French rock legend Johnny Hallyday had a botched operation in France and is now in a medically induced coma in a Los Angeles hospital as he recovers from surgery to fix the damage, his producer said.
Hallyday, 66, is expected to recover, producer Jean-Claude Camus said.
Hallyday is France's biggest rock star, though little known outside of Europe. Beyond his music, Belgian-born Hallyday _ whose real name is Jean-Philippe Smet _ is best known for his glitz, amorous affairs, Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a Frenchness as absolute as Elvis Presley's Americanness.
Hallyday had an operation overnight Wednesday to Thursday at L.A.'s Cedars Sinai hospital to fix lingering back trouble from a Nov. 26 operation in Paris, led by Delajoux, for a herniated disc.
"After (he) had woken up, the doctors preferred putting him in an artificial coma to prevent him from suffering and getting tired, and thus to make the treatment easier," Hallyday's Web site said.
Here is a selection of Halliday’s better-known hits. Please note how, unlike most modern-day rockers, Halliday uses a full orchestra to back him up. The effect is tres bien!
JOHNNY HALLIDAY – Pense à moi!
JOHNNY HALLIDAY - Vivre pour le meilleur!
JOHNNY HALLIDAY – Gabrielle!
JOHNNY HALLIDAY – Requiem pour un fou!
And finally, here is Halliday with famed Spanish singer Julio Iglesias – C’est splendide
JULIO IGLESIAS & JOHNNY HALLIDAY – Me olvide del vivir
We wish Halliday a speedy recovery, so he can return to enchanting audiences with his unique musical style.
Here is a sweet, little song by Canadian songwriter and singer, Michael Buble. At this time of the year, when we all want to be "home," Buble's song hits just the right chord.
Enjoy!
MICHAEL BUBLE - Home
Home - lyrics
Another summer day Has come and gone away In Paris and Rome But I wanna go home Mmmmmmmm
May be surrounded by A million people I Still feel all alone I just wanna go home Oh, I miss you, you know
And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you Each one a line or two “I’m fine baby, how are you?” Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough My words were cold and flat And you deserve more than that
Another aeroplane Another sunny place I’m lucky, I know But I wanna go home Mmmm, I’ve got to go home
Let me go home I’m just too far from where you are I wanna come home
And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life It’s like I just stepped outside When everything was going right And I know just why you could not Come along with me 'Cause this was not your dream But you always believed in me
Another winter day has come And gone away In even Paris and Rome And I wanna go home Let me go home
And I’m surrounded by A million people I Still feel all alone Oh, let me go home Oh, I miss you, you know
Let me go home I’ve had my run Baby, I’m done I gotta go home Let me go home It will all be all right I’ll be home tonight I’m coming back home
On Monday, Southern California (like most Western states) was pounded by an early winter storm. The storm brought us much needed rain. Farmers, who worry about their crops running short of water, breathed a sigh of relief as the storm clouds dumped water on previously dry lands.
By early afternoon, the storm had left the coast and moved inland, headed towards the Rocky Mountain states. This morning, when I woke up, the sun was already shining brightly. Although it was a very cold morning (for Southern California standards), it was nice to see the sun out again. The only reminders of the previous day storm were wet streets and a light dusting of snow on the nearby mountains.
The National Weather Service is predicting more stormy weather for the end of the week. I look forward to the coming rain (we really need it) - but in the meantime I will enjoy the shining sun.
If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you know by now that we regularly use the blog as a platform to shine a light on issues affecting the poor, the homeless and the hungry - we provide a forum for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Helping the poor and less fortunate members of our society can take many forms. Sometimes helping involves finding shelter for the homeless, other times helping involves getting food to feed the hungry, and sometimes helping involves finding both food and shelter for their pets.
There are times, however, when helping the less fortunate involves thinking outside the proverbial box to do something entirely different – like taking their portrait.
Help-Portrait is the brainchild of celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. The concept behind Help-Portrait is deliciously simple. On December 12, 2009, photographers from all over the world will grab their cameras, they will find people in need, and they will take their portraits and will deliver the portrait to them.
The idea is to give those who have little, or nothing, an opportunity to have their photograph taken. Single moms and single dads will finally have pictures of their children, homeless couples will have their portrait taken, senior citizens living alone will have an opportunity to chronicle their golden years, people in hospices will have one last portrait photograph taken and many families will have something they may never have had before – a portrait together.
Help-Portrait seeks to photograph those people who the world often does not see.
Most of us in Western society take photography, including portrait photography, for granted. Because we have grown up with photography all around us, we assume that every person has a shoebox full of photographs chronicling the major events of their lives, from their first baby step, to graduations, to marriage, to funerals. Unfortunately, however, that is not always the case. Even in this age of inexpensive digital photography, there are still people who have never actually sat d own to pose for a portrait photograph. It is for these people that the Help-Portrait project was created.
The video clips below explain the Help-Portrait project in more detail. The clips also show the tremendous impact that something as simple as a professionally done portrait can have on the lives of those who have very little else.
Photography has been a very big part of my life - now it is time for it to become a big part of someone else's life. I have already made plans to get involved in this year’s Help-Portrait. I strongly encourage all of you (Help-Portrait is a worldwide project) to visit their website and help this worthwhile cause.
