Johnny Hallyday ....

Johnny Hallyday, the name will mean nothing to people outside France but he was huge in the French pop culture.

I remember a school visit to Paris in 1962: I was a pubescent 13 year old and in love with the Venner sisters, I am not sure the attraction was reciprocated. Anyway, we were all on the dodgems in a funfair on the Left Bank, slightly intoxicated in equal measure by drinking the cheap brandy I had bought, the excitement of the location and I fancied my chances with the dark haired sirens.

The music blaring out was Johnny Hallyday, the French Elvis Presley. He was good .... mais - malheureusement  - Johnny etait francais and French pop did not travel. And then - horror - two sleek handsome, slim hipped French guys appeared and the Venner sisters didn't need a second's thought ...

Wandering the banks of the Seine that night, unrequited love for me is associated with this man .... sleep well Johnny RIP

Johnny Hallyday: French rock star dies at 74 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42247551

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Personal Journey

Image
I have decided that it is time that I wrote up my personal journey. Even if it is only myself that reads it then I feel that committing these words to the ether will only have beneficial effects for those who I share these thoughts with. Today I am sitting in the library of the condo where I live in Bangkok. The last six months have been a roller coaster ride of emotions and events as my new life starts to take shape even though I am facing my 61st birthday, a time when many of my contemporaries will be contemplating retirement or even have joined God's Waiting Room. This is not to be my destiny. When I have remarked over the years that I will die with my boots on little did I know how true that would turn out to be! Anyway enough for now, I feel better that I have started to commit these words to the Universe as it allows the synchronicity of life to enter and align the energy of my life to my one true desire - to become a counsellor, teacher, and advisor.
Read more

Love Life and Destiny: Quest For Personal Truth

Image
The recently published paperback - Love, Life & Destiny - are the chronicles of Christopher Guy Luke – an ordinary man who experienced something quite extraordinary - as a revelation opened up a new pathway in his life. He was the Material Man, an Englishman with an inflated ego and expectations to match but, as the veneer that had shaped his life was stripped away, the authentic person stepped forward. This event came as a something of a shock but, some might say better late than never, after all, who is to know when our destiny is to be realised? The transformational, often brutal and tragic, events that caused him to question everything about Life, and the interrogation that he suffered, pulled back the veil of uncertainty and opened up a new vista of what is possible for us all. The question – who am I? - which was hurled at the Universe in reaction to the events that were unfolding before him opened up a door of adventure, initiating a quest for his Truth. ...
Read more
In February 2008, I travelled to Mumbai to visit a friend. It was cool and very pleasant as I sat on the sea wall on Marine Boulevard looking out over the Arabian Sea. Next thing I knew was a young map seller sitting next to me. With his wild black hair, sparkling eyes and gentle manner, Raj had entered my world. He wanted me to buy a map for 500 rupees (about £8), not a great deal of money, a gr eat deal in India. He obviously felt that I was a good bet for a sale. We talked. He spoke about his life as a Rajput who had left home to find his fortune for he needed the money to marry his long time sweetheart. He showed me a picture of a ravishing beauty and immediately I could see why he yearned to put his world right. He spoke about the poor place that he lived in, and the crushing obstacles that he faced everyday to sell overpriced maps with so much going to his boss. I had no need of a map. I was travelling light but in my pocket was 10,000 rupees (about £160). I...
Read more