Hallyday, whose real name was Jean-Philippe Smet, decided he wanted to be a singer after seeing Elvis Presley on screen in 1957. Hallyday was nicknamed the French Presley by his numerous fans.
Reacting to the news, French President Emmanuel Macron referenced the title of a recent tribute album by saying: “There is a little bit of Johnny in all of us.”
“Across generations, he carved himself into the lives of French people,” Mr Macron said. “He charmed them through the generosity you saw in his concerts: so epic, so intimate, in huge venues, in small spots.”
Among those to pay tribute was American guitarist Lenny Kravitz.
Heavily influenced by Elvis, Hallyday broke from France’s classic “chanson” tradition in the 1950s, and began singing rock and roll in French.
“He introduced rock and roll to France. He’s one of the few singers about whom people say that he’s an animal on stage,” journalist Philippe Le Corre once said.
“He’s quite incredible. People of all ages like him,” he added.
Despite his success at home, he failed to crack the lucrative American or any English-speaking market.
The USA Today newspaper once described him as “the greatest rock star you never heard of”.
Hallyday was known for his hard work and almost non-stop touring.
But he was also famous for his wild rock star antics, both on and off stage.
Heavy partying, drugs, drinking and smoking, as well as five marriages all kept his bad-boy image alive.
