Amy_Lee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Amy Lee Amy Lee Amy Lee Amy Lynn Hartzler (née Lee; born December 13, 1981), best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classicallytrained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. Her influences range from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists like Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman,[2] and Plumb.[3] Biography Early life Amy Lee was born to parents John Lee, a disc jockey and TV personality, and Sara Cargill. She has one brother, Robby, and two sisters, Carrie and Lori. Lee had a third sister, who died in 1987 at the age of three from an unidentified illness.[4] The song "Hello" from Fallen has been reported to have been written for her late sister, as well as the song "Like You" from The Open Door.[5] Lee took classical piano lessons for nine years. Her family moved to many places, including Florida and Illinois,[6] but eventually settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Evanescence started. She graduated from Pulaski Academy in 2000 and also briefly attended Middle Tennessee State University. In an interview on AOL Music, Lee said that the first songs she remembered writing were called "Eternity of the Remorse" and "A Single Tear". The first was written when she was eleven years old and wanted to become a classical composer, and the second was for an assignment when she was in the eighth grade.[7] Amy Lee on stage Background information Birth name Born Amy Lynn Lee December 13, 1981 (1981-12-13) Riverside, California, U.S. Origin Genre(s) Occupation(s) Instrument(s) Years active Label(s) Associated acts Website Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. Alternative metal Singer, songwriter, pianist Vocals, piano, harp,[1] guitar 1995 – present Wind-up Evanescence Evanescence.com Engagement and marriage Lee revealed during the taping of MuchMusic’s January 9, 2007 episode of Live @ Much that she had become engaged the previous evening. She later confirmed on EvThreads.com that she had been proposed to by Josh Hartzler, a therapist and long-time friend.[8] She noted in an interview that the songs "Good Enough" and "Bring Me To Life" were inspired by him.[9] The couple were married on May 6, 2007, and honeymooned Notable instrument(s) Baldwin Piano 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia near The Bahamas.[10] She has posted on EvThreads that she is "now officially Mrs. Amy Hartzler."[11] Amy Lee had bought an official version of Fallen through their web site, but required that a CD checker program also be downloaded for verification before it would play.[14] The band version was included on later copies of Fallen, notably the Brazilian, Bolivian, and Argentine editions. Evanescence Departure of Ben Moody On October 22, 2003, guitarist Ben Moody left the band citing "creative differences". In an interview several months later, Amy said: "...we’d gotten to a point that if something didn’t change, we wouldn’t have been able to make a second record". She also said "We’re finally a real band, not just Ben and I and a few others thrown together".[13] Ex-Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo replaced Moody in the band, both on guitar and as Lee’s writing partner. Lawsuit On December 1, 2005, former Evanescence manager Dennis Rider filed a US$10 million lawsuit against Lee for breach of contract. The suit claims Rider was prematurely and unjustly terminated from his position as manager of Evanescence, just one album into a three-record deal. In return, Lee filed a counter-suit against Rider for "’breach of fiduciary duty,’ sexual assault and battery, professional negligence and currency conversion, among other claims." The suit also claims Rider "neglected Lee’s career and business and has focused his efforts on having extramarital affairs, hiding them from his wife, becoming intoxicated during business meetings, physically abusing women and boasting about it, making repeated unwelcome sexual advances toward Lee, receiving fees in excess of what was provided for in his management agreement and using Lee’s corporate credit card to purchase gifts for his mistress." Rider’s attorney, Bert Deixler, claimed in a statement that since Rider became the group’s manager in 2002, he had fully performed all of the duties and obligations owed by the firm under the management agreement, and that he had always conducted himself by the highest professional standards.