Johnny Hallyday

Johnny Hallyday: more come-backs than Frank Sinatra?

By No author
20/12/2011

Having sold more than 100 million records, made the front page of hundreds of magazines, appeared in films and played in Parisian theatres, Johnny has surely nothing left to prove.

Johnny Hallyday in London

The question is now: why perform again after having suffered some major health problems? Is it his passion for music, the love of the stage or a need for money? “Ah how times are hard!” was the answer given to the Guignols de l’info, the satirical French latex puppet of Canal+.

In 2009, the singer began his previous ‘final’ tour, “Tour 66”. Unfortunately, this tour came to an untimely end when the aging rocker fell ill. After a colon operation followed by a slipped disk problem, the star then faced a post-operative infection.

Fortunately for his fans, Johnny, visibly still full of life, is preparing new series of concerts. He has even announced the release of a new album at the end of 2012.

Leaticia Hallyday

But the French national treasure is still spending too much money, which seems to be the main problem. A luxury lifestyle does not come cheap. After attempting to become Belgian in 2005, Johnny finally settled in Gstaad in Switzerland in order to try to reduce his tax bill. However, this “fiscal exile” is rumoured not to have been a success with Johnny still paying income tax in France, according to a recent article in the French magazine ‘Capital’. Moreover, Johnny is apparently struggling on his meagre personal budget. Between his various properties (Los Angeles, Marnes-La-Coquette and Gstaad), his first-class travels, his expensive cars and his wife, Laeticia’s shopping.  

As well as tax exiled, Johnny has been trying to drum up more petty cash elsewhere. In 2004, for example, the singer parted company with his record label, Universal, and went to rival Warner in search of a better deal.  Recently, he also terminated his advertising contract with the optician “Optic 2000”, which brought in 500 000 Euros each year. Finally he has also fallen out with his producer Jean-Claude Camus, who did not want to go on backing him financially anymore.

With this new tour « Jamais Seul », Johnny is set to earn 12 million Euros, which should keep him going for a year or two until the next ‘final’ tour.  The man prefers to carry on singing rather than tighten his belt, and while his fans are prepared to go on paying, why not?!