A moment he will never forget. During the funeral of Johnny Hallyday, on December 9, 2017 at the Madeleine church, Philippe Labro was chosen to deliver a eulogy. During this moving tribute, the man of letters returned to life, career but also the last moments of Taulier. A poignant speech on which the lyricist and close friend of Johnny Hallyday returned with a certain emotion when he came to the set of the show C to youbroadcast this Tuesday, December 19 on France 5. “I worked on the text a lot. They asked me to come to Marne-la-CoquetteI had Læticia and she explained to me how the last moments had happened”he revealed to Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine and all of his columnists.
In order to best prepare for this oration, the 87-year-old journalist wanted to see the body of Johnny Hallyday one last time. This request having been accepted, Philippe Labro then went to Val-de-Grâce “overnight”. As a crowd of fans waited in the pouring rain, the writer was directed into the room where the singer That I love you was resting. A moment that remains engraved in his memory. “And there, it’s always terrible because he is almost small. They dressed him, they put a little make-up on him, he has a somewhat Western tie. And I didn’t stay because it wasn’t him”he revealed, his voice hoarse with emotion.
Philippe Labro looks back on his friendship with Johnny Hallyday
After listening to this moving story, Yvan Cassar wanted to return to the admiration that Johnny Hallyday had for Philippe Labro. “As he was an intellectual and an author, as soon as he performed a song by Philippe, even though he didn’t do it often, it was powerful”, declared the man who worked alongside the rocker for around fifteen years. Before addressing the lyricist directly: “He brought him a lot of things: gravity, power, content. In the end, he was always impressed by you. Through your writing, there was this connection.”
Touched by these few words, Philippe Labro spoke of his “good relations” with David Hallyday’s father. “There was never a problem”, he confided. If Anne-Élisabeth Lemoine bounced back by recalling that the singer had often “angry” with “some of his friends”the author of the song My own America assured that this had never been the case for him. “Never ! There was never a single problem”, he insisted. To support his words, Philippe Labro remembered this surprise that Sylvie Vartan’s ex-husband gave him on the stage of the Parc des Princes. “I go to his dressing room just before and he says to me: ‘I’m going to give you a little surprise later'”. During this concert, Johnny Hallyday performed the title To try that his friend had written to him in 1970. An anecdote, among many others, that Philippe Labro treasures preciously.
Photo credits: Screenshot C to you – France 5