Michel Polnareff

Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff in concert at Le Palace on July 10, 2023.
Background information
Birth name	Michel Polnareff
Also known as	The Admiral
Born	(1944-07-03) 3 July 1944
Origin	Nérac (Lot-et-Garonne), France
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals pop jazz rock
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Barclay
Partner	Danyellah Polnareff (2004-present)

Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944) is a French singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s. He is noted for integrating rock and pop elements into his early work. He is the writer of popular songs such as "La Poupée qui fait non" and "Love Me, Please Love Me." Over the years, his music has incorporated classical and electronic styles. Known for his distinctive appearance and stage presence, Polnareff is a notable figure in French popular music.

Early life and education

Michel Polnareff's mother, Simonne Lane, was a Breton dancer, and his father, Leib Polnareff, who was of Ukrainian Jewish heritage, worked with Édith Piaf. His father encouraged his musical interests from a young age, while discouraging socializing. Michel attended the Cours Hattemer, a private school. He learned guitar and piano, and after his studies and military service, and a brief period in insurance, he began playing guitar on the steps of the Sacré Cœur.

Career

Polnareff (Dutch TV, 1967)

Lucien Morisse, a producer at Europe 1 and director of AZ Disc, signed Polnareff to his record company. His first record, ‘La Poupée qui fait non’ (1966), which features Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, was an immediate success.

During this period, he played concerts in Brussels for a week, sharing the stage with Jeff Beck. His songs in France included ‘La Poupée qui fait non,’’Love Me, Please Love Me (1966), ‘Sous quelle étoile suis-je né?’ (1966), ‘Ta-ta-ta-ta’ (1967), ‘Âme câline’ (‘Soul Coaxing’) (1967), ‘Le Bal des Laze’ (1968), ‘Tout tout pour ma chérie’ (1969), ‘Holidays’ (1972), and ‘On ira tous au paradis’ (1972).

Exile in the United States (1973–1984)

During a tour of Japan, Polnareff discovered that his manager, Bernard Seneau, had absconded with his money, leaving him bankrupt. Burdened by debt and his mother's death, he left France by boat and moved to the United States, living anonymously. He was later joined by his friend and long-time partner, Annie Fargue, who became his manager and remained so for many years, even after their romantic separation.

In 1975, Polnareff released ‘Fame à la Mode’, his first and only album entirely in English (later renamed after the album's first song). It was recorded with musicians including Lee Sklar, David Foster, Jim Keltner, and Lee Ritenour. The song ‘Jesus for Tonight’ from the album charted on the American Billboard.

He also created the soundtrack for the film ‘Lipstick’ (1976), starring American model Margaux Hemingway and her sister Mariel. In 1975, after being barred from entering France, Polnareff performed in Brussels, with many French fans traveling by train to attend. In the summer of 1977, he released ‘Lettre à France’, a song expressing his longing for his home country, co-written with French writer Jean-Loup Dabadie. It was structured as an imaginary letter to France.

In 1978, he released the album ‘Coucou me Revoilou’, which did not sell well and did not chart. His next album, ‘Bulles’ (1981), was a commercial and critical success, marking his return to the French music scene. In 1985, he released ‘Incognito’, which had less commercial success than his previous work. During this period, he also became interested in computers.

Back to the top (1989–1994)

In 1989, ‘Goodbye Marylou’ was released to radio stations without promotion and quickly gained popularity. For a year and a half, Polnareff lived reclusively at Le Royal Monceau in Paris while recording ‘Kāma-Sūtra’. The album, featuring guitar by Mike Oldfield on two songs, was released in February 1990. It was commercially successful, solidifying Polnareff's return to the French music scene, and featured popular songs such as ‘Kāma-Sūtra’, ‘LNA HO’, and ‘Toi et moi’.

Amidst rumors about his health, he underwent successful cataract surgery in 1994 to prevent blindness.

