Jean-Philippe Smet (born 15 June 1943), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday , is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he has been called "the French Elvis". He was married for 15 years to popular Bulgarian-French singer Sylvie Vartan and the two were considered a "golden couple" for 20 years. Hallyday has completed 181 tours, had 18 platinum albums, and has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. Hallyday announced in March 2012 that he would perform in Los Angeles on 24 April, in Quebec City on 10 July, and in New York City on 7 October, and he has continued to tour throughout the world (including Europe, North America, and Asia) through 2014.