Ian Curtis’ Former Lover, Annik Honoré, Has Died

July 3, 2014 Alan Cross 0 Comments

Anyone who knows the story of Joy Division is well are of Annik Honoré, the Belgian journalist who became the mistress of singer Ian Curtis while he was married to his wife, Deborah. They met on October 16, 1979 when Joy Division played the opening of a club called Plan K in Brussels.

When pressed on her time with Ian, she maintained that her relationship with Curtis was totally platonic, but many accounts from the era insist otherwise. Along with his worsening epilepsy and drug use, the conflicting relationships–Ian/Deborah, Ian/Annik–were two of the factors contributing to Ian’s depression and eventual suicide on May 18, 1980.

Word comes from her family today that Annik has died at age 56 after some sort of serious illness.

(Via Side-Line and Blog Le Soir. Thanks to Jason for the tip.)

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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