Yes, pop, but he was born and lived first 12 years of his life in NYC and LA, his parents were Americans, and he went to the University of Michigan for 6 years getting his degree in 1963. And AFAIR, he had record releases in the US, they just were not nearly as popular as in France (or USSR for that matter). (Just seeing his name makes me feel nostalgic).
Just saw him on Later with Jools Holland. He plays blues on a three-string guitar, accompanied by a drummer. Kinda White Stripes-y, if Jack White looked like one of those Duck Hunter tv-show grandpas. I had never heard of him, but he was decent, so I looked him up. Yeah, he kinda blew up in the UK has has been touring consistently. Good for him.
That’s who I was thinking of. And i also saw the episode of Top Gear with Seasick Steve, who I was completely unfamiliar with.
Isn’t Tina Turner much bigger over there?
There’s Eva Cassidy (although she’s now a little bit of a cult singer in the U.S.), who has sold something like eight times as well in the U.K. as in the U.S. (per capita), as well as selling better (per capita) in several other countries as well, and she did all this after her death:
This is in regards to South Africa rather than Europe, but Sixto Rodriguez has sold vastly better in South Africa than in the U.S. (although the movie about him isn’t totally accurate and he’s also now a little bit of a cult singer in the U.S. too):
His first UK TV appearance was on Joolz Holland’s midnight New Year show. He was strikingly good in front of a bigger than average audience for Later. His obscurity made it feel good to root for him too 
Josephine Baker was a sensation in France in the 30s, and still seems to be known there today (The Triplets of Belleville had a Baker-like character among the performances of other well known stars from the time).
Elliott Murphy was anointed as the next Bob Dylan after his album Aquashow. He had little success in the US (*Aquashow *was a critical success but not a popular one), but carved out a career in Europe, where he’s currently based.
Eddie Constantine was an American actor of the 50s and 60s who moved the France and became a major star in a series of hard boiled detective films.
Woody Allen’s films typically do better in Europe.
The band eels, which is musician/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett and a changing roster of band members, has enjoyed more success overseas, mostly in England, than in the U.S.
Yes! Eddie Constantine is kind of a quintessential example of this. If you’re an American who doesn’t watch French films you don’t know him; if you do… like if you watch Godard films… he’s a major figure.
I personally saw Tony Joe White headlining a show in Spain circa 2002. In fact that was the first time I’d ever heard of him, although I knew his song “Polk Salad Annie,” since Elvis had sung it, and his song “Rainy Night in Georgia” because other people had sung it. It wasn’t a massive crowd, but it was a full house and I was struck by the their enthusiasm and I remember thinking, “this would never happen in the States.”
I presume that you will exclude those Americans whose professional life was mostly in Europe?
No, I will include them. Who are you thinking of?
According to this article (which is almost 17 years old), Woody Allen’s biggest markets are (in order) the U.S., France, and Argentina:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/features/woody0824.htm
I would be interested in seeing a list of the amount of money made by each Woody Allen film adjusted by the population of the country (and by inflation).
The following article (which is over 16 years old) discusses a number of artists who are more popular outside their own country:
Elizabeth McGovern. Terry Gilliam (now surrendered citizenship). Alexis Denisof (before Buffy).
Two examples for the German market:Bill Ramsey served as a soldier in post-war Germany, stayed and had a successful career as Schlager and Jazz singer. He mostly sings in German. Peggy March was a child star in the U.S., but had her biggest success as a grown up on the German Schlager market, also singing mostly in German. Both were regulars on German radio and TV in the 60s and 70s.
ETA: Btw., Jerry Lewis was also very popular in Germany back in the days. His films, especially the ones with Dean Martin, were shown regularly on German TV in the 70s and 80s. I grew up with them.
Elizabeth McGovern? From Ordinary People, **Ragtime **and Once Upon a Time in America?
What has she done in the U.S. in the last 25 years. There was…
I agree that you could perhaps call her someone who is now more active in Europe, like the OP said, but you can’t claim that her professional life was mostly in Europe. She still hasn’t made anything as important as those three movies since then.
I still think of her as Hollywood actress, just one who’s currently working in Britain.
On a related note, holy crap she was sexy back then. She’s still an attractive woman, but back in the early-mid 80’s she was sex personified.
I’m not sure how popular he is/was in the US, but Henry Silva spent the better part of his career in hard-boiled italian poliziotteschi and western, becoming quite a household name.