From the Roxy to Bercy: rebirth (1995–2007)

Polnareff returned to the United States and performed live at the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard on 27 September 1995. His band included executive producer/guitarist Dick Smith (Earth, Wind, and Fire, Aretha Franklin) and Alex Acuña (Weather Report, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson). The performance was released the following year as ‘Live at the Roxy’. The album was certified platinum in France. To mark this, Canal + aired a two-part special: ‘À la Recherche de Polnareff’ ("In Search of Polnareff"), a documentary about investigators searching for Polnareff, and ‘Rendez-vous à Zzyzx Road’, an interview by Michel Denisot in the Mojave Desert. In the latter, Polnareff appeared in a military uniform (leading to his nickname "The Admiral"), followed by an acoustic mini-concert in the Californian desert.

In 1999, Polnareff released ‘Je rêve d'un monde (When I'm in Love)’, his first original single in ten years. However, its limited promotion and length (almost 13 minutes), which hindered radio airplay, resulted in a relatively poor performance. Plans for a new album and tour in the following years did not materialize.

In 2003, the compilation ‘Passé Présent’ was released, selling over 200,000 copies.

In 2004, Polnareff released his autobiography, ‘Polnareff par Polnareff’, and stated that he was working on his next album.

On 12 May 2006, Polnareff announced on national television that he would hold a series of concerts between 2 and 14 March 2007, followed by a tour in France. He then released a new single, ‘Ophélie Flagrant des Lits’, which received mixed reviews.

On Bastille Day 2007, Polnareff gave a free concert at the Champs de Mars, in front of the Eiffel Tower, which was attended by over 1.5 million people.

In the studio (2010–2015)

By November 2013, Polnareff had sold 3.9 million albums and 4.9 million singles in France.

In 2014, an authorized documentary, ‘Quand l'écran s'allume’ (titled after the opening line of ‘Goodbye Marylou’)), was screened in theaters and later aired on television. It previewed many tracks from his then-upcoming album, showing Polnareff recording in the studio and playing piano at home.

New single and new tour (2015–2017)

On 8 December 2015, Polnareff announced the release of his new album in the first half of 2016 (between January and April) and a new 50-date tour in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The tour was divided into two legs: the first from 30 April 2016 in Epernay to 26 July 2016 (including four dates at the Paris-Bercy Arena in early May and appearances at summer festivals), and the second from 4 November 2016 to 10 December 2016 in Bordeaux.

On 18 December 2015, Polnareff released ‘L'Homme en rouge’, his first single since 2006, as a digital download and on streaming services. ‘L'Homme en rouge’ is sung from the perspective of a poor child who does not believe in Santa Claus.

In late April 2016, just before the tour, Polnareff revealed that the new album was unfinished, with 3 of the 9 announced tracks still in progress. He planned to play a new song from the album live during the tour, ‘Sumi’, about his SM experience with a geisha in Fukuoka, Japan. He also mentioned that a song about his son Louka, ‘Louka's Song’, would be on the new album. Simultaneously, another autobiographical book, ‘Spèrme’, was released.

In December 2016, before the tour's penultimate concert, Polnareff suffered a double pulmonary embolism, leading to the cancellation of the remaining two dates.

Enfin! (2018)

On 3 October 2018, Polnareff announced the forthcoming release on 30 November of ‘Enfin!’ ("Finally!"), his first studio album in 28 years. The album received mixed reviews.

Polnareff chante Polnareff (2022-2023)

On 24 July 2022, four years after ‘Enfin!’, Polnareff announced a new album of piano and vocal renditions of some of his major hits. The album performed well and was followed by a French tour to promote it the following year.

La derrière tournée (2025)

In November 2024, Michel Polnareff announced a new album and tour for the following year, including his first show in London. He also released a single, ‘Sexcetera’, followed by a second single in February 2025, ‘Tu n’m’entends pas’. On March 10, Polnareff announced the album would be titled ‘Un temps pour elles’.

Personal life

Polnareff cultivated a distinctive image with long hair, black glasses, flared trousers, and ambiguous provocations. His song ‘L'amour avec toi’ was restricted from airplay before 10 P.M. in France due to its "pornographic" nature. From 1969 on, Polnareff gained popularity through tours, music videos, and hit songs, also becoming a target of scandalmongers.

