Profile Text
Hallyday in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Jean-Philippe Smet
Date of Birth: 15 June, 1943
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Date of Death: 5 December, 2017
Place of Death: Marnes-la-Coquette, France
Ethnicity: * father – Belgian Walloon * mother – French
Johnny Hallyday, also known simply as “Johnny,” was a French singer and actor. His roles included the films Tales of Paris , D’où viens-tu Johnny? , Cherchez l’idole , À tout casser , The Specialist (1969), Point de chute , Malpertuis , L’aventure, c’est l’aventure ; Animal (1977), Détective (1985), Terminus , The Iron Triangle , Why Not Me? , The Man on the Train , Crime Spree , Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse , Quartier V.I.P. , Jean-Philippe , The Pink Panther 2 , Vengeance (2009), Titeuf , Salaud, on t’aime ; Rock’n Roll (2017), and Everyone’s Life .
He was the son of Huguette Eugénie Pierrette Clerc, a model, and Léon Smet, a nightclub performer. His father was Belgian Walloon. His mother was French, from a family from Burgundy. His stage name was from Lee Hallyday, his aunt Desta’s husband and dance partner. Johnny was married to Laeticia Boudou, until his death. He had two children, adopted from Vietnam, with Laeticia; a son, singer David Hallyday, with his former wife, singer and actress Sylvie Vartan; and a daughter, actress Laura Smet , with his former partner, actress Nathalie Baye . David Hallyday has two children with his former wife, actress and model Estelle Lefébure . Sylvie Vartan is the aunt of actor Michael Vartan .
Johnny’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced to his sixth great-grandfather, Claude Smet (c. 1640 – 6 August 1710, Saint-Denis, La Bruyère, Namur).
Johnny’s paternal grandfather was Clément Antoine Smet (the son of Jean-Joseph Smet and Marie Antoinette Detry). Clément was born in Namur, Wallonia. Jean-Joseph was the son of Jean Jacques Smet and Marie Henriette Maillen. Johnny’s great-grandmother Marie Antoinette was the daughter of Jean Joseph Detry and Marie Joseph Jacquemart.
Johnny’s paternal grandmother was named Marie Barbe Hubin (the daughter of Marie Josephe Hubin). Johnny’s grandmother Marie was born in Gesves, Namur, Wallonia. Johnny’s great-grandmother Marie Josephe was the daughter of Hubert Joseph Hubin and Marie Thérèse Joseph de Gueldre.
Johnny’s maternal grandmother was Jeanne Marie Clerc (the daughter of Pierre Jean Claude Maxime Clerc and Claudine Marie Joséphine Gros). Maxime was the son of Pierre Antoine Clerc and Anne Pourcelot. Claudine was the daughter of Jacques Joseph Gros and Marie Élisabeth Vienney.
Sources: Family histories of Johnny Hallyday – https://www.rfgenealogie.com https://www.rfgenealogie.com
Genealogies of Johnny Hallyday – http://www.geni.com https://gw.geneanet.org