[15][9] Lee at the 2007 Scream Awards Founding She co-founded the band with Ben Moody. The two met at a youth camp after he heard Lee playing Meat Loaf’s "I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)" on the piano.[12] Within a month, the pair were playing acoustic sets at Arkansas book stores and coffee houses,[13] and they eventually recorded two EPs, Evanescence EP (1998) and Sound Asleep EP (1999), selling them at various local venues. In 2000, Evanescence recorded the longer EP Origin. This demo contains three songs from the debut album Fallen and was written by Lee and Moody: "Whisper", "Imaginary" and "My Immortal". Whereas "Whisper" and "Imaginary" underwent further modifications before being included on Fallen, "My Immortal" is virtually unchanged. A later band version of "My Immortal" was made available for download for those who 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Amy Lee skirts and knee-high boots. She at one point had a piercing on her left eyebrow, which is visible on the cover of Fallen. She has stated on a number of occasions that she would never flash her breasts or engage in other publicity stunts that would draw attention to herself. In fact, in the music video for "Everybody’s Fool", she aimed to mock such artists by suggesting that celebrities who use sex to appeal to an audience are, in fact, merely peddling "lies" (the unifying theme of the music video). Many fans praise Lee for her refusal to emulate other celebrities by using sex appeal in her music.[20] In 2006, Blender listed Lee as one of the hottest women in rock alongside such singers as Joan Jett, Courtney Love and Liz Phair.[21] Solo album During an October 2008 interview for Spin.com, Lee noted that she was writing new songs, possibly for a solo album project. Citing influences in folk and Celtic music, she says her current writings feel like she is going back to her "really old" roots. She gave no release date or any further information. For the reason behind this new direction, Lee states, "I need to show that I’m more than a one trick pony. ...it’s nothing I would categorize as Evanescence."[16] Nevertheless, in an interview with The Gauntlet on October 23, 2008, Lee stated that she did not know whether or not she would begin a solo career, saying that she was "at a point where I don’t know what is next." She noted that Evanescence guitarist Terry Balsamo and bassist Tim McCord are still with the band, but that she found touring to be monotonous. She reiterated that she was currently writing songs, just that she did not know for what purpose they would serve.[17] Other projects In 2000, Lee sang guest vocals on two of former Evanescence keyboardist David Hodges’ songs: "Breathe" (The Summit Church: Summit Worship) and the unreleased "Fall Into You".[22] She performed backup vocals for "Missing You", a song on Big Dismal’s 2003 debut album Believe, and sang backup vocals on two songs with ’supergroup’ The Damning Well, though her vocals were taken off the final release due to record label issues.[23] Lee later performed a duet with her then-boyfriend Shaun Morgan on the track "Broken" for Seether’s 2004 album Disclaimer II. The song was also featured as part of the soundtrack for the 2004 film The Punisher. In 2004, Lee claimed to be working on music for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but that the music was rejected by the studio for being "too dark and epic." However, the producers of Narnia stated that Lee was never asked to compose any music for the film, whose score was written by Harry Gregson-Williams, and that "No Evanescence music was planned for the soundtrack."[24][25] While there was some speculation that one of the supposed songs had been cut and used in several tracks of The Open Door, Lee stated this was not true except for part of it being used to segue into the last track of the album, "Good Enough".[26] Lee became the American Chairperson for Out of the Shadows in 2006. This organization is an international foundation with the goal of providing education about epilepsy. Appearance Lee performing at an Evanescence concert in São Paulo, Brazil Lee has a recognizable fashion style, marked by her occasional use of Gothic make-up and taste for Victorian-styled clothing.[18] She also designs many of her own clothes, including those worn in the music video for "Going Under", the dress she wore at the 2004 Grammy awards, and the dress worn for the cover of The Open Door. After she designed it she chose Japanese designer H. Naoto to make it for her.