Annik Honoré (12 October 1957 – 3 July 2014) was a Belgian journalist and music promoter best known for her association with Ian Curtis, the former lead singer and lyricist of Joy Division.[1] She co-founded record labels Les Disques du Crépuscule and Factory Benelux.

Annik Honoré
Born(1957-10-12)12 October 1957
Mons, Belgium
Died3 July 2014(2014-07-03) (aged 56)
Occupation(s)Journalist, music promoter

Early life

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Honoré was born in Mons, Belgium on 12 October 1957.[2] As a teenager she became interested in rock music, attending various concerts in London as well as other locations. She moved to London in 1979, taking a job as a secretary at the Belgian Embassy.[3][4]

In late 1979, Honoré and journalist Michel Duval began promoting musical events at the Raffinerie du Plan K venue in Brussels. Joy Division, and Cabaret Voltaire performed on the club's opening night on 16 October. A few months later, in 1980, Honoré and Duval founded Factory Benelux as a Continental offshoot of Factory Records as well as Les Disques du Crépuscule, an independent Belgian music label.[5][6] Honoré chose the name "Crépuscule."[7]

In the summer of 1984, she was the tour manager of Front 242 during their American tour.[8]

Relationship with Ian Curtis

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According to Honoré, in a 2010 interview, her relationship with Ian Curtis, which ended with his death in 1980, was platonic.[3][4] Curtis' widow, Deborah Curtis, has characterised the relationship, which she claims began in August 1979, as an "affair".[9]

In Control, the Ian Curtis biographical film directed by Anton Corbijn in 2007, Honoré was played by Alexandra Maria Lara.[10] and Ian Curtis was played by actor Sam Riley, Lara's husband.

Later life

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Honoré left the music business in 1985. From 1986 she worked as a civil servant, specifically as a secretary in the Research and Innovation department of the European Commission in Brussels.[11] She had two children, Bertrand and Sasha.[12][13] She died of cancer on 3 July 2014.[14][15][16][8][17]

References

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  1. ^ Hook, Peter (2013). Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062222572.
  2. ^ Van Tichel, Christine (4 July 2014). "Belgische vriendin van Ian Curtis overleden". deRedactie.be. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b Cornet, Philippe (1 February 2011). "Ian Curtis and Annik Honoré - the Dazzling History of Joy Division". Joy Division Bootlegs. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  4. ^ a b Cornet, Philippe (14 June 2010). "Ian Curtis et Annik Honoré: l'histoire fulgurante de Joy Division". Le Vif. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  5. ^ Reed, S. Alexander (2013). Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music. Oxford University Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0199832606.
  6. ^ Brinkhuis, Frank (1990). "Les Disques Du Crépuscule - healthy eclecticism and dodgy foreign deals". Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  7. ^ Annik Honoré (1957-2014) profile, Les Disques du Crépuscule obituary; accessed 6 July 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Annik Honoré: Journalist, Music Promoter and Protagonist of the 'Cold Wave' Scene of the 1980s". The Independent. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  9. ^ Barton, Laura (10 April 2005). "I was just besotted". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  10. ^ Savage, Jon (7 October 2007). "Dark star: The final days of Ian Curtis by his Joy Division bandmates". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  11. ^ Farewell to a musical muse, European Voice vol.20 nr.27 10–16 July 2014, page 23.
  12. ^ Bayon (3 July 2014). "Annik Honoré, morte amoureuse du chanteur Ian Curtis". Liberation. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  13. ^ Reade, Lindsay. Ian Curtis - L'âme damnée de Joy Division. CAMION BLANC. p. 490. ISBN 978-2910196837.
  14. ^ "5 July 2014 Annik Honoré (1957-2014)". lesdisquesducrepuscule.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  15. ^ Cornet, Philippe (3 July 2014). "Annik Honoré est morte: retour sur son histoire fulgurante avec Ian Curtis de Joy Division". Le Vif. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  16. ^ Pottier, Francois (3 July 2014). "Annik Honoré, "l'inspiratrice" de la chanson "Love Will Tear Us Apart" de Joy Division, est morte". Slate. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  17. ^ Zacharie, Didier (3 July 2014). "Annik Honoré, la petite amie belge de Ian Curtis, est morte". Le Soir. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
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