Viviers, in the Ardèche, has already set up its statue of Johnny Hallyday. Why not Paris? Bernadette Servan-Schreiber, the sister of Jean-Jacques and Jean-Louis, would like to see the monumental project of the Russian sculptor Aleksei Blagovestnov installed in the streets of the capital. But this will not be so simple. This is why she has accepted the proposal of François Pelletant, the mayor various right of Linas, (Essonne), which aims to accommodate the monument and is looking for funds to achieve its purposes.

LE FIGARO. – When Anne Hidalgo revealed in Le Figaro that it would accept a statue of Johnny Hallyday in Paris on the condition that Laeticia Hallyday, David Hallyday and Laura Smet agree (a condition almost impossible to fulfill), you jumped on the opportunity?

Francis PELLETANT. – to Wait for an agreement between the beneficiaries of Johnny Hallyday then they are in the midst of war legal, it is a way policy to say, “Johnny, I don’t want that”. This I was not surprised. In Paris, Anne Hidalgo leads a cultural policy intended for injuries to bicycle. I do not see inaugurate a statue where the rocker is sitting on a huge motorcycle. With it, I do not take lightly. As the president of the Association of mayors of ile-de-france, I was opposed to the closure of lanes on shore. By the way, I like the idea that this is Bernadette Servan-Schreiber, which is not really the kind to have posters of Johnny in his living room who had the idea of this statue. We saw the funeral of Johnny Hallyday at the church of the Madeleine, it transcends all social categories. This project in Linas is to unite the French around his statue. It may be franchouillard, but it’s nice.

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What links Johnny Hallyday had it with Linas to justify the installation of this statue in your town?

Johnny Hallyday came here as early as the 1960s and until the late 1990s. He came for two reasons. Make car races on the circuit Linas-Montlhery with his friends, whose car racer, Jean-Pierre Beletoise (1937-2015), which is here. Johnny Hallyday also came here to register their cars as it was coming to America. He loved to customize. The registration of Mines, required to certify that a car is compliant with the French legislation, is based in us. It has been seen through all of the cars of Johnny, including this Mercedes souped-up by amg exposed in the beginning of February at the salon Retro Mobile in Porte de Versailles.

This statue is a project of the Association Johnny for always. What agreement did you find?

I contacted them after discovering the history of this statue in your journal. They came on the 12th of February and it went very well. The headquarters of the association will be installed at the town hall of Linas. The municipality will participate in the association’s office as an auditor. We will not have any voting rights. The association is currently seeking celebrities to be a college of members of honour. Them, will create a fund with the Foundation of France. A call to the subscription will be launched and all donations will be transferred to this fund.

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What is the cost of this statue?

Between 400,000 and 500,000 euros. Our municipality will not invest money, the statue will be fully funded by the donations of the fans.

The kitty that you have launched on Leetchi found 50 euros on the 100,000 expected…

It was to create and install a statue before we take contact with the association Johnny for always. This prize has no reason to be. If funds are paid over, they will be donated directly to the accounts of the Foundation of France. The advantage of this prize is to enable those who want to participate can do so right now.

Where will it be installed?

In the park of the Source of Linas. The statue will be visible from the RN20, which is often used by bikers as the road to the racing circuit. This park will be renamed the Johnny Hallyday. I’ll now drop off a plate to make the implementation more practical.

You have other plans for Johnny Hallyday?

Yes! As is the wish of the association to Johnny for always, it is first and foremost to live the memory of Johnny Hallyday. In June, our fireworks annual will be fired in honor of Johnny Hallyday and with his songs. We have also planned to pay tribute to him at our next salon vintage, which goes from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Have you taken any of the same contact with Laeticia Hallyday, David Hallyday and Laura Smet?

I am not the most qualified for it. I leave it to the association, “Johnny forever” maintain relations with the family. The idea of the association Johnny forever, and I fully agree, is to keep them informed about the beneficiaries of our initiatives. Once their legal battle ended, we hope that they will come here. The state of mind is to take into account their remarks and to be consensual.

When do you think that this statue can be installed?

We are dependent on donations, but the combination Johnny always has good hope of going fast. In Moscow, the Russian sculptor Aleksei Blagovestnov has committed to redoing the face and the bust of his work. They were not quite similar. I want to avoid the worries that it has had to Viviers in the Ardeche, where it was necessary to make the statue after the remarks of the fans. Once, the donations collected, it takes a year of work in a foundry in France since the statue is complex and huge.