David Michaël Benjamin Smet (born 14 August 1966), known as David Hallyday, is a French singer, songwriter, actor and amateur sports car racer.
Early life Hallyday was born in Boulogne-Billancourt and is the son of the French singers Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan. David Hallyday is a first cousin of actor Michael Vartan. He is the older half-brother of actress Laura Smet.
Career
Hallyday is most known for writing music for others, including a collaboration with his father on the 1999 album Sang pour sang.
Hallyday appeared in the teenage comedy He's My Girl (1987), also performing its title theme song. "He's My Girl" reached #79 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #72 on Cash Box. His 1991 album Rock 'n' Heart spawned a bigger hit, "Ooh La La", which reached #51 on the Hot 100.
In the late 1980s, Hallyday had some success with his first solo records, but was unhappy. He decided to quit music, planning to do something different. He had an idea to reform his high-school garage band, Blind Fish but instead he formed Novacaine with his friend Erik Godal, a surf-grunge band. They toured and started to get some Top 40 radio play. But at the same time, Hallyday began writing for the European market because his label, Mercury Records asked him to write some songs in French. He made some demos and resumed his solo career in France while Novacaine went on hiatus with Hallyday saying that a new album was in the works for 2000. Meanwhile, Erik Godal joined up with the LA surf-noir band The Blue Hawaiians that scored music for TV show SpongeBob SquarePants. Besides The Blue Hawaiians, Godal continued to score for film and TV and was nominated for the 2006 Annie award for his work on Squirrelboy. Other films he scored include the Sundance film Subject Two and What Love Is. Godal also continued to work with Hallyday contributing to his solo album Revelation, appearing on touring dates and producing some songs for Johnny Hallyday, Tina Arena and Cylia.
Personal life Hallyday married Estelle Lefébure on 15 September 1989; they divorced in 2001. They have two children. In 2004, he had a son with Alexandra Pastor.
Discography Albums Studio albums Title Album detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications FRA BE (WA) SWITrue Cool Released: April 1988 Label: Scotti Bros. Formats: CD, LP, MC Re-released in Japan in 1989 as Your Power of Love13—— FRA: 2× PlatinumRock 'n' Heart Released: October 1990 Label: Scotti Bros. Formats: CD, LP, MC14—— FRA: 2× Gold2000 BBF(with Blind Fish) Released: 14 March 1994 Label: Scotti Bros. Formats: CD, MC———Novacaine(with Novacaine) Released: May 1997 Label: Mercury Formats: CD, MC———Un paradis/un enfer Released: 14 June 1999 Label: Mercury Formats: CD, MC97— FRA: 2× GoldRévélation Released: 24 June 2002 Label: Mercury Formats: CD9—44Satellite Released: 14 September 2004 Label: Mercury Formats: CD144441David Hallyday Released: 18 June 2007 Label: Mercury Formats: CD2532—Un nouveau monde Released: 15 March 2010 Label: Mercury Formats: CD91863Alive(with Mission Control) Released: 30 March 2015 Label: Self-released Formats: CD———Le temps d'une vie Released: 25 November 2016 Label: Polydor Formats: CD, digital download71132—J'ai quelque chose à vous dire Released: 7 December 2018 Label: Play Two Formats: CD, LP, digital download5714 FRA: PlatinumImagine un monde Released: 27 November 2020 Label: Play Two Formats: CD, LP, digital download3355—Requiem pour un fou Released: 21 June 2024 Label: TF1 Musique Formats: CD, 2xCD, 2xLP, digital download3317"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Live albums Title Album detailsPeak chart positions FRAOn the Road Released: May 1992 Label: Scotti Bros. Formats: CD, 2xCD, MC28
Compilation albums Title Album detailsMaster serie Released: 1998 Label: Podis Formats: CD, MC
Singles TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbumFRABE (WA)SWIUS"Tonight Your Mine" 1985————"He's My Girl"19878——79 FRA: SilverHe's My Girl (soundtrack)"Lady Beware" ————Lady Beware (soundtrack)"Rock Revival" 1988————He's My Girl (soundtrack)"Move"————True Cool"High"1———"Your Power of Love" 1989————Your Power of Love"Wanna Take My Time"11———True Cool"Listening"11———"Tears of the Earth"19906——— FRA: SilverRock 'n' Heart"About You"10———"Ooh La La"199128——51"Change of Heart"21———"Hold On Blue Eyes"199234———On the Road"Héros" (with Blind Fish)1993————"Pain and Pride" (with Blind Fish)————2000 BBF"Natural Child" (with Blind Fish)1994————"Tu ne m'as pas laissé le temps"199912—— FRA: DiamondUn paradis/un enfer"Pour toi"3332——"Ange étrange"200036———"Le manque à donner"————"Repenses-y si tu veux"200236———Révélation"Un homme libre"35—68—Treasure Planet (French version, soundtrack)"Le défi"20041434——Satellite"Satellite"200545———"Steve McQueen"2007————David Hallyday"On se fait peur" (with Laura Smet)2010—18——Un nouveau monde"Le cœur qui boite"————"Comme avant"2016————Le temps d'une vie"Des portes entre nous"2017————"Ma dernière lettre"2018————J'ai quelque chose à vous dire"Éternel"————"J'ai quelque chose à vous dire"2019————"Ensemble et maintenant"2020————Imagine un monde"Le plus heureux des hommes"2023————"Requiem pour un fou"————Requiem pour un fou"Sang pour sang"2024————"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 2003 Courage Compétition Philippe Alliot Carl Rosenblad Courage C65-JPX LMP675 41 DNF DNF 2007 PSI Experience Claude-Yves Gosselin Philipp Peter Chevrolet Corvette C6.R GT1 289 28th 12th 2008 Larbre Compétition Christophe Bouchut Patrick Bornhauser Saleen S7-R GT1 306 28th 7th 2011 Team Oreca-Matmut Alexandre Prémat Dominik Kraihamer Oreca 03-Nissan LMP2 200 DNF DNF 2014 IMSA Performance Matmut Raymond Narac Nicolas Armindo Porsche 997 GT3-RSR GTEAm 323 31st 11th
Notes
References
External links Official David Hallyday website