So France's biggest rock star died yesterday. His music probably doesn't mean a lot to most of you, if you've ever heard of him, and doesn't mean a lot to me either quite frankly, but the French are nuts about him. Sold 110m albums apparently.
I expected the flags to be at half mast yesterday. He is/was a national icon here.
I popped into the super market on the way home from work and two people at the checkout were buying Johnny cds so this suggests there were a lot of Johnny memorial evenings going on last night here. They 're crazy about him. Nuts.
If you ever wonder about a cultural divide here you are. I don't mind a bit of George Brassens or Edith Piaf and other things in small doses but in general find it difficult to appreciate a Frenchman singing blues or something.
Johnny Hallyday....can't listen to those histrionics I'm afraid. The French Elvis...I'll stick to the real one or our English one.
The French love him. They are not the same as us!
Made me wonder if we (Brits) have anybody of the same iconic status....can't think of anyone....Macca?...Elton?...Cliff?.....Mick'n'Keef....maybe we just don't have the same idea about things or maybe we've just got too many superstars where they only really had one.
Apologies to non-Brits (don't mean to not include you) but I can only look at this from my perspective.