Medical Plight of France’s Elvis Holds His Country Spellbound

The New York Times ^ | December 16, 2009 | MAÏA de la BAUME

[Cincinna]

As many in the world focused on international climate talks and an attack on the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, France remained transfixed by the news that a beloved and aging French rock star known as the French Elvis was in a medically induced coma in a Los Angeles hospital.

Long-awaited news about President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to invest in universities and new businesses received far less coverage in most news media than the news about the singer, Johnny Hallyday. Even Le Monde, one of France’s most serious newspapers, weighed in with an editorial bemoaning the rocker’s illness, saying it had put all of France into a “national coma.”

On Tuesday, the press reported that Mr. Hallyday, 66, had been brought out of the coma, but it is unlikely that the news media will look away anytime soon: Mr. Hallyday’s producer has added a whiff of scandal to what was already a sad story. He publicly accused a French surgeon of bungling an earlier operation to repair a herniated disk, leading to widespread speculation that human error during a routine operation had put the singer’s life in danger.

It is hard to overstate how the French feel about Mr. Hallyday, who won the nation’s heart in the 1960s by taking an American and British phenomenon — rock — and claiming a piece of the action for France. He became famous first for belting out Elvis Presley tunes and other American rock songs in French, but later moved on to original songs, including ballads — and has since also pursued more erudite pursuits, like starring in at least one film by Jean-Luc Godard.

Mr. Sarkozy is one of his biggest fans and asked him to perform this year at the big Bastille Day concert on the Champs de Mars.

[dila813]

Los Angeles?

Why did he come here for that Second Rate Healthcare that the Dems are always bemoaning?

[Cincinna]

*** FRENCH POLITICS AND CULTURE PING LIST *** FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ***

And where does Johnny go for medical care? France? Mais, non! LA. USA.

Johnny Hallyday, born John Smets is a French phenomenon, even though he was born in Belgium. He recently quit France because of confiscatoiry taxes and went to live in Belgium, where they made a tax "arrangement" for him.

"L'Idol des Jeunes" is young no more, but we all remember him. An odd figure, struggling all his life with hard core drug addiction and gambling problems, he remains one of France's major cultural idols.The only French entertaibner who could fill Parc des Princes, capacity 100,000 many times over.

In France, for many, it is still the 60's.

JOHNNY HALLYDAY IN CONCERT

[happinesswithoutpeace]

OIC

[Cincinna]

?

[Tainan]

Oh
I
C= See

Oh, I now understand who he is.
Hope he recovers. This guy is a great entertainer.

[familyop]

Johnny Hallyday - Que je t’aime! - 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOvas0AT4HI

Johnny Hallyday Noir C´est Noir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99phlP_e2Rw

[Cincinna]

Thanks for the translation.

[Cincinna]

Thanks familyop,

Noir c’est noir is classic.

That is a very young Johnny, and I think the blond is Sylvie Vartan.

When I listen to L’Idole des Jeunes, it is alway YeYe time, when we were all so very young.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-hYHRwyGKU&feature=related

[stephenjohnbanker]

Cedar-Sinai and St. Johns have some of the finest docs in the world.

[WayneS]

He publicly accused a French surgeon of bungling an earlier operation to repair a herniated disk, leading to widespread speculation that human error during a routine operation had put the singer’s life in danger.

So WHO runs the health care system in France?

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

If it’s the 60’s, I’ll take Brel. :)

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

There was just one of this:

You betcha!

[Cincinna]

France has a single payer system for health care.

There is a a parallel private system that is a reimbursement or payment system with private doctors and private hospitals.

You can be sure that Johnny’s doctor and hospital were part of the private, not public system.

[Minette]

He was born “Jean-Philippe” Smet and has spent his entire career WISHING he were Elvis. He looks like an old whore and, frankly, I don’t get his appeal. Another aspect of the French culture I’ll never get!