Michel Polnareff

Biography

Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944) is a French singer-songwriter. He was mostly active in the 1960s, and remained so in France until the 1990s. Popular songs of his include "La Poupée qui fait non×La Poupée qui fait nonMay 1966 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1La Poupée qui fait nonA2Chère VéroniqueB1BeatnikB2Ce que je cherche est en toi" and Love Me, Please Love Me, which incorporate elements of pop and rock. He is known for his stage persona and theatrical stage performances and is referenced in discussions of French popular music.

Early life and education

Michel Polnareff was born on 3 July 1944 in Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne. His mother, Simonne Lane (1912-1973), was a Breton dancer who was born in Lennon, and his father, Leib Polnareff (1899-1988), also known as Léo Poll, was a Ukrainian Jewish composer and pianist born in Odesa. He performed with artists such as Édith Piaf.
Polnareff studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, as well as the Cours Hattemer private school. He studied piano from the age of four, later learning how to play the guitar. After completing his mandatory military service in France, Polnareff held brief positions in banking and insurance roles.
After being kicked out by his father at 18, Polnareff took up street performing, busking on the steps of Sacré-Cœur in Paris, at which point he began to garner attention for his musical talent.

Career

In 1966, producer Lucien Morisse signed Polnareff to Disc AZ. His first track, "La Poupée qui fait non×La Poupée qui fait nonMay 1966 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1La Poupée qui fait nonA2Chère VéroniqueB1BeatnikB2Ce que je cherche est en toi", featured session guitarist Jimmy Page. He also released Love Me, Please Love Me in 1966.

United States (1973–1984)

In the early 1970s, Polnareff experienced several personal and professional setbacks. In May 1970, he was violently attacked on stage at Périgueux, in the Dordogne region, cutting short his planned summer tour, and in September, his close friend and mentor, Lucien Morisse, died by suicide. By 1973, Polnareff was experiencing severe financial difficulties. It was revealed that his business manager, Bernard Seneau, had been stealing from him, and as a result, he was unable to pay his taxes.
He moved to California, where he lived largely outside public attention. He was later joined there by his manager and romantic partner, Annie Fargé. His only English-language album, Fame à la Mode×Fame à la mode1975 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Fame à la mode4:38A2No, No, No, No, Not Now2:31A3Wandering Man3:36A4So Long Beauty5:11B1Come on, Lady Blue2:31B2Rainy Day Song3:19B3Jesus for Tonite3:41B4Holding on to Smoke3:34B5Since I Saw You2:48 (alternately titled Michel Polnareff×Polnareff1973 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1La Poupée qui fait non3:12A2Ballade pour un puceau2:16A3Time Will Tell2:23A4Les Grands Sentiments humains2:06A5Complainte à Michael2:18A6Y’a qu’un ch’veu2:56B1Sous quelle étoile suis-je né ?3:52B2Ballade pour toi (Ce que je cherche est en toi)2:39B3Ring-a-ding2:24B4You’ll Be on My Mind2:29B5J’ai du chagrin Marie (My Friend)2:44B6Histoire de cœur2:47Disc 2C1Le Bal des Laze4:57C2Pipelette2:48C3Chère Véronique2:29C4Oh ! Louis2:30C5Beatnik2:40C6Le Saule pleureur3:11D1L’Oiseau de nuit2:52D2Miss Blue Jeans2:36D3Fat madame2:42D4Dame dame4:06D5Le temps a laissé son manteau0:40D6Encore un mois, encore un an3:04), was released in 1975. It included contributions from several American session musicians. The single "Jesus for Tonite" later appeared on the Billboard charts.
He composed the soundtrack for the film Lipstick×Lipstick1976 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Lipstick: Lipstick3:322Lipstick: Lipstick Montage12:373The Rapist: The Rapist10:514The Rapist: Ballet2:17 (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×Lettre à France1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksALettre à France4:38BMademoiselle de3:40", co‑written with Jean‑Loup Dabadie, which sold roughly 476,000 copies that year. He had two albums which marked his return to the French charts: Coucou me Revoilou×Coucou me revoilouOctober 1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Magic Man2:56A2Le Cigare à moteur3:17A3Une simple mélodie3:35A4Une femme2:59A5Le Clochard des Jumbos2:36B1À Paris sur mer3:05B2Une histoire lamentable3:18B3J’ai tellement de choses à dire4:24B4Coucou me revoilou4:33 (1978) and Bulles (1981). Four years later, he released Incognito (1985), which received much less attention.

Return to France (1989–1994)

In 1989, the single "Goodbye Marylou" was released to radio stations. During the following 18 months, Polnareff resided at the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris while working on the album Kama-Sutra with Mike Oldfield featured as a guest musician on two tracks. The album was released in February 1990 to commercial success.

