It was his grand final show.

Tens of thousands of people gathered today to bid farewell to 'French Elvis' Johnny Hallyday after he died just weeks before Christmas.

The rock star, who passed away aged 74, was laid to rest with an elaborate send-off, including a presidential speech and a parade of motorcyclists.

Fans lined the streets of Paris as a convoy of 700 Harley Davidson bikes escorted his white coffin down the French capital's famous Champs Elysees.

A funeral service was held for the star at Madeleine Church, where his grieving wife Laetitia Hallyday was seen comforting their two adopted young daughters.

In one touching image, the 42-year-old could be seen cradling daughter Joy's face, while holding hands with older sister Jade, who was sat on her other side.

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Just last month ...Johnny Hallyday appears on the red carpet with his wife

In another picture, the mum looked visibly tearful as she touched Jade's head with her hand.

Also in attendance at the ceremony was Hallyday's former wife Sylvie Vartan. She was pictured leaning over and kissing his coffin as she paid her respects to her ex-partner.

Hallyday's hearse drove the length of the famous Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde today, as his fans said their final goodbyes.

This is a rare honour usually reserved for foreign statesmen on July 14 National Day.

As his band played instrumental versions of his biggest hits, the crowds belted out the words.

Many were dressed in leather biker jackets and carrying pictures of Hallyday.

Such a send-off has been granted to few figures in France's history.

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It was carried out at the request of President Emmanuel Macron - who is a Hallyday fan and spoke to fans who had gathered in the capital for the occasion.

He told those gathered: "Johnny was yours. Johnny was his public. Johnny was his country."

More than 1,500 policemen cordoned off central Paris for the funeral events, while the ceremony was attended by both Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Hallyday, real name is Jean-Philippe Smet, died after a battle with lung cancer.

In a statement earlier this week, wife Laeticia confirmed he had "left us".

She told Agence France Presse: "Johnny Hallyday has left us. I write these words without believing them. But yet, it’s true. My man is no longer with us."

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She added: “He left us tonight as he lived his whole life, with courage and dignity.”

President Macron's office said: "For more than 50 years, he was a vibrant icon."

Hallyday's death on Wednesday sparked days of national mourning, with broadcasters providing wall-to-wall coverage of the rocker's life.

Police in Paris had expected hundreds of thousands of fans to turn up today to say goodbye to the singer. It is not confirmed whether tens, or hundreds, of thousands turned out.

Hallyday's funeral procession began at his home in a Paris suburb this morning.

Dubbed the 'French Elvis', the veteran rock-and-roller sold more than 110 million records worldwide during a music career that spanned over half a century.

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He completed 181 tours and had 18 platinum albums.

Despite his stage longevity and periodic ventures into song recordings in English, Hallyday’s rock-icon status is largely confined to France and other French-speaking countries such as Belgium and Canada.

He was once described by US newspaper USA Today as “the greatest rock star you never heard of”.

His gravelly voice and cowboy swagger earned him an army of followers, including ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, who set up a fan club to him at the National Assembly - France’s lower house of parliament - and is said to know his song lyrics by heart.

Hallyday, who issued his first recording in 1959, had been preparing a new album and stage tour when news of his treatment for respiratory difficulties in a Paris hospital was announced last month.

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Born Jean-Philippe Leo Smet in Paris in 1943 to Huguette Clerc and Belgian-born Leon Smet, the young Johnny was raised by his middle-aged aunt Helene Mar after his parents split up.

He spent his early years on the road with his cousins Desta and Menen and their acrobatic dance troupe, and eventually took to the stage himself at the age of 12, singing country songs dressed as a child Davy Crockett.

The defining moment in his career came when he saw Elvis Presley in the film Loving You, an experience that prompted him to restyle his image, adopting the hip shake that would characterise legions of rock stars on both sides of the Atlantic.

As Johnny Hallyday, he released his first single, T'aimer Follement (To Love You Madly), aged 16, then set about bringing his own brand of rock to an avid French youth emerging from the austerity of the post-war era.

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His music and wild stage antics sparked rioting and hysteria, and he soon became famed for his hard living and self-destructive streak as much as for his chart-topping albums.

Partying, drugs, alcohol and dark tobacco (the latter apparently adopted on the advice of rock icon Keith Richards) all took their toll, carving out the husky voice and craggy face that were to become his trademark.

In 1965 he married pop star Sylvie, with whom he had one son, David Hallyday.

Their divorce in 1980 was quickly followed by four successive marriages, including one lasting 62 days and two to the same woman, Adeline Blondiau.

He first wed her in 1990 when she was just 19.

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His fifth and longest marriage to the 21-year-old Laeticia in 1996, with whom he adopted Joy and Jade, marked the start of a calmer, more stable phase in his personal life.

When he was hospitalised in 2009 for a severe infection after a back operation, it also emerged that, morphine failing to do the trick, he had been plunged into an artificial coma to tackle pain he had sought for weeks to kill with larger than ever amounts of alcohol.

The leather-clad, Harley Davidson-loving rocker remained a hard-working performer and firm favourite with fans.

He also founded a show business dynasty, with his son David following his footsteps into the music world, and his daughter Laura Smet, by third wife Nathalie Baye, becoming an actress.