Credited as the first singer to popularise rock "n" roll in France, Hallyday, whose real name is Jean-Philippe Smet, began his music career at the end of the 1950s, singing French language cover songs of artists like Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane among others.

Unlike his friend, the singer Charles Aznavour, who successfully crossed over in the U.S., Hallyday could not replicate his success overseas. In keeping with his up-and-down career, the next year brought one of his most successful albums, 1995's Lorada.

In this July 4, 2016 file picture, French rock singer Johnny Hallyday waits before Christian Dior's Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2016-2017 fashion collection presented in Paris, France. He also had a hit with J'ai un problème, a duet with Sylvie Vartan, his wife from 1965 to 1982. He earned critical praise playing a thief in the 2002 film L'Homme du Train (The Man On the Train).

De vendedor de pólizas de seguros a poderoso empresario — Diego Salazar
El fiscal solicitó, asimismo, la extradición del exviceministro para Energía Eléctrica, Nervis Villalobos -detenido en Madrid, España- por el blanqueo de capitales en el caso de la banca Andorra .

The rocker "lived his entire life wholly for his fans, who loved him and idolised him", she added.

He appeared in "The Pink Panther 2", with Steve Martin, in 2009, and starred in the Johnnie To-directed crime thriller "Vengeance" the same year. When he was an infant his parents split up, and he moved in with his paternal aunt, Helene Mar, a former silent-screen actress.

From the age of 11 Hallyday took to the road as an entertainer with Les Hallidays, a family troupe consisting of his uncle Lee and Mar's daughters Menen and Desta.