Amanda Lear Actress, artist and disco star of the 70s Date of Birth: 18.11.1946 Country: France

1. The Tragic Fire and Loss
2. A Mysterious History
3. A Multilingual and Multitalented Upbringing
4. A Model's Journey
5. A Musical Breakthrough
6. A Star on the Rise
7. A Unique Vocal Talent
8. A Life Full of Art and Television
9. Amanda's Continuing Journey

Amanda Lear: The Mysterious Actress, Artist, and Disco Star of the 70s

The story of Amanda Lear is shrouded in mystery and holds many unsolved secrets. However, this only adds to the intrigue surrounding her. There have been numerous rumors about this extravagant woman, most of which Amanda herself spread, further confusing her fans and biographers.

The Tragic Fire and Loss

On December 16, 2000, a fire broke out in Amanda Lear's four-story house. The fire was caused by a poorly extinguished fireplace, according to the police investigation. Witnesses described the fire as unbelievable. In an instant, the flames engulfed the house, leaving no chance for those inside to survive. The ones who didn't burn to death suffocated from the smoke. Amanda's husband, Alain-Philippe Malagnac d'Argens, and their 20-year-old neighbor lost their lives in the fire. Additionally, 15 Salvador Dali paintings, who had been a close friend of Amanda's for many years, were destroyed. At the time of the fire, Amanda herself was in Italy, as she had been invited to a television show in Milan. She learned about the tragedy from Provence. "I wish I had died in the fire as well," she would later say.

A Mysterious History

The story of Amanda Lear is shrouded in mystery and holds many unsolved secrets. However, this only adds to the intrigue surrounding her. There have been numerous rumors about this extravagant woman, most of which Amanda herself spread, further confusing her fans and biographers. In 1984, she published a book called "Dali through Amanda's Eyes," which was incredibly unreliable, especially in the chapters where she wrote about herself. Eventually, she became so entangled that she now speaks of herself in a cosmopolitan manner: "I am a British woman living in France, raised in Spain, adopted by Italy, and loving Germany. I feel at home only in old Europe..."

A Multilingual and Multitalented Upbringing

Amanda Tapp, of English and Russian-Mongolian descent, was born on November 18, 1946, in Hong Kong. At a very young age, she developed an interest in learning foreign languages. By the age of 18, Amanda had added conversational German, Spanish, and Italian to her native languages of French and English. In addition to her language skills, Amanda also had a talent for drawing and pursued her passion by studying in Paris at the age of 16 before completing her secondary education in a London school.

A Model's Journey

London was where it all began for Amanda. She was invited to one of Europe's most popular modeling agencies, led by Catherine Harle. Within a year, she had completely transformed. She walked the runways in Paris, showcasing collections by Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne. It was there that she became acquainted with Salvador Dali, who became her muse, model, and close friend for nearly fifteen years. From 1965 to 1973, Amanda changed modeling agencies multiple times and graced the covers of numerous European fashion magazines. In 1967, she made her film debut in a movie directed by Henri Lanoe.

A Musical Breakthrough

In the early 1970s, Amanda met David Bowie, with whom she spent a year. Bowie was eager for Amanda to pursue a singing career and intentionally started a rumor in the press that Amanda Lear was a transsexual, born as Alan Tapp. However, in her mature years, she changed gender and even married a certain Morgan Lira. For some time, Amanda staunchly defended both versions of her origin. Salvador Dali, a big fan of all things unusual, would occasionally shock his acquaintances by stating that "she is a man" when talking about Amanda. Today, when asked about these absurdities surrounding her, Amanda irritably responds, "I don't even pay attention to such nonsense. I am a woman through and through, and that suits me just fine." Despite the opposition, Dali had a strong attachment to Amanda. She was beautiful, intelligent, fluent in five European languages, and had an interest in art, even attempting to paint her own pictures. Dali willingly appeared with her in public, despite the 35-year age difference. Dali's wife disapproved of their close relationship, and many photographs from Dali's archives have Amanda's face cut out...

A Star on the Rise

After her relationship with Bowie, Amanda knew where to find her path to self-expression. In March 1976, she released her first single, "Trouble." It was an unexpected success. The German company Ariola assigned an experienced producer to the young star. With his compositional talent, Amanda's lyrics, which were intellectual for the dance genre, and her remarkably deep voice, Amanda quickly stood out amongst thousands of performers. Her song "Blood and Honey" broke all sales records and topped many charts during Christmas 1976. The income seemed astronomical to Amanda, but she continued modeling and walking the runway, often going straight to the studio after fashion shows. Amanda's debut album, "I Am a Photograph," spent 33 weeks on the German charts. During the album's recording, sound engineer Anthony Mon made her smoke almost a whole pack of cigarettes, and it was only at four o'clock in the morning when Amanda was exhausted that she managed to achieve the desired tone.

A Unique Vocal Talent

Amanda Lear possessed a very distinctive vocal talent. One of the radio show directors, while broadcasting her song "The Sphinx," asked, "What's the name of that guy?" After the release of her album "Sweet Revenge," which sold four million copies in over fifty countries worldwide, she could be considered a European phenomenon named Amanda Lear.

A Life Full of Art and Television

In April 1979, Amanda got married. In America, she met Alain-Philippe, a producer, and just one month after their first meeting, they married on Valentine's Day. Although Dali disliked Amanda having a personal life outside of him, she was the only woman allowed to live in his house after his wife's death. Thanks to Dali, with whom Amanda lived for eighteen years, she became interested in spiritualism and began communicating with spirits. If we believe Amanda, the voices of the spirits convinced her to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle and give up alcohol. Alain-Philippe did not approve of his wife's interests, nor did he appreciate her close relationship with Dali.

For twenty-one years, they were happy. Alain-Philippe was both her husband and her child, as they never had children of their own. Amanda believed that a true artist should be free and without obligations. From 1981, she began exhibiting her artistic works. The 80s and 90s were fruitful for Amanda Lear. Her albums "Diamonds for Breakfast" and "Tam-Tam" were released. Italian television mogul Silvio Berlusconi offered her a position as the host of a new entertainment show. She agreed, and within four years, she became the greatest television star in Italy. During this time, she continued to appear in films, both in minor roles and leading roles, such as "Adolf, That's Me!" (1983), "Bellezonismo" with Gerard Depardieu, and "DJ" (2000).

Amanda's Continuing Journey

Amanda Lear's limited filmography does not mean she lacks acting talent. Perhaps she simply lacks time. "Fellini offered me roles in his films," Amanda recalls, "but he insisted that I gain 15-20 kilograms. In order to work with such a genius, I devoured tons of spaghetti and steaks before bed, washing them down with chocolate pastries and whipped cream... But it was in vain! Frustrated, Fellini once said, 'Amanda is perfect, like a toothpick.'"

Amanda adamantly claims that she never turned to plastic surgeons or dieted. She continues to thrive as a model, dress stylishly, star in films, paint with gouache and watercolors, and host various shows that are as extravagant as she is.