Biography of Mylène Farmer by Montableaudeco

CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Mylène Gautier was born in Pierrefonds (a district of Montreal) on September 12, 1961, at 5:17 a.m. Her father, Max Gautier, was a road engineer and worked on the construction of the Manicouagan dam. He was the youngest of four children. Her mother, Marguerite Martin, took care of their children. Mylène grew up in a calm environment with her siblings: Brigitte, her sister who is two years older, Jean Loup, her brother born in 1960, and Michel, her second brother born in 1969. She likes to say that she has few childhood memories, except for the whiteness of the snow and maple syrup.

Mylène loved animals from a very young age and wanted to become a veterinarian. Mylène was a distant student at school.

Mylène and her family emigrated to France in the early 1970s. They settled in Ville d'Avray, Paris. Mylène was very unhappy with the move. It marked her life forever. The suburb replaced a more welcoming Canadian world.
Mylène often goes to the Garches hospital to visit sick children.
At the age of ten, Mylène won a singing contest. Her prize: a book, "The White Rabbit."
She developed a passion for animals and enrolled in horseback riding lessons at the Cadre Noir in Saumur. After two days spent in her final year of literary studies, she graduated from high school at eighteen.

THE BEGINNINGS (1982-1985)

Mylène decided to pursue an artistic career.

She began her career in the theater. She enrolled at Cours Florent, then continued her studies with actor Daniel Mesguish. She played, among other parts, the role of Zezette in "Le Père Noël est une ordure," a play staged at Cours Florent by her friend. Thierry Lhermitte.

A few odd jobs gave her a little pocket money. She was a dentist's assistant, then an assistant to a doctor. She tried her hand at advertising and modeling. She first appeared in the press in an ad for Ikea furniture. Then she appeared on television in several commercials, including those for Fiskars scissors and Le Chat laundry soap, and Loto. She also immersed herself in the poetry of Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe.
It was at this time that she met Laurent Boutonnat. He would be a crucial part of her future.

After an audition with Laurent Boutonnat and Jérôme Dahan, Mylène began her singing career in 1984. She recorded "Maman a Tort," a slightly tart nursery rhyme, and signed with RCA. In memory of the American actress Frances Farmer, she chose Mylène Farmer as her stage name. Bertrand Le Page became her manager and the song was a huge success, selling more than 100,000 copies and receiving substantial radio play. The English version "My mum is wrong" was released for export, but it did not meet with success.

Mylène Farmer released two singles in 1985. "On est tous les imbéciles" was a failure, and RCA did not renew her contract. Mylène signed with Polydor in 1985 and released a new single, "Plus Grandir." Success came with a stunning music video and a budget of 330,000 francs (about 50,000 euros), but sales were disappointing.

THE YEARS OF CENDRES DE LUNE (1986-1987)

It was in 1986 that real success finally arrived. "Libertine" was her first single to reach the French Top 50. It was also Mylène's first certification with a silver record. Mylène Farmer's physical transformation enabled her to become a redhead, giving her a unique appearance that set her apart from other singers. This was also the music video for "Libertine," directed by Laurent Boutonnat. This short film would revolutionize French music videos and establish the Farmer/Boutonnat brand.

1987 saw the re-release of "Cendres de lune," which included the previously unreleased "Tristana."

THE YEARS ARE THEREFORE HERE... AND THE TOUR 89 (1987 - 1990)

In October, "Sans contrefaçon" is the song announcing the release of the second album. Mylène Farmer is a success and a gay icon.

In 1988, the album "Ainsi soit je... ?" was released. It followed "Sans contrefaçon," ...
"Ainsi soit je..." is the first diamond-certified album awarded to a French singer (with more than 1,400,000 copies sold). Laurent Boutonnat's music videos are always made with utmost care. The video for "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces," "Libertine II," lasts more than 17 minutes and was a huge success. It sold more than 10,000 copies per day in December 1988.

