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LA RUMEUR THE SONG FROM AMANDA
SCHÖN MAGAZINE 29/2015
ON THE PHONE WITH …. AMANDA LEAR
Amanda Lear is a glamour incarnate. Launching a career as a model, a painter, TV host and actor, and with a list of lovers each one more famous than the last over the cult club years of the 1960s and 1970s, her life embodies a prestigious cultural heritage. As we reach her in Provence, Lear is juggling between her show in Venice in time for the Biennale, a TV show in Rome, finishing a theatre tour and a dash to the couture shows in Paris. Now, Amanda Lear is to be immortalized on the silver screen, as her autobiography My life with Dalì is made into a feature film, with Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp reportedly battling to play the surrealist master, Salvador.
The question is – who will play Miss Lear ?
So we understand you were travelling last week…
It’s been hectic. I had to go to Rome where I did an eight-week TV show. Now it’s time for a bit of a rest. Where I live in Aix is full of festivals. My story here all started about 30 years ago… Like everybody else I was in Saint Tropez. Brigitte Bardot tried to sell me her house and all summer we discussed the price. She’s a tough cookie. Eventually, when I finally agreed on a price, I arrived with a certified cheque from the bank. I said: “ Alright, where do I sign?”. She said: “Oh, I changed my mind.” “What do you mean, you’ve changed your mind?” I’m sorry, but I almost slapped her face. Everyone in Saint Tropez told me “Oh she does it every year, she did it to Charlotte Rampling, she did it to Romy Schneider . She just wanted to meet you!” So I was really disappointed and I drove back to Paris. On the way I stopped near Avignon in Provence and I fell in love. That it was: I decided this is where I want to live, paint and die.
What’ s your show in Venice
It’s an exhibition of work I’ve been doing here for the last five or six years. I paint lots of flowers, but I go through different periods. When I was friends with Salvador Dalì, I was obviously very influenced by him and I started doing really bad pseudo-surrealistic painting à la Dalì. It was absolutely atrocious. Painting is like a therapy. I need to paint: it’s a necessity. Some people take drugs, people drink, or knit sweaters. Instead going to psychiatrist, I just paint.
How did Dalì influence your career ?
When I first met (him), it was such a shock, because I didn’t like Dalì in the first place, I like Picasso. I was a model at the time for Paco Rabanne in Paris and Ossie Clark and Mary Quant in London. I was introduced to him as a model and I said:”I’m actually doing art school. I want to be a painter. We’re like colleagues.” What had I said?! My dear colleague? He looked at me and said “What? A woman who paints? Oh no! Please! A woman cannot paint. It’s a man’s thing: there has never been a woman painter.” So, that was very bad start our relationship. As I said, I didn’t like him at all. Then he proved to be a wonderful man later on. I didn’t like his painting, but as a man he was a most amazing person. I stayed with him for over 16 years. It was a great, great affair. One day, finally, he looked at my painting and said “You know, it’s not bad ! For a woman.”
A great compliment! You’ve been juggling a few project, like you said: you’ve been doing acting, art…
Have you still been doing music ?
I’ve always combined all of them. I started being a model; then slowly I went onto music thanks first to Brian Ferry, who put me on a Roxy Music cover, then with David Bowie, and we had this two years love affair. He was the first one to send me to singing classes… the first one that believed I could be something else than just a model. It’s frustrating when you are like me, when you’re full of energy, and they just tell you to sit still and shut up. David was the first one to understand it. His manager, Tony DeFries, put me under contract and that was it. The first single came out of this production. I’m in the recording studio this summer doing a new album, which will feature some covers. The direction is more jazzy – Dinah Washington , Mad about the boy sort of thing.
You’ve not abandoned fashion completely – you made a catwalk comeback with Gaultier in 2012…
John Paul’s show was supposed to be a tribute to disco. He wanted a disco star to open and close the show. Donna Summers being dead and Gloria Gaynor too fat for the dress, it was me.
Will there be more fashion to come ?
I don’t’ know, we’ll see darling.
You’ve got a very strict and disciplined lifestyle – no alcohol or drugs. It that what’s kept you looking great all this time?
It’s all in your head. I never, ever think about my age. I haven’t celebrated my birthday for 20 years. I think once you get married, you just get fat and that’s it. Also, men who are attracted to me are young men. I find that very peculiar because they are the ones who makes the first steps. I say “why don’t you go to a girl your age?” and they reply: “They have nothing to say, I like to hear your stories.” Not to mention the fact that I take them to good restaurants.
And you pay for it all ?
Of course! Why not ? I am not ashamed. All I get is: “Oh come on, this boy… you are twice his age, or even more!” I mean of course he doesn’t love me. My last boyfriend was this gorgeous Italian model, beautiful big blue-eyed, beauty. He finally betrayed me with a weather girl. You know, the weather girls are real sluts. I dropped him on the spot; that was it. He goes his way – gets a proper family, gets married, makes children, gets boring and fat. I’ll have fun and you won’t.
You’ve always kind of balanced your media exposure and kept a certain mystery.
What do journalists represent you ?
A nuisance! (Laughs) But if you want publicity, if you want the whole world to be aware of your existence, you have to provoke. I started this 40 years ago and it was something new, because then a girl singer had to be nice, quiet and pretty. My attitude all came with Roxy Music, the black leather, the stiletto heels and chains and ambiguity…”She’s going to bed with David Bowie! Is he gay?” They kept writing pages and pages about me. Then came the Playboy cover, completely naked. Well, if she is in Playboy, she’s definitely a girl! All this was always in my favour, because the more they talk about you, the more I sell records, the more I’m successful, the more I’m interesting, and I’m still here.
There are lots of people now that have kind of copied what you’ve done. Is that a compliment ?
If it was bad, no one would copy it. I’ve seen Madonna with her hair exactly like me, wearing the same leather jacket. It meant that I was on the right path. Madonna is still walking around at her age in ridiculous fishnet stockings and showing her body – it is not necessary. I think it’s a mistake. She even bought herself a set of cheekbones to look like me. Apparently she went to the doctor with a photo of me and said:”I want cheekbones like this.” (laughs)
What would you like your cultural legacy to be ?
This very famous Italian art critic recently introduced me as a work of art. I really cannot imagine myself, me, as an achievement. I’m still waiting to make something better.
So there are still more projects to come ?
Many, many, many. I still want to do Tennessee Williams, musicals… and I know I probably won’t do it all, but it keeps me dreaming and busy. I might even meet Mr. Right along the way.
Another Italian stallion ?
Who knows? As long as he doesn’t play golf !
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AMANDA LEAR QUEEN FOREVER .....