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.
Tutti Frutti
Johnny Hallyday Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
I got a girl named Sue
She knows just what to do
I got a girl named Sue
She knows just what to do
She rocks to the east
Rocks to the west
She's the girl that I love best
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me
Yes indeed
Boys don't know what she do to me
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
I got a girl named Daisy
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me
Yes indeed
Boys don't know what she do to me
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
The song "Tutti Frutti" by Johnny Hallyday is an upbeat and fun song about the singer's love for two different women, Sue and Daisy. The song opens with the iconic phrase "Be bop a lula balab bam bom," which serves as a call to dance and let loose. The lyrics then introduce Sue, who is described as a girl who "rocks to the east, rocks to the west," and is the singer's true love. The phrase "Tutti Frutti" is repeated throughout, serving as a refrain and adding to the overall joyful mood of the song.
The second stanza introduces Daisy, who "almost drives [the singer] crazy" with her love. The lyrics imply that Daisy is a more passionate and intense love interest than Sue, as the singer notes that "boys don't know what she do to me." Again, the phrase "Tutti Frutti" appears throughout the stanza, creating a link between the two women despite their differences.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a celebration of love and passion, and the joy that comes with being in a relationship with someone who makes you feel alive. The repetitious refrain adds to the upbeat, danceable quality of the song, encouraging listeners to join in and celebrate their own experiences of love and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
Introduction to the song with scat-like vocalizations.
Tutti frutti, oh ruti
Catchy repeated phrase with no specific meaning.
I got a girl named Sue
Introduction of a specific love interest.
She knows just what to do
Sue is a skilled lover.
She rocks to the east
Sue enjoys dancing.
Rocks to the west
Sue enjoys dancing in all directions.
She's the girl that I love best
Sue is Johnny's favorite girl.
I got a girl named Daisy
Introduction of a second love interest.
She almost drives me crazy
Daisy is a passionate and intense lover.
She knows how to love me
Daisy is a skilled lover.
Yes indeed
Confirmation of Daisy's lovemaking abilities.
Boys don't know what she do to me
Other men do not understand Johnny's attraction to Daisy.
Be bop a lula balab bam bom
Closing scat-like vocalizations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Labostrie, Joe Lubin, Richard Penniman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richwannabe2091
Sans Johnny je n'aurai jamais connu cette fantastique musique merci jojo !!!!!!!RIP
@mazzyvictor
You ARE a wonderful part of my youth Johnny Hallyday and shall always be. RIP ♡
@jean-francoishoulier2475
Tutti Frutti par Elvis est extraordinaire, mais par Johnny c'n'est pas mal non plus ! :-)
@sebaut100
la meilleure version est quand meme celle de little richard
@philadelphy235
jean kevin patoulachi Adriano Celentano en a aussi fait une très bien!
@daniel0752
j'ai le 33 t de lui tutti tutti avec la pochéte déciné au créyon qui connait une réponse merci
@gaindekiryu
@seb aut et de Val Kilmer
@MrSaitoK
bravo! French Elvis Presley!
@Ayse-gk2mb
woua notre jojoooooooooooooooooooooo
@jncognet1
par johnny tutti frutti