Michel Polnareff

Michel Polnareff
Polnareff in concert at Le Palace in 2023
Background information
Also known as	The Admiral
Born	Michel Polnareff (1944-07-03) 3 July 1944
Origin	Nérac, France
Genres	Pop jazz rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Barclay
Partner	Danyellah Polnareff (2004-present)

Michel Polnareff (born July 3rd, 1944) is a French singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s and remained popular in France until the 1990s.^[1] His popular songs include "La Poupée qui fait non" and "Love Me, Please Love Me", which combine elements of pop and rock.^[2] He has been identified by his eccentric personality, theatrical flair and stage performances, as well as being commonly referenced in discussions of French popular music.^[3][4]

Michel Polnareff was born in Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, on July 3rd, 1944. His mother, Simonne Lane, worked as a Breton dancer, and his father, Leib Polnareff (also known as Léo Poll), was a Ukrainian Jewish composer and pianist who performed with artists such as Édith Piaf.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} Polnareff attended the private Cours Hattemer school and studied piano from a young age, later learning guitar.^[10] After completing his mandatory military service in France, Polnareff held brief positions in banking and insurance. He later took up street performing, busking on the steps of Sacré Cœur in Paris.^[11]

In 1966, producer Lucien Morisse signed Polnareff to Disc AZ. His first single, "La Poupée qui fait non", featured session guitarist Jimmy Page and achieved commercial success in France. Among his early French-language recordings were “La Poupée qui fait non” and "Love Me, Please Love Me", both released in 1966, which helped establish his popularity in France.

In 1973, after experiencing severe financial difficulties under the management of Bernard Seneau and the death of his mother, Polnareff moved to California, where he lived largely outside public attention. He was later joined there by his partner and manager, Annie Fargue.^[12] His only English-language album, Fame à la Mode (also titled Michel Polnareff), was released in 1975. It included contributions from several American session musicians. The single, "Jesus for Tonight", later appeared on the Billboard charts.^[13]

He composed the soundtrack for the film Lipstick (1976), which was released as an album in July 1976 on Atlantic Records. It reached number one on the U.S. disco charts and sold around 75,000 copies in France. At the time, he could not return to France and performed in Brussels. In 1977, he released "Lettre à France", co‑written with Jean‑Loup Dabadie. The single, expressing themes of nostalgia and exile, sold roughly 476,000 copies that year. After the success of "Coucou me Revoilou" (1978), his 1981 album Bulles marked a return to the French charts, while Incognito (1985) attracted less attention.

In 1989, the single "Goodbye Marylou" was released to radio stations without formal promotional efforts. During the following 18 months, Polnareff resided at the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris while working on the album Kāma‑Sūtra.^[14] The album, which included guitar contributions by Mike Oldfield on two tracks, was issued in February 1990. It achieved commercial success, marking Polnareff's return to the French music industry, and included the tracks "Kāma‑Sūtra", "LNA HO", and "Toi et moi".

Polnareff returned to live performance in 1995 with a concert at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles^[15], followed by a series of television appearances in France documenting his re-emergence. These events preceded the release of the live album Live at the Roxy, which achieved commercial success in France.^[16] In 1999, Polnareff released "Je rêve d’un monde" (When I'm in Love), his first original single in ten years. The single, which runs nearly 13 minutes, received limited promotion and radio airplay and reached only moderate chart positions. Plans for a subsequent album and tour were announced, but did not come to fruition in the following years.

In 2003, the compilation Passé Présent was released and sold approximately 400,000 copies^[17]. In 2004, Polnareff published his autobiography, Polnareff par Polnareff, and mentioned that he was working on a new album. On 12 May 2006, Polnareff announced on national television that he would perform a series of concerts from 2 to 14 March 2007, followed by a tour in France. He later released the single "Ophélie Flagrant des Lits", which received mixed critical reception. On 14 July 2007, Michel Polnareff performed a free concert at the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower, which was reportedly attended by over 600 thousand people^[18].

As of November 2013, Polnareff had sold approximately 3.9 million albums and 4.9 million singles in France.^[19]

In 2014, an authorised documentary titled Quand l’écran s’allume (named after the opening line of "Goodbye Marylou") was released in selected cinemas and later broadcast on television. The film documented Polnareff’s studio work and included previews of material from an upcoming album.^[20]

On 8 December 2015, Polnareff announced plans to release a new album and undertake a major concert tour across France, Belgium, and Switzerland during 2016.^[21] On 18 December 2015, Polnareff released "L'Homme en rouge", his first single since 2006, available as a digital download and on streaming platforms. The song is performed from the perspective of a child who is poor and does not believe in Santa Claus.

In 2016, Polnareff indicated that work on his forthcoming album was ongoing and referenced several new compositions, including songs inspired by personal experiences and family life.^[22] At the same time, he released another autobiographical book entitled Spèrme. In December 2016, before the tour's penultimate concert, Polnareff was hospitalised with a double pulmonary embolism. He subsequently cancelled the final two shows.^[23]

On October 3rd 2018, Michel Polnareff announced that his album Enfin! would be released on November 30th, marking his first studio album in 28 years. The album received mixed critical reception. On 24 July 2022, four years after the release of Enfin!, Polnareff announced Polnareff chante Polnareff, a piano-and-vocal album featuring new versions of his earlier songs. The album received a generally positive response and was supported by a French concert tour in 2023.^[24]

In November 2024, Michel Polnareff announced a new album and a tour scheduled for the following year, which will include his first concert in London. He released the single "Sexcetera" later that month, followed by a second single, "Tu n’m’entends pas", in February 2025. On March 10, Polnareff revealed that the album will be titled Un temps pour elles.^[25]

Polnareff adopted a signature style with long hair, black glasses, flared trousers, and ambiguous provocations. 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.^[26]

Polnareff has had relationships with American actress Lynda Carter and Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel. His first major relationship was with his manager, Annie Fargé, 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.^[27] After some months of separation, as of 2014, they were reunited with their son, Louka.^[28] 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 4 March 2011.^[29]

• 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

• 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, Polnareff mania, 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)

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