In November, Mylène receives the Victoire de la Musique award for Female Artist of the Year.

Mylène Farmer was the first person to go on stage in May 1989. The "Tour 89" attracted more than 300,000 spectators in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and France. It ended in December with two dates at the Palais Omnisport De Paris Bercy.

Mylène will release a single during her tour, featuring two previously unreleased tracks: "A quoi Je sers" and "La veuve Noire".

"En concert", which immortalized the tour, was released on December 6, 1989. Allan was the first single from the live album. Plus Grandir was the second.

After a long editing process, the video will be presented in November 1990.

THE YEARS OF L'AUTRE...AND THE DANCE REMIXES (1991 - 1993)

After a few months of promotion and rest for the album "Ainsi soit Je..." in Europe, Mylène Farmer releases the single "Désenchantée" on March 18, 1991. It is a huge success, with over 800,000 sales. It also remained at the top of the charts for nine consecutive weeks.

On April 8, 1991, her third album "L'autre..." was released. It will be certified diamond and exceed 2 million copies sold in France.

After four singles ("Désenchantée", "Regrets" in duet with Jean-Louis Murat, "Je t'aime mélancolie", and "Beyond My Control"), Mylène Farmer asks Luc Besson for her video "Que mon cœur lâche", an unreleased track announcing her first compilation, a collection of remixes called "Dance Remixes", which was released on November 23, 1993.

1993: Mylène receives the World Music Awards Monte Carlo prize for the best record sales by a French artist.

THE GIORGINO YEARS (1993 - 1994)

A few months later, Mylène Farmer begins filming her first feature film, Giorgino, directed by Laurent Boutonnat. The movie was released in theaters on October 5, 1994.

The meeting is neither critical nor public. The Farmer-Boutonnat duo experiences its first failure.

THE ANAMORPHIC YEARS & TOUR 1996 (1995 - 1998)

Mylène Farmer takes a break to reflect and records her fourth album in California. She changes her image and finds herself. "Anamorphosée", released on October 17, 1995, is an unexpected album featuring a more rock sound and showcasing a more feminine and sexier image of the singer.

It contains several singles: "XXL", the anthem of love, "L'Instant X", and "California", which announces her second French tour, "Tour 1996" with three sold-out dates at Paris-Bercy), as well as "Comme j'ai mal" and "Rever". Each single is a success, both in sales and on radio, and helps establish the popularity of the new album, which sold over one million copies. It was only with "Rever", at the start of 1997, that it reached the top of the French charts.

"Anamorphosée" was the most exported French album of 1996.

The album "Live à Bercy" was released on May 20, 1997. It sold nearly 900,000 copies! It is the first French live album. Mylène Farmer sings a duet with Khaled, a cover of Michel Polnareff's "La poupée qui fait non".

THE INNAMORAMENTO YEARS & MYLENIUM TOUR (1999 - 2000)

Laurent Boutonnat and Mylène Farmer record their new album in the United States. This fifth studio album, "Innamoramento", was released on April 7, 1999. It contains many surprises.

Mylène composed the music for several songs.

A new Mylène Farmer is back, more radiant than ever, in the images created by Ching Siu Tung to promote her new single "L'AmeStram-Gram".
It is the first time a new single is released with a scandal since "Beyond My Control". The music video "Je te rends à l'amour" was indeed censored. Mylène decided to release the video on VHS and the proceeds would go directly to Sidaction.

The album will also include three singles, "Souviens-toi du jour", "Optimistique-moi", and "Innamoramento". This allowed it to sell over a million copies in France and become a diamond album.

The "Mylenium Tour" begins simultaneously. It includes several dates at Bercy (sold out once again) and a tour across France. Three dates in Russia are also planned for the first time.

Mylène Farmer sponsors a young artist in June 2000. Alizée came to sing "Moi.... Lolita", which enjoyed tremendous success worldwide. Many singles were released from the album "Gourmandises", written by Mylène Farmer with music by Laurent Boutonnat.

