PhotoPARIS — With the death of Johnny Hallyday, France has lost a member of an imaginary royal family and a working-class hero all at once. It was Mr. Hallyday’s combination of rebellion and hard work, of divinity and authenticity, that made him such an icon here. If Anglophones always scoffed at him, it was because Mr. Hallyday wasn’t French enough for them. To the French, Johnny the chanteur, who turned American rock ’n’ roll into French popular music, was a genius. Mr. Hallyday adored America but it never loved him back.

Source: New York Times December 06, 2017 17:37 UTC