Amanda Lepore
Amanda Lepore (born November 21, 1967[1]) is a transgender American model, celebutante, singer, and performance artist. A former Club Kid,[2] she has appeared in advertising for numerous companies. Lepore is noted as a regular subject in photographer David LaChapelle's work, serving as his muse, as well as many other photographers, such as Terry Richardson and Ruben van Schalm. She participated in LaChapelle's Artists and Prostitutes 1985–2005 exhibit in New York City, where she "lived" in a voyeuristic life-sized set.[3][4]
Amanda Lepore | |
|---|---|
 Lepore at the Life Ball in Vienna, Austria, May 2014. | |
| Born | November 21, 1967[1] Cedar Grove, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
| Hair color | Platinum blonde |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Website | amandalepore |
Lepore has released several singles, many written by and/or recorded with Cazwell. In 2011, she released her debut studio album, I...Amanda Lepore, on Peace Bisquit.
Early life
Amanda grew up in the Essex County community of Cedar Grove, New Jersey.[5][6] Her father was an Italian-American chemical engineer, and her mother was a German-American housewife. Her mother had schizophrenia and spent much time in mental institutions.[7][8] She has one sibling, an older brother.
Lepore later wrote: "Ever since I can first remember, I knew I was a girl. I couldn't understand why my parents were dressing me up in boys' clothing. I thought they were insane."[8] In her early teens, Lepore began making costumes for a transgender friend in exchange for female hormones.[9] She was already isolated from her peers. At this time, her parents withdrew her from public school and hired a private tutor. They took her to a psychologist, who helped her obtain a prescription to begin hormone therapy.[10]
At the age of 17, and through a legal loophole, Lepore married a male bookstore owner. She was granted permission for gender affirmation surgery,[10][11] which she had at age 19 in Yonkers, New York.[11] Lepore later left her husband. In 1989, she relocated to New York City.
In the early 1990s, Lepore tried to establish herself as a nightlife figure (including being a member in the Club Kids). She supported herself by working in a nail salon, as a dominatrix,[10] and later as a cosmetics salesgirl for Patricia Field. After meeting photographer David LaChapelle one evening while hosting at Bowery Bar, she began collaborating with him.[10]
Modeling and acting
Lepore has appeared in fashion magazines, including French Playboy, Ponytail, DAMn and TUSH. She is on the cover of Lords of Acid's 1999 album Expand Your Head and on Thighpaulsandra's 2006 album The Lepore Extrusion.
Because of her association with the Club Kids, Lepore had a cameo in the documentary Party Monster: The Shockumentary (1998) and the feature film Party Monster (2003). She can be seen briefly in the fashion spoof comedy Zoolander (2001). She was featured in the documentary Dig! (2004) and in Another Gay Sequel (2008). In 2016, Lepore had a major role in José André Sibaja's film The Zanctuary, where she played a drug dealer called Miss Divine. Other cast members included Joey Arias and Sophia Lamar, with whom she also appeared in 2018 documentary I Hate New York from Spanish director Gustavo Sanchez.
Lepore has had cameos in music videos for artists including Elton John, Thalía, The Dandy Warhols, Girl in a Coma,[12] Grace Jones, Keanan Duffty, Sharon Needles, TIGA (for his cover of "Sunglasses at Night"), and the alt rock band The Drums (for "Days").[13] Lepore appears in many of Cazwell's music videos, including "Watch my Mouth"[14] and "All Over Your Face".[15]
She was Chief of Parade at the 2010 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Australia.[9]
Book
On April 18, 2017, having announced it more than a year prior, Lepore published her autobiography, Doll Parts. It was co-written with Thomas Flannery Jr. and published through Regan Arts. Throughout the text, the book features numerous pictures of Amanda taken by different photographers such as David LaChapelle, Tina Paul, Josef Jasso, Rob Lebow (who photographed the cover), and Joey Falsetta.
Music
Her first single, "Deeper," was a 2003 trance dance song written by Wigstock drag queen Lady Bunny.[16]
In 2005, Lepore released her first album, Introducing... Amanda Lepore, which contained "Champagne" and "My Hair Looks Fierce". In 2007, she released two remix albums, Fierce Pussy and My Pussy E.P. Lepore performed the main title for Another Gay Movie, "I Know What Boys Like" and "Cotton Candy" from the soundtrack of Another Gay Sequel.[17]
Lepore was a part of True Colors Tour 2007, a 15-city North American benefit tour sponsored by the Logo channel, hosted by comedian Margaret Cho and headlined by Cyndi Lauper.[18] The tour benefited the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and it included Erasure, Debbie Harry, The Gossip, Rufus Wainwright, The Dresden Dolls, The MisShapes, Rosie O'Donnell, Indigo Girls, The Cliks, and other special guests. In 2009, Lepore performed at the Majestic Theatre during Metro Pride Fest in Detroit with The Divas of the Majestic: A Divine Lites Productions and Founder, Electra Lites.[19]
In June 2011, she debuted her album I...Amanda Lepore at the Highline Ballroom with Cazwell, Kat Deluna, Neon Hitch, Ana Matronic, Jonté, and many others. Her debut full-length album I...Amanda Lepore was released in 2011 on Peace Bisquit.[20]
In 2013, her version of the Marilyn Monroe song "I Wanna Be Loved by You" was released through Peace Bisquit.
