Annik Honoré

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
Died	3 July 2014(2014-07-03) (aged 56)
Occupation(s)	Journalist, music promoter

Early life

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

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

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]}