In September 1970, Polnareff's friend Lucien Morisse died by suicide. Around the same time, he also experienced a relationship crisis. After resting near Paris and undergoing months of isolation and therapy for depression, he gradually returned to touring. While his general health and morale improved, his vision did not, and he continued to wear thick, dark sunglasses to protect his eyes.

In 1972, a promotional poster for his ‘Polnarévolution’ tour, featuring an image of his bare buttocks, caused controversy. While the publicity generated commercial interest, it also led to censorship and legal challenges.

Polnareff has had relationships with American actress Lynda Carter and Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel. His first major relationship was with his manager, Annie Fargue, lasting over 20 years without marriage. In 2004, he met Danyellah, a French journalist and model. On 28 December 2010, Polnareff's girlfriend Danyellah gave birth to a boy, Louka, in Los Angeles, with Polnareff assisting in the delivery. On 21 February 2011, Polnareff announced via Facebook that a DNA test revealed he was not the biological father and that Danyellah had used a sperm donor. A later post indicated his girlfriend had disappeared with the baby. After some months of separation, they as of 2014 were reunited with their son, Louka. They now live in Palm Springs where Polnareff has his own recording studio.

Polnareff's longtime friend and manager Annie Fargé died of cancer at age 76 on March 4, 2011.

Discography

Main article: Michel Polnareff discography

In popular culture

Jean-Pierre Polnareff, a character in the Japanese manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, is named after Michel Polnareff. He is a self-proclaimed fan and previously used Jean-Pierre Polnareff as his Twitter profile picture.

In 1996, Mylène Farmer and Khaled covered ‘La Poupée qui fait non’. ‘On ira tous au paradis’ became the theme song of Restaurants du Cœur in 1998. His 1977 song ‘Lettre à France’ experienced renewed success in 2004 after being included on the French version of the Star Academy talent contest.

In 2001, death rapper Necro sampled Polnareff's ‘Voyages’ for his song ‘Light My Fire’. The English band The Shortwave Set also sampled this song for their single ‘Is It Any Wonder?’ in 2005. Masher (L)SD sampled ‘Sous quelle étoile suis-je né?’ for his tune ‘Howards's Thinking Clearly’, on the CD ‘That's CRAZY Music’ (2005).

The 2004 Korean TV drama ‘Sorry, I Love You’, also known as ‘MiSa’, featured Polnareff songs like ‘Qui a tué Grand' Maman ?’ and ‘Ça n'arrive qu'aux autres’ on its soundtrack. It aired on KBS from 9 November 2004 to 28 December 2004. The soundtrack was released on two commercial CDs.

Publications

• 1974: Polnaréflexions in collaboration with Jean-Michel Desjeunes, Editions Dire/Stock2
• 2004: Polnareff par Polnareff in collaboration with Philippe Manœuvre, Editions Grasset et Fasquelle
• 2013: Le Polnabook, by Michel Polnareff, Editions Ipanéma
• 2016: Spèrme, by Michel Polnareff, Editions Plon

Bibliography

• Christian Eudeline, Derrière les lunettes, ed. fayard, 2013 (ISBN 978-2-213-66680-8)
• Benoît Cachi, Polnaculte : Michel Polnareff vu par ses auteurs et par lui-même, ed. Tournon, 2007 (ISBN 978-2351440360)
• Christophe Lauga, Polnareffmania, ed. Scali, 2007 (ISBN 2350120848)
• Fabien Lecœuvre, Polnareff, la véritable histoire d'une légende, ed. City, 2007 (ISBN 2352880459)
• Philippe Margotin, Polnareff, ed. de la Lagune, 2007 (ISBN 284969049X)
• Fabien Lecœuvre, Michel Polnareff, ed. Vaderetro, 2004 (ISBN 2847630104)

External links

• Biography of Michel Polnareff, from Radio France Internationale
• Official Web Site : Michel Polnareff (news, discography, photos...)