[19] In concerts, she often wears a corset and fishnets, as well as long 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Year Artist Song "Fall Into You" 2003 Big Dismal feat. Amy Lee 2004 Seether feat. Amy Lee 2007 Korn feat. Amy Lee 2008 Amy Lee "Missing You" "Broken" Release Amy Lee 2000 David Hodges feat. Amy Lee "Breathe" The Summit Church: Summit Worship Unreleased Believe Disclaimer II The Punisher: The Album Nightmare Revisited "Freak on a Leash" MTV Unplugged: Korn "Sally’s Song" the first single from the album. In November 2007, VH1 produced a mockumentary in the style of Behind the Music, titled Rock Band Cometh: The Rock Band Band Story, to promote the video game Rock Band. Lee was one of the celebrity cameos featured on the show.[29] For Walt Disney Records’ September 2008 release of Nightmare Revisited, Lee sang a remake of "Sally’s Song". The album contains new material and covers of songs from the original Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.[30][31] Lee performed live renditions of "Sally’s Song" during the October 17 Nightmare Before Christmas re-release premiere in Hollywood, California, and for an October 13 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[32] Discography Evanescence • Origin (November 4, 2000) • Fallen (March 4, 2003) • The Open Door (October 3, 2006) Lee at the 2003 Billboard Awards Lee’s younger brother, Robby, was previously diagnosed with this condition.[27] The singer also made a brief guest appearance in the music video for Johnny Cash’s "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" in late 2006.[28] As each celebrity featured in the shoot was allowed to choose what they would be doing for the video, Lee chose to appear laying flowers on a grave. Her scene was recorded at Trinity Church in Manhattan, during which she wore a black velvet coat that previously belonged to Tim Burton.[9] In February 2007, MTV released MTV Unplugged: Korn to television and radio, in which Lee is featured during the song "Freak on a Leash". The song was also released as Collaborations and other songs References [1] Lee, Amy; Leno, Jay. (2008-10-13). The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. [Television production]. Burbank, California: NBC/ Universal. [2] "Interview with Evanescence singer Amy Lee". gURL.com. http://www.gurl.com/ showoff/spotlight/qa/0,,656336,00.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [3] Farias, Andree (2006-04-10). "PreEvanescence". Christianity Today (Christianity Today International). http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/ 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia interviews/2006/plumb-0406.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [4] Odell, Michael (April 2004). "Survivor!". Blender magazine. http://www.blender.com/guide/ articles.aspx?id=705. Retrieved on 2006-10-18. [5] "Evanescence: Amy Lee Explains the New Songs". VH1.com. 2006-10-08. http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/ 1540914/story.jhtml. [6] "Amy’s bio". OutoftheShadows.com. http://www.outoftheshadows.com/ MainNavAmysStory.cfm. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [7] Robertson, Jessica (2007-10-19). "P’s & Q’s: Amy Lee Finds Solace in Marriage and Music". AOL.com. http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/10/ 19/ps-and-qs-amy-lee-finds-solace-inmarriage-and-music/. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. [8] Lee, Amy (2007-01-09). "Amy’s Engaged!: *clink clink* *ahem...*". EvThreads.com. http://www.evthreads.com/ showpost.php?p=112785&postcount=100. Retrieved on 2007-01-09. [9] ^ Eells, Josh (October 2006). "Amy Lee: Back in Black". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/ articles.aspx?id=2076. Retrieved on 2007-01-09. [10] Rubin, Courtney (2007-05-10). "Evanescence Singer Amy Lee Gets Married". People. http://www.people.com/people/article/ 0,,20038444,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-10. [11] Hartzler, Amy (2007-05-18). "i’ve got a new ring & now you’ve got the scoop". EvThreads.com. http://www.evthreads.com/ showpost.php?p=268958&postcount=1. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. [12] D’Angelo, Joe (2004-02-27). "Evanescence - The Split". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/bands/e/ evanescence/news_feature_040227/. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [13] ^ Bakker, Tiffany (2004-01-09). "Moody blues". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/ 08/1073437399128.