A 'national homage' to French rocker Johnny Hallyday began in Paris Saturday with an honour guard of up to 700 bikers following his hearse down the Champs Elysees.

Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of the French capital to bid a final farewell to the 74-year-old singer known as the French Elvis, who died of lung cancer on Wednesday.

Some fans cried as Hallyday's body, in a white coffin, was driven down the grand ceremonial avenue towards the Madeleine church for his funeral, where President Emmanuel Macron and former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy are due to speak.