This is a monumental work of more than four meters long and two meters high, which lies for the moment in Moscow, in the atelier of the Russian sculptor Alexey Blagovestnov. In a video entrusted exclusively to the Figaro the artist explains how he had the idea of paying tribute to Johnny Hallyday.

” READ ALSO – Paris, the statue of Johnny waits for the green light of the heirs

Everything is gone from the heartfelt homage rendered to the rocker at the church of the Madeleine on December 9, 2017. Nailed in his bed by a fracture of the neck of the femur, Bernadette Servan-Schreiber, a 90-year-old watches television in a loop. It is struck by the fervour and phone to Moscow to her friend Natalya Tolstaya, a distant descendant of Leo Tolstoy. Bernadette Servcan-Schreiber has a quite precise idea in mind: Alexey Blagovestnov, the husband of Natalia Tolstoy, was created a few years ago, a giant sculpture of Viktor Tsoï, Johnny Hallyday Russian. Why not do the same for Jean-Philippe Smet?

The machine starts up. In Paris, Bernadette Servan Schreiber opened his thick address book in the world of art and politics. In Moscow, Alexey Blagovestnov goes to work. It is understood that the statue will be cast in bronze in paris at the very prestigious foundry of Coubertin. The Paris city council and the elected members of the Council of Paris are, of course, agree that one or several places bear the name of Johnny Hallyday in the capital. The principle of the installation of a statue is also recognised.

” READ ALSO – Laeticia Hallyday wants to ban a show in tribute to Johnny

But there are two obstacles. First, it is necessary to find the funding. Bernadette Servan-Schreiber count on the support of the fans. In Bordeaux, Chantal Deysse-Mourillon, who organized the two tributes from the fans to the Madeleine in June and December 2018 is loaded up an association and start a bankroll on the Internet. The other obstacle is more complicated. Anne Hidalgo, who is familiar with Laeticia Hallyday, David Hallyday and Laura Smet, is so keen to have their agreement. They agree at least on the choice of the statue and the place. Then, only the foundry de Coubertin will be able to get to work. It takes a year before this monumental statue kind of workshops to be escorted by the bikers that Johnny loved so much. In The Direction Of Paris.

Friday, the city of Linas in Essonne has made it known that she would be delighted to host the statue in the case, where Anne Hidalgo doesn’t want to. It is necessary to remember “the sporting past of Johnny Hallyday on the autodrome of Linas-Montléhry, writes the mayor in a press release. The singer has played in several events in his youth in particular, in June 1967, where he took part in the cup of the Automobile Club of Ile-de-France in the category of tourism of more than 1300 cm3.”