France pays homage to "Elvis" Johnny Hallyday in last farewell

PARIS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Braving freezing weather, thousands of fans from different generations and from all over the France gathered in Paris's avenue of Champs Elysees to say "Thank you Johnny" in their homage to France's icon rocker Johnny Hallyday.

From the Arc de Triomphe, 700 bikers wearing black jackets and on Harley Davidson motos, in the image of the late veteran singer, escorted the funeral cortege and went down to the Champs Elysees.

"We love you Johnny," cried the crowd when the white coffin arrived at Madeleine Church where the late singer's family and friends gathered in a leaden silence for the religious ceremony.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, his predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in addition to Prime Minister Edourd Philippe and Senate president Gerard Larcher took part in the popular "homage" to the veteran rocker.

"Johnny was yours. Johnny was his audience's. Johnny was much more than a singer, he was life.... a part of us, a part of France," Macron said in a short tribute.

"He has become an indispensable presence, a friend, a brother," he added.

On Wednesday, Hallyday died at the age of 74. He announced in March that he had been receiving treatment for cancer.

Influenced by Elvis Presley and the 1950s rock n'roll revolution, Hallyday issued his first album in 1959 and became famous in the 1960s after performing local versions of rock standards and bringing the American music to the French public.

Over one million copies of his first album, "Let's Twist again," have been sold and it was awarded a gold disc. Since then, he has sold more than 100 million albums over the decades.

He will be buried on Monday in Saint-Bathelemy, in the French overseas island. Enditem