Alizée was the revelation of the year 2000 when she received her first award at the M6 Awards in December 2000.

After a long wait, the Mylenium Tour is finally released on December 5, 2000.
The long-awaited "Dessinemoi un mouton" will be the first (and only) live single.

Mylène Farmer releases the single "L'histoire d'une fée, c'est" on February 7, 2001. It's a song we discovered on the soundtrack for the animated film "Le Razmoket à Paris", which was a first for her.

THE YEARS THE WORDS, LISA-LOUP AND REMIXES (2001 - 2003)

On November 13, "Les Mots" is finally released. It was sung as a duet with Seal, a talented British singer who reached the top of the charts in 1991.

Fans eagerly awaited the release of this new album, "Les mots", which includes 3 previously unreleased songs: "C'est une belle journée" & "Pardonne moi", which would all be released as singles.

The best of is a triumph, with a new diamond album and about 1.6 million copies sold.

Mylène is once again nominated for the NRJ Music Awards. She wins the award for Best Francophone Female Artist in 2003 for the fourth consecutive year.

Laurent Boutonnat and Mylène Farmer produce "Mes courants électriques", Alizée's second album in 2003. It was also her first tour.

"Lisa-Loup et le conteur", a philosophical story written and illustrated by Mylène, is released in bookstores on April 23.

The album "RemixeS", made up of previously unreleased remixes by world-renowned artists, was released on December 3, 2003.

THE YEARS BEFORE AVANT QUE L'OMBRE... (2005 - 2007)

To discover Avant que l'ombre..., the sixth studio album, you had to wait until April 4, 2005. From it were released "Fuck them all", "Q.I", "Redonne-moi", "L'Amour n'est rien...", "Peut-etre ài", and "Fuck them all". Despite the crisis in the recording industry, it would sell more than 500,000 copies throughout France. "Avant que l'ombre..." would be certified triple platinum.

Mylène gave thirteen concerts at Bercy in January 2006. The concerts were sold out for several weeks. The show "Avant que l'ombre...à Bercy" was captured on CD and DVD, released in December 2006. "Avant que l'ombre...à Bercy" was the best-selling music DVD in France, with more than 400,000 sales.

Mylène had just suggested a duet with Moby, "Slipping away (Crier la vie),". It was a real success (number one in single sales, gold single for 200,000 copies), which no single from "Avant que l'ombre..." had ever managed to reach.

Mylène Farmer's greatest success in Russia is "L'Amour n'est rien...", which was one of the most listened-to songs in 2006 by radio stations.

Finally, Luc Besson’s film "Arthur and the Minimoys" was released on December 13. Mylène played Princess Sélénia in the French version. She would receive the "NRJ Cine Award 2007" for best voiceover.

2007 was a year without music. Fans consoled themselves with the release of "Giorgino" on video in December.

YEARS OF POINT DE SUTURE & 2009 TOUR (2008 - 2010)

In 2008, Mylène confirmed that her new single "Degeneration," released in June, was "Faut qu'ca bouge" and it certainly moved! Tickets for the two concerts at Stade de France, on September 11 and 12, 2009, sold out in three hours. That’s a record. The 100,000 tickets were all sold in a single day after the ticket sales opened a few days later.

Available for download from June 19, 2008, "Dégénération" ranked number 1 and set a new download record in France (over such a short period).
When the physical format was released on August 20, "Dégénération" immediately topped the sales charts, achieving the best launch of the year.

The album "Point de Suture," with its pop-electro sound, was released digitally on August 20 and in stores on August 25. This is the first time Mylène managed to rank an album simultaneously at the top of both the physical and digital sales charts. "Point de Suture," a triple platinum album in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Russia, will be certified. All singles from the album ("Dégénération", "Appelle mon numéro", "Sextonik") reached number one on the French singles chart, making Mylène the artist or group with the most singles in the top spot since the chart's creation in 1984.

