Nuit" (penned by Charles Aznavour), "Elle Est Terrible," "Be Bop a Lula," "Pas Cette Chanson," and two of his biggest hits, "L'Idole des Jeunes" and "Da Dou Ron Ron." By 1964, when he was called for military service, Hallyday had become a French cultural icon.



Overcoming a bout with depression and his tendency toward destructive personal excess, Hallyday continued to record and perform after he served, playing alongside some of the U.S.'s greatest rock musicians, but keeping his appeal distinctly French. Over the next three decades he scored numerous French hits, growing stronger with each passing year. In 2000, his concert 100% Johnny: Live à La Tour Eiffel attracted an audience of 500,000 and 9.5 million television viewers in France, where it was broadcast live. In December 2005, Hallyday had his third number-one single in France, "Mon Plus Beau Noël" (after "Tous ensemble" and "Marie"). In a career that has spanned half a century, Hallyday has completed 400 tours, has 18 platinum albums, has performed in front of 25 million people, and has sold more than 100 million records—not bad for a rock and roller.