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'French Elvis' Johnny Hallyday Dies At 74

Born as Jean-Philippe Smet during World War II in occupied Paris, Hallyday latched on to American-style rock 'n roll in the 1960s and went on to sell 100 million albums over five decades.
French singer Johnny Hallyday smiles as he receives the best album award next to French TV host Virginie Guilhaume at the 31st Victoires de la Musique, the annual French music awards ceremony, last year at the Zenith concert hall in Paris.

Singer Johnny Hallyday, known as the "French Elvis," for his role in popularizing rock 'n roll in his country, has died of lung cancer at age 74.

Although little known to audiences

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