Lee Halliday

Lemoine Gardner Ketcham (December 25, 1927 – September 5, 2023), better known as Lee Halliday, was an American singer, dancer, and record producer.^[1]

Lee Halliday
Born	Lemoine Gardner Ketcham (1927-12-25)December 25, 1927 Sapulpa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	September 5, 2023(2023-09-05) (aged 95) Marseille, France
Occupation(s)	Singer, producer

Biography

Born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma on December 25, 1927, Ketcham became a singer and dancer in music hall productions under the name "Lee Halliday". He met the Menen and Desta Mar sisters, who were dancers and paternal cousins of Johnny Hallyday, during a tour in London, with whom he formed an acrobatic dance trio called "The Hallydays".^[2] He married Desta,^[3] but later divorced her in the 1970s.^[4][5] The couple had two children: daughter Carol-Makéda Ketcham, and son Michael Ketcham Halliday.^[6]

Ketcham met Johnny Hallyday while on tour with the Mar sisters.^[7][8] The two formed a "father and son" bond for life.^[9] Hallyday chose his stage name after choosing a rock career inspired by Elvis Presley^[10] and Ketcham's stage name.^[11] Ketcham became Hallyday's agent after the latter signed with Philips Records in 1961.^[12] He produced almost all of Hallyday's songs from 1961 to 1975. His name last appeared on a Johnny Hallyday album in 1979, Pavillon de Paris : Porte de Pantin [fr].^[13]

Aside from Johnny Hallyday, Ketcham also worked as an artistic producer for the likes of Les Lionceaux [fr], Herbert Léonard, Nanette Workman,^[14] Lucky Blondo,^[15][16] and William Sheller.^[17]

Lee Halliday lived in London with his wife until her death in 2018. He then joined his daughter in Marseille,^[18] where he died on September 5, 2023, at the age of 95.^[19]

Publications

• Lee Hallyday raconte Johnny (1964)
• Johnny Hallyday, l'enfance d'une star (2000)