It’s a late summer morning at the Église de la Madeleine in Paris. As tourists wander into the imposing neo-classical church, hundreds of the faithful rise from their pews, singing their hearts out to the accompaniment of the church organ. Standing before them, a priest dressed in a green chasuble raises his hands heavenward in prayer.
Nothing unusual, you might think. Except that the faithful are singing the hits of the recently deceased French rock star Johnny Hallyday, who gazes out with his distinctive lupine eyes from a portrait placed on the steps of the altar. “Je t’en supplie, à l’infini, retiens la nuit,” they sing (“Please hold back the night forever”).
