The fans gathered under vivid blue skies and in the blistering cold to bear witness to the singer, some holding pictures or homemade signs, some crying. Many had arrived from around the country in the early morning to secure a spot along Paris’s most famous avenue, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hearse carrying Mr. Hallyday’s coffin. In a tribute befitting a man who sold more than 100 million records and filled stadiums around the country and beyond in a career that spanned nearly 60 years, the day was both giant in scale and intimate in sentiment.

Source: New York Times December 09, 2017 13:48 UTC