Day: January 18, 2014

The troubles in Italy and Gaul left Britain isolated.  Its imperial forces had been withdrawn leaving low level garrisons to defend it from the depredations of the Picts and the seaborne Saxons. Being right at the bottom of the imperial todo list created a power vacuum in the province. There was a long tradition in Britain of providing usurpers to the throne, so it was sort of inevitable that a pretender to the purple should emerge.

Johnny Hallyday needs no introduction to the French speaking world, but despite a career that is now over fifty years old you can still not assume that anglophones have even heard of him.  Those that have tend to be a bit bemused.  Back in the early sixties Johnny Hallyday made the momentous decision to sing songs in the style of Elvis Presley but in French.  It was a sensation, and he has never looked back.  He rapidly became a huge star in France and has remained one ever since.  Only a few years ago a concert in Paris had half a million people trying to get tickets.  In the days when these things mattered, his records sold in the millions.  In pure numerical terms his sales make him one of the major figures of the rock world.  When you consider that his success is limited geographically to France, Belgium and parts of Switzerland and Canada it is even more remarkable.