Mylène also wrote the lyrics for the song "Drôle de Creepie," with music by Laurent Boutonnat. This song was used in the credit sequence of the French version of the cartoon "Growing Up Creepie." It is performed by Lisa, who is Mylène's niece.

The indoor venues of the "Tour 2009" began in May 2009. There were 29 dates in France and two in Russia, in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Mylène performed in stadiums for the first time in September. She did so on September 4 and 5 (her 48th birthday), at the Stade de Genève, and on the 11th and 12th (her birthday) at the Stade de France. On the 19th, it was at the King Baudouin Stadium, in Brussels. The "Tour 2009" attracted more than 560,000 people.

The live album "Ndeg5 on Tour," which captures the indoor concerts from the "Tour 2009," is now available. It will be released on December 7, 2009. It is a double platinum album in France, topping sales charts since its release.

On December 2, the film "Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard" was released, in which the singer lends her voice to the character of Princess Selenia.

The DVD "Mylène Farmer Stade de France" was released on April 12, 2010. The concert film had been screened in 19 cinemas in France, including the Grand Rex in Paris, the day before.

"Mylène Farmer's Stade de France", Diamond DVD, was certified in less than a week and sold more than 250,000 copies.

THE BLUE YEARS & 2001.2011 (2010-2011)

Mylène once again lent her voice to Sélénia on October 13, for the release of "Arthur and the War of the Two Worlds," the third and final installment of Luc Besson's Arthur trilogy.

Mylène made a sensational comeback at the end of 2010.
A new single, "Oui mais... RedOne released Non," a new single composed and produced by RedOne on September 29. He also announced a new album without Laurent Boutonnat.

Mylène added Moby, RedOne, and the group Archive to "Bleu Noir," her eighth studio album.

While "Oui mais... Non" was a success, "Yes but... Bleu Noir" was also successful abroad, earning a platinum record in Russia and Belgium, and a gold record in Switzerland.

In 2011, Mylène released two new singles from the album along with "Bleu Noir" (and a film directed by Olivier Dahan) "Lonely Lisa," beautifully illustrated by Roy Raz. This video reached number one on the French singles chart.

Mylène, wearing a wedding dress called "Libertine Swan," created a buzz on July 6 by appearing with Jean-Paul Gaultier.

The new single 'Du Temps' from the singer's second best-selling album, '2001.2011,' was released on radio and legal download platforms on November 2,
Laurent Boutonnat returned for the music and directing the video. He had not directed a video for Mylène since 2002's "Pardonne-moi."
"2001.2011" will be available in stores and for download on December 5. It is accompanied by a selection of three CDs, including "Les mots" (2001.2011) and "2001.2011".

On January 28, 2012, Mylène received a Diamond Award for her entire career at the "NRJ Music Awards." It was the first time such a trophy was given to an artist since the ceremony was created.

THE MONKEY ME AND TIMELESS 2013 YEARS (2012-2014)

A press release was sent to the media on September 27, 2012. It announced Mylène’s return with the "Timeless 2013" concerts, (Mylène appears with "platinum blonde" hair in the poster photo). The concerts are scheduled from September to December 2013, as well as a new record.

Ticket sales opened on October 4, and the demand for concert tickets was huge. In 24 hours, 200,000 tickets were sold, and 300,000 in two months.

The new single "A L'ombre" was released on the radio on October 22. It is also available as a legal download. The music video, directed by Laurent Boutonnat, was shown exclusively on TF1 on December 1.

The album "Monkey Me," available from December 3, marks the return of Laurent Boutonnat, who composed all the music. The album was certified Triple Platinum in France after selling over 385,000 copies.

Two other singles were released from the album "Monkey Me" in 2013. "Je Te Dis Tout" was released on March 4, 2013, and "Monkey Me" hit stores on October 7, 2013. (It should be noted that, for the first time in her career, Mylène organized a cover contest for the single).

