France bids au revoir to Johnny Hallyday

Paris

HUNDREDS of motorcycles roared down the Champs-Élysées and crowds sang in unison as tens of thousands of fans of Johnny Hallyday, the French rock star who died this past week, lined the streets of Paris on Saturday for his funeral procession.

The fans gathered under vivid blue skies and in the blistering cold to bear witness to the singer, some holding pictures or homemade signs, some crying. Many had arrived from around the country in the early morning to secure a spot along Paris' most famous avenue, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hearse carrying Hallyday's coffin.