A realistic representation of the singer at the height of his charisma, during the concert he gave for his fiftieth birthday at the Parc des Princes.
The installation of the statue (funded by the municipality) is the result of a collaboration between the City and the bikers of Desperados HDC, the club founded by Johnny and his friend Jo Rodriguez in the early 1990s.
Since the installation of the statue, admirers of the “idol of young people” sometimes come from far away to Place du Galoubet (renamed in the singer’s name, following a vote by the municipal council) to admire the work.
The first plaque was temporary
The objective of creating a place of pilgrimage for the artist’s fans seems to be on the verge of being fulfilled. However, last fall, some Fréjusiens were surprised by the appearance of the plaque affixed to the foot of the statue. On it, the name of the mayor of Fréjus was written in large letters. It was much more readable than those of the sculptor… And of Johnny himself. Recently the plate was replaced.
-The new plaque gives back to Johnny what is Johnny’s. His name is therefore written at the top, in large form. Those of David Rachline, Olivier Delobel and Jo Rodriguez also appear.
But then, why did you replace this plate so soon after its installation? Has it been degraded? Was it stolen? Or has the municipality decided to correct the situation to avoid possible ridicule?
None of this, according to Pascal Dufour, the international secretary of Desperados HDC: “The answer is very simple. The first plate was only a temporary plate intended to be replaced by another, definitive one. All this was very clear from the start, including in the specifications.”
