Sunday's Picture and a Song: Que Je t'aime.


Stéphane and I see eye-to-eye on most things, with the exception of music. The vast disparity in our tastes could be attributable to the fact that he's Swiss and I'm American. Or, perhaps it's because he's a man and I'm a woman. Whatever the reason, we have two very different playlists on our iPods and often negotiate whose music we'll play during long road trips, his or mine. If it's his, I know that there will be lots of Eddy Mitchell, who I like, and some Johnny Hallyday songs that I'll ask to skip.

If you're not familiar with Johnny Hallyday, the French Elvis Presley, you're not alone. Even though he's a superstar in France, he has earned the nickname "the biggest rockstar you've never heard of" in English speaking countries.

Johnny turned 70 years old yesterday and celebrated by playing for a huge crowd at Bercy. Throughout the day, Stéphane bemoaned the fact that we hadn't gotten tickets for the celebration. I was secretly relieved. When we went for a walk in the evening, Stéphane peered in the windows of the bars we passed to get glimpses of Johnny's concert playing live on all the television screens. Even though he's not my cup of tea, Johnny's a big deal to a lot of people! So, in honor of his 70th birthday, here's a clip from Johnny's 2009 performance in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Have a wonderful Sunday! We're about to don our 18th century costumes for the Journée Grand Siècle. We may even listen to some of Johnny's tunes on our way to Château de Vaux le Vicomte.



While Stéphane commented on how beautiful Notre Dame looked in the golden sunlight last night, his enthusiasm for the cathedral paled in comparison to his excitement about Johnny's birthday concert.


Comments

  1. I'm with you on this, Mary Kay. (sorry Stephane) I fast forwarded the music clip, more than once. Unlike a few weeks ago, I ran out and got a Zaz CD after your le Pluie post!

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    1. No need to apologize to Stephane for fast forwarding Johnny's music - he's used to people doing that! ;)

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  2. I do not understand the appeal of Johnny Hallyday!

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    1. Me either. I think that Johnny looks like a parody of a rock star, even more so now that he has gotten older. But having said that, I watched several YouTube clips of his performances before selecting the one in the post and the French people in the audience are obviously crazy about him! Stephane says that he's a real showman (his opinion, not mine!). He must have something.

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  3. Once saw a concert of Johnny Halliday on Bastille day. Might just be this one. But I too agree that Notre Dame is more inspiring.

    Love Denise.

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    1. I wonder how frequently big stars have concerts on the Champs de Mars. I haven't heard of any while I've been living here. Maybe Johnny was able to pull some strings to make it happen.

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  4. I was a fan of Johnny's when I was a teenager, so I understand where Stéphane is coming from. However I'm less enthused with 70-year old Johnny with eye makeup and a face ravaged by alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and plastic surgery. In addition, too many years of hard living have definitely taken a toll on his voice.

    Patricia H

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    1. Do you like Eddy Mitchell? He's Stéphane's favorite singer and I like quite a few of his songs, especially "Couleur menthe à l'eau" and "Tu peux préparer le café noir".

      Stephane told me that they did a survey asking young French people what they thought of Johnny's birthday concert and the majority thought that he should retire. Still, Johnny's voice sounds better than Paul McCartney's. I just heard Sir Paul singing during an interview and it was painful to hear how his voice has changed.

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