Hallyday's father, Léon Smet (1908–1989), was Belgian; his mother, Huguette Clerc (1920–2007), was French. Born in Paris, Hallyday took his stage name from his aunt Desta's husband and dance partner Lee Hallyday, a pseudonym for Lee Ketcham, an expatriate Oklahoman, performer, and MC at the Café de Paris where Johnny began his singing career. Johnny was raised by Desta and Lee from a very young age, with Lee being his first manager. Johnny was always very loyal to Lee and secured him a permanent job as a producer and A&R man with his label, Philips Records until Lee's retirement and relocation back to Oklahoma.
His debut single, "Laisse les filles" was released on the Vogue label in March 1960. His first album, Hello Johnny, was released in 1960. In 1961 his cover of "Let's Twist Again" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It topped almost every European chart, although the track did not appear in the UK Singles Chart. He appeared on the American The Ed Sullivan Show with American singing star Connie Francis in a show that was taped at the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris. He also staged many appearances in the Paris Olympia under the management of the late Bruno Coquatrix. For their first concert, The Jimi Hendrix Experience opened for Johnny Hallyday in Évreux on 13 October 1966. Black-and-white footage, also from October 1966, exists of Hallyday partying with Hendrix, his manager Chas Chandler and others. There also is a widely published monochrome photograph of Hallyday walking somewhere in Paris in late May 1966 with Bob Dylan.
At the end of the 1960s, Hallyday made a string of albums with Mick Jones and Tommy Brown as musical directors, and Big Jim Sullivan, Bobby Graham and Jimmy Page as session musicians. These are Jeune Homme, Rivière... Ouvre ton Lit (a.k.a. Je suis né dans la rue) and Vie. On Je suis né dans la rue, Hallyday also hired both Peter Frampton and the Small Faces. Amongst their contributions are the songs Amen (Bang Bang), Reclamation (News Report), and Regarde Pour Moi (What You Will), which are variations of Small Faces and Humble Pie (Frampton's band) songs—tracks and they all play on the album. Often forgotten is Hallyday's non-LP single and EP track Que Je T'aime from the same sessions. By 1969 alone, his sales of records exceeded twelve million.
One of Hallyday's later concerts, 100% Johnny: Live à La Tour Eiffel in 2000, attracted an audience of 500,000 and 9.5 million television viewers (the show was broadcast live on French TV). In December 2005, Hallyday had his third number-one single in France, "Mon Plus Beau Noël" (after "Tous ensemble" and "Marie"), dedicated to his adopted daughter Jade. Shortly before announcing his retirement from touring, he released a blues-flavored album, Le Cœur d'un homme, on 12 November 2007. The album hit No. 1 in both France and French-speaking Belgium. In addition to the lead single "Always", Le Cœur d'un homme features "T'aimer si mal", a duet with bluesman Taj Mahal and "I Am the Blues", an English-language song written for Hallyday by U2's lead singer Bono. His next album, Ça ne finira jamais, released in 2008, another No. 1 on the French album chart, and its lead single, "Ça n'finira jamais", also reached No. 1. In 2008 he recorded a series of acoustic songs with French musician Drexl Jonez. Hallyday's most recent album, also a No. 1 hit in France, is Tour 66: Stade de France 2009, a live set recorded at Stade de France during his farewell tour with appearances by Drexl Jonez on the guitar.
French movie producers Michèle and Laurent Pétin introduced Johnny Hallyday to Hong Kong film director Johnnie To. Hallyday was cast as the main role of To's Vengeance after meeting with the director in early 2008. The shooting began in November 2008 and concluded in February 2009.
He was married for 15 years to popular Bulgarian-French singer Sylvie Vartan and the two were considered a "golden couple" for 20 years.
Hallyday completed 181 tours, had 18 platinum albums, and sold more than 110 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time.
Hallyday remains largely unknown outside the Francophone world, thus earning the nickname "the biggest rock star you've never heard of" in English-speaking countries.
On December 5th, 2017 Hallyday died, at age 74, in Marnes-la-Coquette, France.
Ami
Johnny Hallyday Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grimper au sommet
Remonter les rivières
Retenir l'été
S'inventer des mirages
Tout recommencer
Rester en arrière
Ou passer le premier
Sans jamais vieillir
Boucler sa valise
Trois, quatre et partir
Dormir sous les étoiles
Et rire gratuit
Partager ses angoisses
Et ses désirs aussi
Roulent, roulent toutes nos vies
L'amour infidèle
Et tourne, tourne tout ce qu'on dit
S'il ne restait qu'un mot sur mes lèvres
Ami
Boire aux mêmes lèvres
Des sirènes d'un jour
Et tomber par terre
A chacun son tour
Passer les frontières
Et embrasser la rue
Au hasard d'une bière
Sur un pari perdu
J'aurai les mêmes rides
Sur le même côté
Du côté de tes rires
Du côté où tu es
Et si la grande noire
Viens pour t'emmener
Au-delà des ombres
Tu m'entendras crier
Roulent, roulent toutes nos vies
L'amour infidèle
Et tourne, tourne tout ce qu'on dit
S'il ne restait qu'un mot sur mes lèvres
Ami, ami
Tourne, tourne, tourne la vie
Je serai le même
Longue, longue et longue est la nuit
Mais je te serai toujours fidèle
Ami, ami, ami
The song "Ami" by Johnny Hallyday embodies a beautiful message of friendship, resilience and loyalty. The artist speaks about various experiences in life, starting with observing the passing clouds and climbing to the top, to making up mirages and starting again. The song suggests that we should never stop dreaming and striving towards our goals, no matter how challenging it might seem. It is also a celebration of friendship and the value of companionship in life. Regardless of what life throws at us, we should have someone there to share our desires and worries with.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the point of the artist about the importance of friendship. He recognizes that life might be unpredictable, and people might come and go, but the idea of having someone you could always rely on is priceless. The artist portrays deep respect and appreciation for his friend, referring to him as his "ami" constantly, which is the French for friend.
