Johnny Hallyday (born June 15, 1943 in Paris, France) is a French singer and actor.
He has sold more than 100 million records in France alone, scoring more than 200 hit singles (including 33 Number Ones). An icon in the French-speaking world since the very beginning of his career, some consider him to be the French equivalent of Elvis Presley. Today Hallyday is still considered as France's number-one singer and is seen as an unbelievable stage performer, giving incredible shows in crowded stadiums. Yet Hallyday remains largely unknown outside of France and the other French-speaking countries.
Johnny Hallyday was born Jean-Philippe Smet in Cité Malesherbes, Paris, France, to a French mother Huguette and a Belgian father Leon Smet. His parents separated not long after his birth, so he was raised by his paternal aunt, Hélène Mar. (His pseudonym was borrowed from his cousin's friend, Lee Halliday).Johnny Hallyday (né à Paris le 15 juin 1943), de son vrai nom Jean Philippe Smet, est un artiste français d'origine franco-belge, surtout célèbre comme chanteur interprète.
Son pseudonyme vient lui-même de celui de son cousin par alliance, Lee Halliday (Lee Keetcham), artiste de cabaret.
Bien qu'il ait connu son apogée lors de la période "yéyé" (les "sixties"), Johnny Hallyday étonne par sa longévité dans la variété française au regard d'un répertoire somme toute peu original par comparaison avec ses homologues d'outre-atlantique dont il s'est inspiré. Il a cependant su surfer sur les modes, personnaliser habilement les reprises américaines et se forger un style singulier de rocker français qui n'a pas son égal sur la scène française. On retient sa forte présence, les mises en scène grandioses et une voix dont la puissance et les intonations rauques aux terminaisons aiguës font son image de marque. Cela lui vaut aujourd'hui une reconnaissance quasi unanime qui trouve son prolongement au cinéma où il tente depuis de nombreuses années, non sans en être récompensé, de dépasser un succès d'estime chez son seul public. En revanche, il échouera dans son unique tentative de créer un opéra rock et n'arrivera pas à se créer un répertoire en langue anglaise susceptible de lui ouvrir les portes d'une véritable carrière internationale.
En France et en Belgique Johnny, comme l'appellent ses fans (ou plus familièrement "Jojo"), est incontestablement une star consacrée - certains parlent même de monument - qui continue de placer régulièrement des titres au hit-parade après bientôt cinquante ans de carrière.
____________________________________________________________
Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994) was an American songwriter, singer, pianist and guitarist, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s. For most of his recordings, he did not use his first name, and was credited only as Nilsson. Despite some spectacular successes, including two Grammy Awards, Nilsson's tendency to make broad stylistic jumps from one record to the next and his iconoclastic decisions kept him from capitalizing on those successes. His most well-known recordings are '"Without You" and "Everybody's Talkin'".
Nilsson was born in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York in 1941. His father, Harry Edward Nilsson, Jr., abandoned the family three years later. An autobiographical reference to this is found in the opening to Nilsson's song "1941":
- Now, in 1941, a happy father had a son
- But in 1944, the father walked right out the door
Harry grew up with his mother Bette Nilsson and his younger half-sister, his younger brother Drake was left with family or friends during their moves between California and New York, sometimes living with a procession of relatives and stepfathers. One relative who turned out to be an important influence on him was his Uncle John, a mechanic in San Bernardino, California, who taught him to sing properly.
Uncle John's singing lessons, along with Nilsson's natural talent, surely helped when he got a job singing demos for songwriter Scott Turner in 1960. Turner paid Nilsson five dollars for each track they recorded. (Years later, when Nilsson became famous, Turner decided to release these early recordings, and contacted Nilsson to work out a fair payment. Nilsson replied that he had already been paid—five dollars a track.)