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

Polnareff returned to live performance in 1995 with a concert at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles followed by a series of television appearances in France documenting his return to public performance. These events preceded the release of the live album Live at the Roxy×Live at the Roxy1996 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1La Mouche4:022L’Amour avec toi3:173Je t’aime4:344Holidays3:365Lettre à France5:086Qui a tué grand‐maman ?2:507Je suis un homme5:048La Poupée qui fait non4:109Goodbye Marylou5:2110Dans la rue3:2011On ira tous au paradis4:5312Le Bal des Laze5:4513Tam tam (L’Homme préhisto)5:4414Love Me, Please Love Me4:0015Âme câline2:4716Lee Neddy2:2317Ça n’arrive qu’aux autres2:2818Tout, tout pour ma chérie4:10, which achieved commercial success in France. In 1999, Polnareff released "Je rêve d'un monde (When I'm in Love)", his first original single in ten years; it 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×Passé Présent2003 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 41 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Lettre à France4:522Love Me, Please Love Me4:223Goodbye Marylou6:224L’Amour avec toi3:095Âme câline3:016Holidays3:217Tous les bateaux, tous les oiseaux3:308Le Bal des Laze4:579Ça n’arrive qu’aux autres1:4610Une simple mélodie3:3811Je t’aime4:4512Mes regrets3:3113Comme Juliette & Roméo4:1614Un train ce soir3:0515La belle veut sa revanche3:3916J’ai tellement de choses à dire4:3117Une femme3:0218Je suis un homme4:5619Qui a tué grand’ maman ?2:3820Kâma‐Sûtra4:40Disc 21La Poupée qui fait non3:162Tout tout pour ma chérie3:073Sous quelle étoile suis‐je né ?3:524On ira tous au paradis4:355Radio3:216Tam‐tam5:507Dans la maison vide2:458La Michetonneuse2:269Ring a ding2:2510Y’a qu’un ch’veu2:5511Voyages2:5312Né dans un ice‐cream3:2413Le Roi des fourmis2:4814L’Oiseau de nuit2:5215Ta ta ta ta2:2616LNA ho5:1517Viens te faire chahuter4:3918Où est la Tosca ?3:4119Sur un seul mot de toi5:2920Elle rit4:1521La Mouche4:31 was released and sold approximately 400,000 copies. 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 600,000 people.

In the Studio (2010–2015)

By November 2013, Polnareff had sold approximately 3.9 million albums and 4.9 million singles in France.
In 2014, an authorized 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.

New Single and New Tour (2015–2017)

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. On 18 December 2015, Polnareff released a Christmas song titled "L'Homme en rouge", his first single since 2006, as a digital download and on streaming platforms.
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. 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.

2018–present

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. 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 was followed by a concert tour in 2023.
In November 2024, Polnareff announced a new studio album and a 2025 tour, including a performance at the Eventim Apollo in London on 3 April 2025. He released the single "Sexcetera×Sexcetera18 November 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sexcetera2:50" later that month, followed by a second single, "Tu n'm'entends pas", in February 2025. The album titled Un temps pour elles×Un temps pour elles25 April 2025 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Un temps pour elle3:142Villa Cassiopée5:343Tu n’m’entends pas3:324Tu n’m’entends pas (reprise)2:315Quand y’en a pour deux4:186Solstice3:507Sexcetera2:548Un moment5:21, was released on 25 April 2025 and debuted in the French top ten.

Personal life

In September 1970, Polnareff×Polnareff1973 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1La Poupée qui fait non3:12A2Ballade pour un puceau2:16A3Time Will Tell2:23A4Les Grands Sentiments humains2:06A5Complainte à Michael2:18A6Y’a qu’un ch’veu2:56B1Sous quelle étoile suis-je né ?3:52B2Ballade pour toi (Ce que je cherche est en toi)2:39B3Ring-a-ding2:24B4You’ll Be on My Mind2:29B5J’ai du chagrin Marie (My Friend)2:44B6Histoire de cœur2:47Disc 2C1Le Bal des Laze4:57C2Pipelette2:48C3Chère Véronique2:29C4Oh ! Louis2:30C5Beatnik2:40C6Le Saule pleureur3:11D1L’Oiseau de nuit2:52D2Miss Blue Jeans2:36D3Fat madame2:42D4Dame dame4:06D5Le temps a laissé son manteau0:40D6Encore un mois, encore un an3:04's friend, Lucien Morisse, died by suicide. After resting near Paris and undergoing months of isolation and therapy for depression, he gradually returned to touring.
A 1972 promotional poster for his "Polnarévolution×Polnarévolution2 November 1972 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracksA1Le Bal des Laze5:01A2Tous les bateaux, tous les oiseaux2:51A3Je cherche un job2:46A4Qui a tué grand’ maman2:54A5La Mouche2:36A6Âme câline5:42B1Dans la maison vide2:22B2Ça n’arrive qu’aux autres2:08B3Gloria3:13B4On ira tous au paradis4:11B5La Trompette2:52B6Love Me, Please Love Me4:50B7Boogie Woogie2:07" tour, featuring an image of his bare buttocks, caused controversy and led to legal issues.
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.
In 2004, he met Danyellah, a French journalist and model. On 28 December 2010, Danyellah gave birth to a boy, Louka, in Los Angeles. 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, Polnareff was reunited with his son, Louka, in 2014. They now live in Palm Springs, where Polnareff has his own recording studio.