Thankfully, there is still Sylvie… : Jean

Renowned photographer Jean-Marie Périer, emblematic of the yé-yé years and a key figure in the magazine “Salut les copains,” was at the heart of a generation of artists who left their mark on the 1960s and 1970s. Through his iconic photographs, he shaped the image of many stars, including Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan, and Françoise Hardy, with whom he had close ties. As a former partner of Sylvie Vartan, he also mingled closely with Johnny Hallyday and his circle. It was within this circle that he saw Nathalie Baye, the singer’s partner in the 1980s, evolve.

He was the author of the “Photo of the Century,” an iconic shot taken in 1966 for the magazine “Salut les copains,” featuring numerous stars of the yé-yé scene. Taken on April 12 of the same year, this photograph was published in June as the central poster of special issue 47, celebrating the magazine’s fourth anniversary.

“Et maintenant Nathalie Baye”

On Instagram, Jean-Marie Périer accompanied his tribute with an archived photograph bringing together Johnny Hallyday, Sylvie Vartan, and Françoise Hardy. A powerful image, a symbol of an entire generation, which he himself helped shape through his iconic photographs published in the press of that time. These faces, now iconic, that he spent a long time with and immortalized, still embody the spirit of those years today.

In the caption, the photographer let his emotions speak in the face of Nathalie Baye’s passing: “Johnny, Sylvie and Françoise… And now Nathalie Baye leaving, I feel like I’m watching snowflakes falling.”

An account at the heart of that generation

“Fortunately Sylvie remains…” he writes at the end of his message, as if clinging to those who remain from that era. If Jean-Marie Périer is so touched, it is also because he shared a personal history with Françoise Hardy. Their relationship, which marked the 1960s, placed him in the intimacy of this group of artists. He continued to socialize with this close circle, within which Nathalie Baye also moved in the 1980s.

Furthermore, despite their separation, Françoise Hardy and Jean-Marie Périer remained very close. Over the years, the singer regularly showed her support, especially during the opening of his exhibitions or when he was honored by the Ministry of Culture in 2006.