Finally, the National Weather Service is predicting that a series of Pacific storms will hit California in the next two weeks. We may not see much of the sun for a while - to prepare for the storms, here are some reminders of what “sunny” Southern California is all about:
If you need to train or do some exercise , please have a look to that video ! that is good for health. Hey hey, you can do the same ! please try just one month or maybe one year ! hehehe
Maybe you will get an opportunity to join the NBA (lol)
And just to have fun and have a look to some of the most beautiful shoots !
Look at this one ! wow ! amazing ! really amazing ! love these top tens !
And last one for fun ! incredible ! wow ! americans are really crazy (lol) ! wow wow
Wow I have to stop now because i am getting an american boy ! lol
Hey you know in France , we also have very good players like Tony Parker (lol) But we have very good teams too ! nice
Oh please have a look to that ! oh oh that is excellent ! look look and listen , listen and enjoy and dance ! lol
Hello my dear friends ! I really hope that you are fine and certainly preparing christmas !
So today i would like to tell you about a nice organisation in France called "les restos du coeur" that helps every day and every year people who need help or who have difficulties and problems to live correctly, to eat , to drink some water...
The Restaurants du Cœur (far more familiarly known as the Restos du Cœur; "Restaurants of the Heart") is a French charitable organisation, the main activity of which is to distribute food packages and hot meals to the needy.
The comedian and actor Coluche launched the idea of the Restos du Cœur on 26 September 1985. "I have a little idea, a bit like this... If there are people who would be interested in sponsoring a free soup kitchen, we'd start first in Paris and then spread to France's big cities."
Coluche, or to give him his real name Michel Colucci, became known for his irreverent attitude towards politics and the Establishment and he incorporated this into much of his material.
The first of the Restos opened on 21 December and soon multiplied all over the country. The goal of the founders was to give away 2,000 to 3,000 meals per day; 8.5 million alone were distributed the first winter.
The initiative was supported by a song written by the songwriter and singer Jean-Jacques Goldman called 'Les Restos du Cœur', which included some of the lyrics being sung or read out by other celebrities. A televised show allowed the organization to collect several million euros.
version 2007
In 1986, Coluche died aged just 41 (he was very young) but his voice was heard and in 1987 the surplus was indeed turned over to four organisations.
Coluche pleaded for the Restos' cause at the European Parliament in February 1986 after learning that surplus products cost more to store than to distribute for free to the poor.
Upon his death, both President François Mitterand and Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, who were often the focus of Coluche's comedy, joined the public in expressing sadness for the loss of one of France's national treasures. "He was a great lover of life," said Mitterand.
France has a huge housing problem and it is charitable organizations like this that stops hundreds of homeless people dying each winter.
"Les Restos du Cœur - Relais du Cœur" is a voluntary association as defined by the French association law of 1901. Recognised as being of public interest, its goal is to help the neediest and to fight social marginalisation.
The departmental organisations manage, animate and coordinate activities on the ground with 40,000 volunteers in almost 2,500 Restos, which welcome 600,000 beneficiaries a day. Their aims are to carry out all food aid, lodging, workshop (such as the Jardins du Cœur - "Gardens of the Heart"), and cultural activities. Voted in 1988, the loi Coluche ("Coluche law") innovated by permitting small donors (the most numerous) to benefit from the same tax breaks as big donors. Its last amendment permits donors to get a tax break of 75% for a donation of up to 470€ (euros). Above that, and within a limit of 20% of income, the tax break is of 66%. Each donor receives a tax form on whose back an accountant will have done all the necessary calculations for a tax break, and a document stating how the money given will be used by the Restos.
The Restos du Cœur have benefited financially from the help of the European Plan to Help the Neediest (Plan européen d'aide aux plus démunis; PEAD) since 1987. The organisation worries about the menace to stop the renewal of this fund.
There are many different kinds of donors:
From children to the elderly, from artisans to multinationals, from housewives to stars, they are, in their own ways, the surest supporters. Those who generously give their services (loan of buildings, transport, printing...) or participate in authorised protests, which are strictly regulated financially and legally. Those who give money by buying an Enfoirés CD (les Enfoirés are an annual concert given to raise money for the cause), by bequeathing their goods or money Those who give goods (books, clothes, food, hygiene products...).
More than five years ago 90,000 people were helped, in the last campaign the number had risen to 700,000 people.
The 16 week winter aid distributes around 60,000 meals to 2,500 households. With the current economic climate the number of people turning to Restos for assistance is expected to rise further.
The unemployed, the elderly, retirees, single parents, students, the elderly and those on low wages there is no doubt the pressure on Restos will be high.
Support comes from Veronica Colucci and various artists who ask for more volunteers and donations who turn to the public at this time of year to assist this important cause.
So thank you for your action which is very important for people , for homeless people and needy people. As economic situation is hard, a lot of people stay on the road and it is hard very hard for them to live and that concerns everyone : childrens, adults and old people ! we have to help our brothers and sisters and parents !
I do know that all over the world there are organizations like "restos du coeur" that help people to live ! so thank you so much !
Please find a link to restos du coeur site and that will allow you to discover what is "restos du coeur" and what they do !
