AMANDA LEAR

Random and bite-sized facts on all things from the mythical figure that is Amanda Lear. Totally random but totally fascinating if you're into it. Do you know Amanda Lear now?

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Roxy Music
Amanda Lear, the model on For Your Pleasure's cover, was already a genuine cultural figure before meeting Bryan Ferry — confidante and muse to Salvador Dalí, and her earlier relationship with Brian Jones inspired The Rolling Stones' 1967 song "Miss Amanda Jones." She and Ferry began dating shortly after the shoot. 🐆🎨

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Roxy Music
The black panther on For Your Pleasure's cover was so heavily sedated during the South London photoshoot that it could barely stand — its eyes and teeth had to be added digitally in post-production to make it look alert. 🐆📸

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The Roxy Music Cover Wasn't Supposed to Be Comfortable

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Amanda Lear remembered being terrified of the black panther used for the For Your Pleasure cover. She said she didn't like the way it looked at her.

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She Wasn't Actually a Singer Yet

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When David Bowie told Lear she should sing, her response was essentially that she wasn't a singer — she was a model. Bowie paid for her singing lessons.

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Bowie Fell for a Photograph

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Lear later said Bowie didn't initially fall in love with her — he fell in love with the photograph of her on the Roxy Music album cover.

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Her First Album Title Was a Joke

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Her 1977 debut was called I Am a Photograph — a deliberately ironic title after years of being known primarily as a fashion model.

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Dalí Took Her to Fellini

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According to Lear, Salvador Dalí once sent her to Rome specifically to meet Federico Fellini.

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She Spent Summers at Portlligat

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For more than a decade, Lear accompanied Dalí and his wife Gala on their travels and spent summers with them at Dalí's home at Portlligat in Catalonia.

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Dalí Didn't See Her as Just a Model

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Lear was studying fine art while modelling, and Dalí became a major influence on her. She later described their relationship as lasting more than fifteen years.

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She Knew the Roxy Cover Was Special

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The 1973 For Your Pleasure photograph became so influential that it helped change Lear's life completely: Bowie saw it, contacted her, and encouraged her towards music.

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Her First Single Was an Elvis Song

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Lear's first single was La Bagarre, a French adaptation of Elvis Presley's Pocketful of Rainbows. Elvis had been one of her idols.

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She Eventually Made an Elvis Album

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Decades after recording her first Elvis cover, Lear finally made a whole album devoted to him: My Happiness, released in 2014.

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She Was Already Painting Before Disco

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Lear studied art while working as a model, and painting eventually became a serious second career. She has exhibited her own work since the early 1980s.

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She Once Lived With Anita Pallenberg

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When Lear moved into London's fashion and bohemian world, she became friends with Anita Pallenberg, then Keith Richards' partner.

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She Was Friends With Patty Boyd

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Lear's Swinging London circle included Pattie Boyd, along with models Penelope Tree, Veruschka and Twiggy.

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Dalí Introduced Her to the Art World

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Through Dalí, Lear met figures including Andy Warhol and became part of a world where painters, musicians, models and film-makers constantly crossed paths.

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She Didn't Plan to Become a Model

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Lear recalled that when she first started modelling she didn't even know how to put on make-up or walk properly. She took the work because it paid well.

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She Became a Huge TV Star in Italy

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After her disco years, Lear reinvented herself as a television personality and became one of the best-known entertainment presenters on Italian television.

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Dalí Edited an Entire Vogue Issue

In 1971, Salvador Dalí was guest editor of the French edition of Vogue. Amanda Lear appeared in the special issue, photographed by David Bailey.

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She Was Photographed by David Bailey

Lear appeared in Dalí's Vogue issue in a David Bailey photograph — bringing together three names from completely different corners of 1960s and 70s culture.

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She Helped Open a Dalí Museum

When the Dalí Museum opened in Figueres in 1974, Lear contributed a series of collages that decorated the museum's doors.