Between September 7 and December 6, more than 500,000 people would attend the "Timeless 2013" tour. There were 39 dates (including ten at Bercy).

The live album "Timeless 2013" will be released on December 9. Over 150,000 copies will be sold.

"Timeless 2013 The Movie" will premiere exclusively in cinemas on March 27, 2014. 101,107 people will flock to theaters in France, Belgium, and Switzerland to watch the film. This will allow Mylène Farmer, the artist who gathered the most people for a single screening, to set a new record. The film will also be available in Russia, Canada, and Latvia.

Mylene will be able to earn a triple diamond video if the DVD and Blu-Ray are released on May 16.

THE FRAGILE & INTERSTELLAR YEARS (2015 - 2016)

Mylene presented the book "Fragile" on May 15, 2015. Over 90 photos by Sylvie Langrenon, with excerpts from song lyrics.

"Stolen Car" was discovered by the avenger on August 28, 2015. It is a duet between Mylene and Sting. It's the first single from the tenth studio album "Interstellaires", released on November 6 and certified triple platinum for sales of over 300,000.

Mylene also illustrated a philosophical tale by Michel Onfray, "Polaire", which was published on November 12.

Mylene appeared on television for the first time since her debut in the United States, on "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon". Mylene made a splash online when she attacked Jimmy Fallon with a frying pan. Cherrytree Records was Mylene's first American release for "Interstellar", Martin Kierszenbaum's album. Mylene was co-composer of nine of the songs and the producer.

Two other singles from the album were released in 2016: "City of Love" and "C'est pas moi", while "Stolen Car" reached number one on the US club charts.

Mylene will be in Winnipeg, Quebec, next October 28 for the filming of the movie "Ghostland" directed by Pascal Laugier. Pascal Laugier had already directed the video for "City of Love".

THE GHOSTLAND YEARS, DISOBEDIENCE and LIVE 2019 (2018 - 2020)

It will be available for streaming and download on January 19, 2018, the first single from Mylene Farmer’s eleventh studio album: "Rolling Stone", co-composed by Feder. It will be the album's number one bestseller.

On March 14, France releases the film Ghostland by Pascal Laugier. Mylene plays the role of Pauline. Mylene’s performance is praised by critics. It was seen by 250,000 people in France, a high number for this genre. It was also broadcast internationally.

The duet with LP, "N'oublie pas", was released on June 22. It reached the top of the singles chart in France and became Mylene’s 19th number one single.

The album "Désobéissance" is available from September 28. Feder composed twelve tracks, LP with Mike Del Rio & Leon Deutschmann. Mylène took part in composing two songs and wrote all the lyrics (except Baudelaire's poem "To the Reader"). Two new singles were released: "Désobéissances" and "Des larmes". The album was certified Double Platinum in France at the end of 2019 and sold over 260,000 copies.

2019 Mylène brought together 235,000 people from June 7 to 22 for nine concerts at Paris La Défense Arena. It was the largest European show.

On October 18, the album "Live 2019" was released. It was certified Platinum in France, with over 50,000 copies sold in three weeks.

"Mylène Farmer 2019 The Film", which was released in theaters on November 7, attracted 155,000 viewers from 18 countries in 613 theaters. This made Mylène the artist with the most spectators at a single screening of a film event. The DVD and Blu-ray versions of "Live2019 The Movie" were released on December 6. They include a Diamond Video in France, which sold over 40,000 copies in a week, and double-diamond certification in three weeks.

2020 Mylène will reveal behind the scenes of the preparations for her concerts at Paris La Défense Arena. This documentary series, "L'Ultime Création," is available on Amazon Prime Video from September 25, 2020.

The opening and closing credits of the documentary feature an unreleased song, "l'âme dans l'eau". It is also the last new track from Mylène's third album, Histoires of, which will be released on December 4, 2020.

Two big surprises for 2021.