Johnny Hallyday

Hallyday Wakes From Coma

Veteran French heartthrob Johnny Hallyday has just woken from a week-long medically induced coma in a Los Angeles hospital following surgery to repair damaged caused by a botched operation last week. The 66 year old singer’s star shines brightest in France, where his releases have amassed an impressive 18 platinum awards and sold over 100 million units, but for all his home grown fame, he is little known beyond continental Europe. His health has been deteriorating over the last few years since his retirement in 2007, and the initial surgery -- which was performed in France -- was intended to fix a herniated disc. When asked about the situation Hallyday’s producer, Jean-Claude Camus, told a French radio station RTL: "If what I'm being told in the United States is true, this operation was a massacre. It seems the Americans fixed things that they found that were very badly done." Such is the public upset at the predicament of the star that Dr. Stephane Delajoux, the doctor responsible for the original operation, has been attacked and injured in a Paris street. He strongly denied that the operation went badly, and his lawyer said “the manhunt that he’s faced… has been despicable.” Delajoux suffered facial bruising, and while Hallyday’s current condition is more serious, doctors do expect him to make a complete recovery.