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She Appeared in A Bigger Splash

Lear had a brief modelling appearance in Jack Hazan's 1973 film A Bigger Splash, about the painter David Hockney.

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She Introduced Roxy Music

Before becoming a disco star, Lear appeared on stage at London's Rainbow Theatre in 1972 to introduce Roxy Music and singer Lloyd Watson.

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She Was a Gossip Columnist

Lear wasn't just being photographed by the fashion press. She also wrote a monthly gossip column for Tatler and was one of the gossip writers for Ritz magazine.

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She Studied Fine Art

Lear originally went into modelling partly to support herself while studying fine art in Paris and London. Painting never disappeared from her life.

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She Wanted to Be an Artist

Lear has repeatedly said that painting is her real passion. Her modelling and music careers eventually became almost a detour from the art she originally wanted to pursue.

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She Called Modelling Boring

Despite becoming one of the most recognisable models of her era, Lear later described fashion modelling as “the most boring job in the world”.

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Dalí Said She Had a Beautiful Skull

When Dalí first became fascinated by Lear, one of the things he reportedly admired was the shape of her skull. He also became fascinated by her hip bones.

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Dalí Taught Her to See Differently

Lear later said that when she knew Dalí she “knew nothing” about art, and that he taught her to see things through his eyes.

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She Interviewed People From a Bed

Her Italian television programme Ars Amanda was deliberately intimate: Lear interviewed guests while lying on a bed, including artists and other well-known public figures.

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Ars Amanda Was About Eroticism

On Ars Amanda, Lear questioned guests about sex, fantasy and eroticism rather than sticking to conventional celebrity interviews.

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She Had Her Own Art Television Idea

Lear once proposed an art programme in which she would visit artists in their homes, show how artworks were made and explain things such as how the price of a painting is calculated.

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She Appeared in Stryx

In 1978 Lear appeared in the bizarre Italian television series Stryx, playing a character called Sexy Stryx. Grace Jones and Patty Pravo were also part of the cast.

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She Wasn't Just the Singer on Stryx

Stryx mixed music, acting and elaborate fantasy scenery. Lear's appearance came before she became one of Italian television's major presenters.

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She Worked With Paco Rabanne

Before her recording career, Lear modelled for designers including Paco Rabanne and Mary Quant during the period when fashion was becoming increasingly theatrical.

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She Became a Chanel Soundtrack

Decades after its release, Lear's 1978 song Follow Me was used by Chanel for a Coco Mademoiselle advertising campaign, sending the old track back into the streaming spotlight.

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Her Old Song Suddenly Got Shazamed

Lear said the Chanel campaign caused Follow Me to explode on Shazam and Spotify, introducing the song to a new generation who had never heard it when it was released.

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She Cleaned Dalí's Brushes

Lear said that while staying with Salvador Dalí she sometimes cleaned his paintbrushes, comparing the job to being an assistant in the Renaissance.

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Bowie Didn't Know Fritz Lang

Lear said she took David Bowie to see Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Bowie apparently didn't know who Lang was — but was completely overwhelmed by the film.

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She Gave Bowie a Book

When Lear discovered that Bowie hadn't read William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch, she took him to a bookshop and bought him a copy.

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She Explained German Expressionism to Bowie

Lear said she introduced Bowie to German Expressionism. She later recalled that he would ask questions, then immediately go away and investigate what she'd told him.

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Bowie Paid for Her Lessons

When Bowie decided Lear should become a singer, he paid for her singing lessons. According to Lear, he also paid her rent and dance lessons.

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Her First Record Sat Unreleased

Lear recorded an album after Bowie put her under contract, but it remained unreleased for a long period while she waited for Bowie to decide when it should come out.

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She Walked Away From Bowie in New York

Lear travelled to New York with Bowie during his Young Americans period. She later said that his increasing drug use was one reason she became fed up and left.

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She Was Bryan Ferry's Hitchcock Girl

Lear said Bryan Ferry was fascinated by Kim Novak and wanted to turn her into a kind of Hitchcock heroine after seeing her.