Line by Line Meaning
Voir passer les nuages
Observing the clouds go by, symbolizing the transient nature of time
Grimper au sommet
Climbing to the top, representing the pursuit of success and achievement
Remonter les rivières
Going back upstream, indicating the desire to relive memories and past experiences
Retenir l'été
Trying to hold on to summer, a time of warmth, joy, and relaxation
S'inventer des mirages
Creating illusions, suggesting the possibility of escaping reality through imagination
Tout recommencer
Starting over, suggesting the desire for a fresh start, free from mistakes and regrets
Rester en arrière
Staying behind, implying the fear of moving forward or letting go of the past
Ou passer le premier
Or, alternatively, being the first to move forward, take risks, and explore new horizons
Devenir grand
Growing up, signifying the transition from youth to adulthood
Sans jamais vieillir
Without ever getting old, implying the longing for eternal youth and vitality
Boucler sa valise
Closing one's suitcase, symbolizing the start of a journey, both physical and emotional
Trois, quatre et partir
Three, four, and go, indicating the willingness to take action and move forward
Dormir sous les étoiles
Sleeping under the stars, symbolizing the beauty of nature and the importance of simplicity
Et rire gratuit
Laughing for no reason, showing the joy of living and the importance of lightheartedness
Partager ses angoisses
Sharing one's fears, implying the importance of honesty and openness in relationships
Et ses désirs aussi
And one's desires as well, indicating the need for mutual understanding and empathy
Roulent, roulent toutes nos vies
Rolling, rolling, all our lives, underscoring the constant motion and change of life
L'amour infidèle
Unfaithful love, representing the complexities and challenges of relationships
Et tourne, tourne tout ce qu'on dit
And everything we say turns, turns, emphasizing the importance of communication and language in shaping our lives
S'il ne restait qu'un mot sur mes lèvres
If there was only one word left on my lips, indicating the power and significance of words and expressions
Ami
Friend, representing the enduring value and importance of friendships
Boire aux mêmes lèvres
Drinking from the same lips, implying the intimacy and closeness of a relationship
Des sirènes d'un jour
Temporary sirens, suggesting the fleeting nature of pleasure and excitement
Et tomber par terre
And falling to the ground, symbolizing the vulnerability and fragility of human nature
A chacun son tour
Everyone has their turn, indicating the cyclical nature of life and the importance of patience
Passer les frontières
Crossing borders, both literal and figurative, suggesting the importance of exploration and discovery
Et embrasser la rue
And embracing the street, symbolizing the adventure and unpredictability of life
Au hasard d'une bière
By chance, over a beer, underscoring the importance of serendipity and spontaneity in life
Sur un pari perdu
On a lost bet, indicating the role of risk-taking and uncertainty in life
J'aurai les mêmes rides
I'll have the same wrinkles, emphasizing the bond and connection between two people who have shared experiences
Sur le même côté
On the same side, symbolizing the unity and harmony of a relationship
Du côté de tes rires
On the side of your laughter, indicating the importance of joy and positivity in life
Du côté où tu es
On the side where you are, suggesting the centrality of relationships in life
Et si la grande noire
And if the big black (unknown) comes, underscoring the inevitability of death and the importance of living in the present
Viens pour t'emmener
Comes to take you away, symbolizing the final journey of life
Au-delà des ombres
Beyond the shadows, suggesting the possibility of an afterlife or a higher power
Tu m'entendras crier
You'll hear me scream, emphasizing the emotional impact and depth of a meaningful relationship
Tourne, tourne, tourne la vie
Turn, turn, turn goes life, repeating the message of the constant change and motion of life
Je serai le même
I'll be the same, suggesting the importance of staying true to oneself
Longue, longue et longue est la nuit
Long, long, and long is the night, emphasizing the darkness and difficulty of life's challenges
Mais je te serai toujours fidèle
But I'll always be faithful to you, underscoring the importance of loyalty and commitment in relationships
Ami, ami, ami
Friend, friend, friend, repeating the central theme of the song - the enduring value and importance of friendship
Contributed by Ryan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.