I've always felt rather sorry for Johnny Hallyday. He's a man who's ambition will never be realised.
Hallyday (real name Jean-Philippe Smet) is France's most famous rock star; a national treasure here, but totally unknown elsewhere.
His dream was to become an internationally known rock star, with the USA as his main target. But he's simply an imitation, and in the country that's known for 'the real thing', he never stood a chance. He's had mountains of photos taken in New York, astride Harleys, and sitting in big-finned pink Cadillacs, but the faux American persona has never cut the mustard.
Some years back he held a sell-out concert in Las Vegas (I think it was Las Vegas), but then we learned that he had personally hired the venue, and all the tickets were sold to his fans back in France. OK, technically it was a sell-out US concert, but it wasn't a sell-out US concert. It was a sell-out in France, but it took place in Vegas.
Hallyday has always been called 'The biggest rock star you've never heard of'. He can sing a bit, he's got the naughty-boy tattoos, he dresses like your granny's idea of a rocker, but he's simply an actor. Poor guy, he must be the world's most frustrated wanna-be.
You may like to know that Johnny is still going strong-ish... although mostly these days doing adverts for Optic 2000; a company that sells cheap job-lot spectacles.... buy one, get your second pair free... you know the sort of thing. Well, if you can't be an international rock star, it's a living of sorts.
Hello:
ReplyDeletePossibly the moral of this is that it is foolish to pretend to be something, or somebody, we are not. Where do drive and ambition become lost in personal self-promotion?
Went on the Laguiole website the other day looking for a new pen knife for the garden etc and noticed they sell a 'Johnny Hallyday knife'!
ReplyDeleteVery fancy.
A finger in many (non-musical) pies!
ReplyDeleteI've just had a butcher's. €400 for a poncy penknife? I'd rather have an 'ordinary' horn-handled job for €60.
ReplyDeleteI've heard some things lately about Laguiole knives that are putting me off parting with the cash.
ReplyDeleteMainly that some are 'assembled' in Laguiole, France, from cheap Asian parts and have a poor finish. Might go with an Opinel now.
I think I have two of those... they come free with certain dried sausage in winter.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Laguiole is not a 'make' as such. It's a group of munufacturers around the Aveyron town of Thiers, who stick to a basic pattern. All makers are equal, but some makers are more equal than others.
ReplyDeleteHe might not have had his dreams fulfilled, but he has a job. In these days, that's not a bad thing. Rockers don't necessarily have long careers, and in some cases, not long lives either.
ReplyDeleteSO. You'd think he'd be content having records in nearly every single French household!
ReplyDeletePoor guy. He set the bar too darned high. Me? I'm happy if my family considers me a star ...
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