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She Thought Bowie Looked Strange

Lear's first impression of Bowie wasn't exactly romantic. She later joked that she found him unattractive, with crooked teeth, no eyebrows and different-coloured eyes.

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She Met Dalí in a Nightclub

Lear said her meeting with Dalí happened by chance in a Paris nightclub. What followed was a friendship that lasted for roughly two decades.

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She Was a Fine-Art Student First

Before the records and television, Lear was studying art. She attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and later St Martin's School of Art in London.

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She Kept Painting Through Everything

Lear has described painting as the one thing that stayed with her throughout her changing careers as a model, singer, actress and television presenter.

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She Had a Song About the Alphabet

Lear's 1977 track Alphabet runs through the letters of the alphabet over a disco arrangement built around Bach — an unusually strange combination for a hit record.

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She Had a Germanic Sound on Purpose

Her producer Anthony Monn gave Lear's disco records a colder, more electronic European sound rather than simply copying American disco.

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Queen of Chinatown Was Huge in Japan

Lear's Queen of Chinatown became a gold record in Japan — despite the Japanese market being notoriously difficult for European pop records to penetrate.

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She Spent Over 100 Weeks in the German Charts

Her albums accumulated more than 100 weeks in the German Top 50 during her major disco period.

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She Had Gold Records Across Europe

Lear's records went gold in almost every European country where they were released — and also reached gold status in places including Lebanon, Thailand and Chile.

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She Was on American Gay Club Tours

When Sweet Revenge was promoted in America in 1979, Lear appeared at New York clubs including Paradise Garage, The Saint and The Loft.

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She Once Worked for Tatler

Lear became a monthly gossip columnist for Tatler — adding journalism to an already unlikely CV of modelling, painting and music.

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Dalí Had Three Favourite Painters

Lear said Dalí told her there were only three great painters: Raphael, Vermeer and Velázquez. Everyone else, in his opinion, was “crap”.

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Dalí Was Her Art Teacher

Lear later described Dalí as her teacher, saying that listening to him talk about art taught her more than art school had.

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She Eventually Rejected Dalí's Style

Lear initially painted in a Dalí-inspired style. She eventually realised she had to stop imitating him and find her own way of painting.

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She Found Her Style in Provence

Lear moved to Provence and began painting what she could actually see from her window. She said this was when her own personality started appearing in her work.

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Dalí Sent Her to Meet Fellini

Dalí sent Lear to Rome specifically to meet Federico Fellini. She described the encounter as one of the many extraordinary consequences of knowing Dalí.

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Paco Rabanne Introduced Her to Dalí

Lear's route to Dalí began through fashion: designer Paco Rabanne introduced her to the surrealist painter.

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She Painted Dalí's Way First

Lear said that when she first met Dalí she painted whatever he thought she should paint. She eventually decided that copying her teacher was the wrong direction.

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She Met Andy Warhol Through That World

Lear met Andy Warhol during the extraordinary social circle surrounding Dalí. She later remembered Warhol as clever and fascinating.

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Dalí Took Her to New York

Lear accompanied Dalí on trips as far as New York during their long friendship. Their summers together were usually spent at his home in Cadaqués.

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She Wasn't Planning a Career

Lear has repeatedly said that the extraordinary sequence of modelling, Dalí, Bowie, disco and television happened largely by accident rather than through a career plan.

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She Wanted Rock, Not Disco

Lear said she originally wanted to make rock music. Her German record producers instead pushed her towards the distinctive disco sound that made her famous.

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Her Voice Was Deliberately Made Deep

Lear recalled that her producers wanted a deep, dramatic voice inspired by Marlene Dietrich. She said they effectively turned her voice into a “Marlene Dietrich disco” sound.

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Her First Single Wasn't Really Her Style

Lear's first single, La Bagarre, was a French version of an Elvis Presley song. Elvis had been one of her lifelong musical idols.

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She Was on American Television With Bowie

Bowie brought Lear into his American television world, including his appearance on NBC's The Midnight Special.

