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.
Rien
Johnny Hallyday Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mais je ne méprise personne
J'ai donné plus que personne
A cette garce de vie qu'j'me cogne
Je me fous de ce que l'on pense
Pour tout dire je m'en balance
J'ai mes joies et mes souffrances
Non, je ne dois rien à personne
Et je ne méprise personne
J'ai donné plus que personne
Non je ne dois rien à personne
Par défi par insolence
Jamais rester sur la défense
Chaque jour recommence
Je m'engueule, avance avance
Non je ne dois rien à personne
C'est la vie qui vous façonne
Comme on dit on devient un homme
Par les coups qui vous assomment
Non je ne dois rien à personne
Et je ne méprise personne
J'ai donné plus que personne
Non non je ne dois rien à personne
Un jour attaque un jour défense
Je me fous de la médisance
Plus ça fait mal plus j'crie vengeance
Je m'engueule, avance avance
Non je ne dois rien à personne
Et je ne méprise personne
J'ai donné plus que personne
Non non je ne dois rien à personne
In his song "Rien à personne," Johnny Hallyday declares that he owes nothing to anyone and doesn't look down on anyone. However, he also acknowledges that he has given more to life than anyone else and has suffered a lot because of it. He doesn't care about what others think of him and focuses on his joys and sorrows, which he faces every day. He asserts that life shapes a person, and one becomes more resilient and stronger after going through hardships.
Johnny expresses his willingness to take any challenge and not to be on the defensive all the time. He accepts that life keeps moving forward every day, and he has to keep up with its pace. He doesn't want to waste his energy on what others say or think about him and focuses on his progress. He further explains that one becomes an adult by facing the blows of life.
Johnny's lyrics profoundly capture the essence of life, which is to keep moving forward, no matter how hard it gets. He recognizes the importance of facing challenges head-on and developing a stronger character that can withstand difficulties. His song highlights that one mustn't get bogged down by others' opinions and focus on personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Je ne dois rien à personne
I don't owe anything to anyone.
Mais je ne méprise personne
But I don't despise anyone.
J'ai donné plus que personne
I have given more than anyone.
A cette garce de vie qu'j'me cogne
To this bitch of a life that I'm struggling with.
Je me fous de ce que l'on pense
I don't care about what people think.
Pour tout dire je m'en balance
To tell you the truth, I don't give a damn.
J'ai mes joies et mes souffrances
I have my joys and my sufferings.
Chaque jour j'avance
Every day I move forward.
Non, je ne dois rien à personne
No, I don't owe anything to anyone.
Et je ne méprise personne
And I don't despise anyone.
Par défi par insolence
Out of challenge, out of insolence.
Jamais rester sur la défense
Never remain on the defense.
Chaque jour recommence
Every day starts over.
Je m'engueule, avance avance
I argue with myself, move forward, move forward.
C'est la vie qui vous façonne
It's life that shapes you.
Comme on dit on devient un homme
As they say, you become a man.
Par les coups qui vous assomment
By the blows that knock you down.
Un jour attaque un jour défense
One day attack, one day defense.
Je me fous de la médisance
I don't care about gossip.
Plus ça fait mal plus j'crie vengeance
The more it hurts, the louder I scream for revenge.
Je m'engueule, avance avance
I argue with myself, move forward, move forward.
Non non je ne dois rien à personne
No, no, I don't owe anything to anyone.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERICK SATURNIN BAMY, GEORGES ABER, JEAN-PHILIPPE LEO SMET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thierry brouardelle capella voice
Super titre chapeau rp Johnny .
Chantal Laurent
On a perdu une bonne âme quelqu'un qui était très gentil et un chanteur de légende nous n'oublierons jamais mais le temps passe et on finira pas l'oublier malheureusement mais un homme comme lui il se fait jamais oublier Johnny Hallyday
Gregory pied
Bonsoir Chantal Laurent , Une chanson très émouvante mais aussi très réaliste.Je me reconnais entièrement dans cette chanson... Ah, si notre jeunesse actuelle pouvait s'illustrer et réfléchir aux paroles, ce serait bien?J'aime tellement cette chanson ! Elle me donne la force de continuer à vivre ! Les paroles sont super bouleversantes, j'aimerais sympathiser avec vous si vous ne voyez pas d'inconvenient
AMITIEUX
Que d'émotions en l'écoutant,ça me rappelle que de bons souvenirs,ah Johnny, tu es et tu resteras le plus grand❤🎸
Ros G J
Toujours bcp d émotion à l écouter. Il nous manque. 😔
Plastjohn34
Très grande émotion à écouter JOHNNY encore et encore ! Merci à Yvan Cassar ! C 'est Grandiose et apaisant, c' est " JOHNNY " !
Véronique Saunier
Johnny 🙏🙏 tu nous manques terriblement
Pour toujours dans nos cœurs . Merci yvan ❤
Fana Jr
Bonjour comment allez vous? moi je me nomme Dominique je vie en France et je suis célibataire sans enfants je recherche aussi le sérieux pour mieux échanger voici moon hangoouts contacter moi patriquedubopire15@gmail.com
THIERRY
Il vivra éternellement dans nos cœurs a chaque jours qui passent ..........c est toi le meilleur et le plus grand Johnny......voix unique et incomparable
Florent R
Belle interprétation, johnny a jamais dans nos coeurs ! ❤