French Elvis: Rock icon Johnny Hallyday dies at 74

Rock ‘n’ roll fans in France are mourning a national pop legend often compared to Elvis Presley.

Johnny Hallyday died from lung cancer aged 74.

When Elvis Presley burst into the US music scene in 1957, Johnny found his idol and a template for his own career. He hit the road as a teenage singer, fast becoming a sensation. Soon he was France’s highest-earning music star.

As well as music, there was acting. Hallyday starred in films by top French directors including Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Lelouch.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler reports from Paris.