Michel Polnareff

Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944) is a French singer‐songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s. He became known for blending rock and pop in his early work^[1] and for writing the songs La Poupée qui fait non and Love Me, Please Love Me. Noted for his distinctive visual style and stage presence, Polnareff is a recognized figure in French popular music.^[2]

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 (age 81)
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)

Early life and education

Michel Polnareff was born in Nérac, Lot‑et‑Garonne, on 3 July 1944. His mother, Simonne Lane,^[3] worked as a Breton dancer^[4][5] and his father, Leib Polnareff (also known as Léo Poll), was a Ukrainian Jewish^[6] composer and pianist who performed with artists including Édith Piaf.^[7] Polnareff attended the private Cours Hattemer school^[8] and studied piano from a young age, later learning guitar as well. After completing his mandatory military service in France and holding brief positions in banking and insurance, he took up street performing, busking on the steps of Sacré Cœur in Paris.^[9]

Career

Polnareff (Dutch TV, 1967)

In 1966, producer Lucien Morisse signed Polnareff to AZ Disc. His first single, La Poupée qui fait non, featured session guitarist Jimmy Page and achieved significant commercial success in France.^[10]

Among his early French-language songs, he recorded:

• La Poupée qui fait non (1966)
• Love Me, Please Love Me (1966)
• Sous quelle étoile suis-je né? (1966)
• Âme câline (1967)
• Le Bal des Laze (1968)
• Tout tout pour ma chérie (1969)
• Holidays (1972)
• On ira tous au paradis (1972)^{[citation needed]}

Exile in the United States (1973–1984)

In 1973, after experiencing severe financial difficulties under the management of Bernard Seneau and the death of his mother, Polnareff moved to California and lived under the radar. He was later joined there by his partner and manager, Annie Fargue.^[11]

His only English-language album, Fame à la Mode (also titled Michel Polnareff), was released in 1975. It included contributions from session musicians such as Lee Sklar, David Foster, Jim Keltner, and Lee Ritenour. The single Jesus for Tonight later appeared on the Billboard charts.^[12]

He composed the soundtrack for the film Lipstick (1976) which was released as an album in July 1976 on Atlantic Records; it reached number 1 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 modest success of Coucou me Revoilou (1978), his 1981 album Bulles marked a return to the French charts, while Incognito (1985) attracted less attention. During this time, he also pursued interests in computing.

Back to the top (1989–1994)

In 1989, the single Goodbye Marylou was released to radio stations without formal promotional efforts and garnered notable airplay. During the following 18 months, Polnareff resided at the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris while working on the album Kāma‑Sūtra.^[13] 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.

Amid health speculation, he underwent cataract surgery in 1994 to remove a cataract and reduce the risk of vision loss.

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

Michel Polnareff returned to the United States and performed at the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard on 27 September 1995. His ensemble included executive producer and guitarist Dick Smith (known for work with Earth, Wind & Fire and Aretha Franklin) and percussionist Alex Acuña (known for work with Weather Report, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson). The concert was released in 1996 as Live at the Roxy, a live album that achieved platinum certification in France Following this release, Canal+ broadcast a two-part special: À la Recherche de Polnareff ("In Search of Polnareff"), a documentary exploring his return, and Rendez-vous à Zzyzx Road, an interview conducted by Michel Denisot in the Mojave Desert. In the latter broadcast, Polnareff appeared in a military-style uniform—an appearance that led to his nickname "The Admiral"—and concluded with an acoustic mini-concert performed in the California desert.

In 1999, Polnareff released Je rêve d’un monde (When I'm in Love), his first original single in ten years. The nearly 13-minute track received limited promotion and radio airplay, achieving only moderate chart success. Although plans for a follow-up album and tour were announced, they did not materialize in the subsequent years.

In 2003, the compilation Passé Présent was released, selling approximately 200,000 copies.

In 2004, Polnareff published his autobiography Polnareff par Polnareff, in which he mentioned working on a new album.

On 12 May 2006, he announced on national television that he would perform a series of concerts from 2 to 14 March 2007, followed by a nationwide tour in France. Around this time, he released the single Ophélie Flagrant des Lits, which received mixed critical reviews.

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 1.5 million people.

In the studio (2010–2015)

As of November 2013, Polnareff had sold approximately 3.9 million albums and 4.9 million singles in France.^[14]

In 2014, an authorized documentary titled Quand l’écran s’allume—named after the opening line of Goodbye Marylou—was released in select cinemas and later broadcast on television. The film featured previews of tracks from Polnareff’s forthcoming album, along with footage of him working in the studio and playing piano at home.

New single and new tour (2015–2017)

On 8 December 2015, Polnareff announced plans to release a new album during the first half of 2016 (between January and April) and to embark on a 50-date tour across France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The tour was organized in two legs: the first leg ran from 30 April 2016 in Épernay to 26 July 2016, featuring four performances at the Paris–Bercy Arena in early May and several summer festival appearances. The second leg took place from 4 November 2016 to 10 December 2016, concluding with a show in Bordeaux.

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 late April 2016, shortly before the start of his tour, Polnareff stated that his upcoming album was not yet complete, noting that three out of nine announced tracks were still in development. He indicated that he intended to perform a new song titled Sumi, described as reflecting his experience with SM and a geisha in Fukuoka, Japan. He also confirmed that a track called Louka’s Song, dedicated to his son Louka, would be included on the album.^[15] At the same time, he released another autobiographical book entitled Spèrme.

In December 2016, before the tour's penultimate concert, Polnareff was hospitalized with a double pulmonary embolism. He subsequently cancelled the final two shows.

Enfin! (2018)

On 3 October 2018, Michel Polnareff announced that his album Enfin! would be released on 30 November, marking his first studio album in 28 years. The album received mixed critical reception.

Polnareff chante Polnareff (2022–2023)

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.^[16]

La derrière tournée (2025)

In November 2024, Michel Polnareff announced his new album along with a tour plan that includes his first concert in London the following year. In the same month, he released the single "Sexcetera," followed by his second single, "Tu n’m’entends pas," in February 2025. On March 10, 2025, he revealed that the album would be titled Un temps pour elles.^[17]

The album was recorded in California, France, London, and Scotland, featuring works prepared with deep sincerity, elegance, and originality in Polnareff’s musical career. It includes tracks such as "Tu n’m’entends pas," "Un temps pour elle," and "Quand y’en a pour deux y’en a pour toi," evoking profound emotions through its music. The album was released in 2025 under the Warner Music Group label.^[17]

Personal life

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, Polnareff also went through a relationship crisis. After spending some time resting near Paris and undergoing months of isolation and therapy to treat his depression, he gradually resumed touring. Although his overall health and morale improved, his vision did not, leading him to continue wearing 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.^[18]

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.^[19] After some months of separation, they as of 2014^[update] were reunited with their son, Louka.^[20] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[21]

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 in 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)