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She Was the Host of Bowie's Strange TV Show

Lear was the emcee of Bowie's The 1980 Floor Show, filmed in London in 1973 and broadcast in America as part of The Midnight Special.

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She Met Brian Jones Before Bowie

Lear's London circle included Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones before her later relationship with Bowie. Her connection with Jones was part of the world that inspired the Stones' “Miss Amanda Jones”.

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She Knew Freddie Mercury

After the Roxy Music cover made her part of London's music scene, Lear became friendly with Freddie Mercury, as well as members of The Who and Elton John.

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She Called Dalí a Tyrant

Lear was enormously grateful to Dalí but didn't romanticise him completely. She later called him a tyrant and said artists eventually have to forget what even their teachers told them.

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She Lived With Anita Pallenberg

When Lear was in Paris she lived for a time with Anita Pallenberg, who was then Keith Richards' partner.

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Mary Quant Was One of Her First Employers

Lear worked for Mary Quant when she was very young, and later toured America with Quant's fashion business.

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Ossie Clark Made Her a Top Model

Before the disco years, Lear became one of Ossie Clark's leading models and part of the King's Road and Chelsea scene.

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She Didn't Know How to Model

Lear has said that when she first started modelling she didn't know how to apply make-up or even how to walk like a model. She simply thought the money sounded good.

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She Lived at the Hotel La Louisiane

Lear lived at the famous Hotel La Louisiane in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Paris hotel associated with generations of writers, musicians and artists.

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Warhol and Dalí Competed for Attention

Lear remembered that Dalí and Andy Warhol liked each other but also competed with one another, with both surrounded by large and sometimes chaotic entourages.

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Warhol Drew Shoes Before He Was Famous

Lear remembered Dalí telling her that he had discovered Warhol when Warhol was still making drawings of shoes.

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She Sat in Dalí's Studio for Hours

Dalí could paint for hours while Lear sat nearby. He eventually allowed her to use his brushes, paint and canvas while he worked.

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Dalí Gave Her His Brushes

Lear recalled being allowed to paint with Dalí's own brushes, paints and canvas while she watched him work. She described it as an extraordinary privilege.

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She Painted From Her Window

After leaving Dalí's direct influence, Lear settled in Provence and began painting what she could see from her own window. She said this helped her discover her own style.

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A Fire Changed Her Painting

After a house fire destroyed her home and her husband died, Lear's paintings became dominated by intense reds. She later connected the colour directly with the fire.

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She Lost Her Paintings in the Fire

The fire that destroyed her home also destroyed almost everything she owned. Lear said the paintings she subsequently made had somehow already contained the tragedy.

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She Was Already Painting Van Gogh

Before the darker period after the fire, Lear said she had been painting bright landscapes influenced by Van Gogh, Gauguin and the Fauves.

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She Never Intended to Be Famous

Lear has repeatedly said that she never planned to become a singer, television personality or celebrity. Her stated ambition was simply to become a painter.

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Her Entire Career Was “By Accident”

Lear has described the extraordinary sequence of modelling, Dalí, Bowie, disco and television with the same explanation: it all happened by accident.

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She Was a Polyglot

Lear speaks several European languages and built her career across France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain rather than in one national entertainment industry.

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She Introduced Roxy Music at the Rainbow

Before she was a recording artist herself, Lear's first major stage appearance was introducing Roxy Music at London's Rainbow Theatre in August 1972.

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She Was the Face of Roxy Music Before Becoming a Singer

Lear became internationally recognisable from For Your Pleasure before she had released a record of her own.

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Her Roxy Photograph Became Her Career Launchpad

Lear's photograph on For Your Pleasure didn't just become an iconic album image. It directly led to David Bowie seeking her out and encouraging her to sing.

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She Thought Bowie Was Weird

When Lear first encountered Bowie, she thought his red hair and appearance were strange. She later became fascinated by his ability to absorb whatever interested him.

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