In 2014, Lepore was featured on drag performer Sharon Needles' single, "I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore", and she guest starred in the music video for the track, depicting Needles as a fan obsessed with getting plastic surgery to look like her.[21]
In 2015, she collaborated with Alek Sandar in his song "P.O.R.N.", even appearing in the cover of the single and in the music video.
On July 31, 2015, she released the remix album I... Amanda Lepore – Make over sessions. This album included 2 digital CDs that contained remixes of her first studio album I... Amanda Lepore, released four years prior.
On December 8, 2017, the song "Buckle Up" was released from her forthcoming EP Lepore., which was released on February 16, 2018. The EP contained four new songs: "Buckle Up", "My Panties", "The Jean Genie", and "Too Drunk to Fuck".
Merchandise
In October 1999, Swatch released "Time Tranny", a watch designed by LaChapelle with Lepore on the face, which displays a printed crack on the glass and marble stripes as the background. A second version displays no cracked glass and a blue and yellow striped background.[22]
In April 2006, Integrity Toys launched an Amanda Lepore doll produced by Jason Wu as a benefit for AIDS charities.[23]
Lepore has a line of cosmetics in partnership with CAMP Cosmetics, called "Collection Lepore", as well as a signature perfume.[24]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| I...Amanda Lepore |
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| I...Amanda Lepore – Make over sessions |
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EPs
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Introducing... Amanda Lepore
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| 2007 | My Pussy
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| 2008 | Fierce Pussy (The Remix Album)
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| 2010 | Cazwell and Amanda
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| 2018 | Lepore.
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "I Know What Boys Like" | Another Gay Movie Soundtrack |
| 2009 | "Cotton Candy" | I...Amanda Lepore |
| "My Hair Looks Fierce" | ||
Filmography
| Year | Title | Artist | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Cotton Candy" | Amanda Lepore featuring Cazwell | Bec Stupak | [25] |
| 2010 | "Marilyn" | Cazwell featuring Amanda Lepore | Leo Herrera | [26] |
| "Get Into It" | Marco Ovando | |||
| 2011 | "Turn Me Over" | Amanda Lepore | Marco Ovando | |
| "Doin It My Way" | Marco Ovando | |||
| 2012 | "Doin It My Way" Remix | Sid Licious | ||
| 2020 | "Nerves of Steel" | Erasure | Brad Hammer | [27] |
References
- "Amanda Lepore, Confessions From Loving Life as a Living Doll". Observer.com. April 20, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- Graymay, Kevin (May 14, 2014). "After Prison, No After-Hours: Michael Alig, the Former King of the Club Kids, After Prison". The New York Times.
- LaChapelle, David, (2005). Artists And Prostitutes Taschen America Llc, ISBN 978-3-8228-1617-2
- Williford, Daniel (2009). Queer Aesthetics. Borderlands, Vol. 8. No.2.
- Peden, Lauren David. "Shopping with...Amanda Lepore" Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, Dominican Today, September 28, 2005. Accessed July 6, 2011. "But that's what makes Amanda (nee Armand) Lepore from Cedar Grove, New Jersey so great. The boy who grew up to be a Vargas pinup girl may be all manufactured artifice on the outside – huge blonde hair, huge red lips, huge gravity-defying boobs."
- Musto, Michael (March 11, 2008). "Christian From Project Runway Has a Boyfriend!", Village Voice
- Phillips, Ian (October 27, 2001). "How Do I Look? ; Transsexual, Muse, Naked Party Animal, Amanda Lepore Walks on the Wild Side". The Independent.
- Lepore, Amanda. "The Amanda Lepore Story". Buzznet.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
- Olding, Rachel (February 27, 2010) Fantastic plastic. Sydney Morning Herald
- "Amanda's Story on amandaleporeonline.com". Archived from the original on November 3, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- Musto, Michael (March 16, 1999). "NY Mirror". Villagevoice.com. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
- Road to Home (music video) on YouTube
- Sunglasses at Night (music video) on YouTube
- Watch my Mouth (music video) on YouTube
- All Over Your Face (music video) on YouTube
- Page Six (July 10, 2003). How Lopez lost Vogue cover. New York Post
- Monroe, Kennidi (December 22, 2008). Interview: Season Finale, with Amanda Lepore. Archived 2013-04-18 at Archive.today TrannyTalk 101
- Chinen, Nate (June 20, 2007). Power to the People (and Some Pop Too). The New York Times
- Staff report (July 16, 2009). Electra Lites to leave Detroit. Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine PrideSource
- Visco, Gerry (June 29, 2011). Bash Compactor: Golden Girl. New York Press
- Schlutt, Marcel (September 23, 2014). "Sharon Needles feat. Amanda Lepore – I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore". Kaltblut. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- Clark, Hazel; Brody, David (2009). Design Studies: A Reader. Berg. p. 493. ISBN 978-1-84788-236-3.
- Lopez, Vincent (May 9, 2006). Toys, p. 64. The Advocate
- Iannacci, Elio (March 17, 2011). The new transsexual chic. Macleans
- "Cotton Candy" (music video) on YouTube
- "Marilyn" (music video) on YouTube
- Shaffer, Claire (August 11, 2020). "Erasure Team Up With Drag Stars for 'Nerves of Steel' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