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. Amy Lee [14] "My Immortal Band Version". Evanescence.com. Archived from the original on 2004-06-15. http://web.archive.org/web/ 20040615223003/ www.evanescence.com/exclusiveTrack/ index.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-10. [15] Harris, Chris (2005-12-08). "Evanescence’s Amy Lee Sues Former Manager, Alleges Financial And Sexual Misconduct". MTV News via VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/ 1517717/12082005/evanescence.jhtml. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [16] Goodman, William (2008-10-17). "Evanescence’s Amy Lee: "It’s Not All Sad"". Spin.com. http://www.spin.com/ articles/evanescences-amy-lee-its-not-allsad. Retrieved on 2008-10-18. [17] Fisher, Jason (2008-10-23). "Evanescence Interview". TheGauntlet.com. http://www.thegauntlet.com/interviews/ 447/Evanescence.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-01. [18] "Evanescence’s Amy shreads her threads!". Kerrang!. 2003-06-09. Archived from the original on 2005-03-14. http://web.archive.org/web/ 20050314204408/ http://www.kerrang.com/ nav?page=kerrang.reviews.artist.news&fixture_artis Retrieved on 2008-01-15. [19] "Amy Lee - Instant Fashion Profile". MTV News. 2004. http://www.mtv.com/news/ grammys/2004/ backstage.jhtml?id=amylee&c=7. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [20] Moss, Corey (2004-06-10). "Evanescence’s Amy Lee Hopes To Get Into Film, Rages Against Cheesy Female Idols". MTV News via VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/ 1488307/06102004/evanescence.jhtml. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [21] Errico, Mike (December 2006). "Hottest Women of...Rock!". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/ articles.aspx?ID=2295. Retrieved on 2007-02-11. [22] "Discography / Lyrics / Audio Clips". DavidHodges.info. http://www.davidhodges.info/ lyrics.shtml. Retrieved on 2006-11-07. [23] D’Angelo, Joe (2003-08-13). "Borland, Bowie, Maynard James Keenan Ready To 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Amy Lee Unveil Hush-Hush Project". MTV News. [30] Donahue, Ann (2008-08-05). "Elfman, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/ Korn, Plain White T’s Revisit 1476854/20030813/ ’Nightmare’". Billboard.biz. nine_inch_nails.jhtml. Retrieved on http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/ 2007-03-08. content_display/genre/ [24] D’Angelo, Joe (2004-11-18). e3i29faacc3d1f770ee6a48c4fd72748b45. "Evanescence’s New Sound Is Retrieved on 2008-08-09. Reminiscent Of ... Evanescence". MTV [31] "Jonathan Davis, Marilyn Manson, and News. http://www.mtv.com/news/ Amy Lee Featured on "Nightmare Before articles/1493917/20041118/ Christmas" CD". RevolverMag.com. evanescence.jhtml?headlines=true. 2008-08-08. Retrieved on 2007-07-06. http://www.revolvermag.com/content/ [25] "Wardrobe closed to Evanescence jonathan-davis-marilyn-manson-and-amysinger". The New Zealand Herald. lee-featured-nightmare-christmas-cd. 2007-11-27. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ Retrieved on 2008-09-04. section/6/ [32] "Evanescence Singer To Perform At story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=7000569. ’Nightmare Before Christmas’ Opening". Retrieved on 2007-07-06. Blabbermouth.net. 2008-10-10. [26] Lee, Amy (2006-07-13). "Discussion of http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ The Open Door album". EvBoard.com. blabbermouth.net/ http://www.evboard.com/ news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=106660. showpost.php?p=912102&postcount=1. Retrieved on 2008-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-08-09. [27] "Why Epilepsy?". OutoftheShadows.com. http://www.outoftheshadows.com/ • Evanescence.com - Official U.S. website MainNavAmysStory_3-1.cfm. Retrieved • Out of the Shadows - The Amy Lee Fund on 2006-11-07. for Epilepsy [28] Kaufman, Gil (2006-11-17). "Timberlake’s Brainstorm: Johnny Cash Persondata Video With Kanye, Jigga, Depp, Others". NAME Lee, Amy Lynn MTV News via VH1.com. ALTERNATIVE Hartzler, Amy (married http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/ NAMES name) 1546013/11162006/cash_johnny.jhtml. SHORT Evanescence vocalist Retrieved on 2006-11-30. DESCRIPTION and pianist [29] "Megadeth’s Mustaine, Evanescence’s Lee Featured In ’Rock Band Commeth’ DATE OF BIRTH December 13, 1981 Mockumentary". Blabbermouth.net. PLACE OF Riverside, California, 2007-11-07. BIRTH U.S. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ DATE OF DEATH blabbermouth.net/ PLACE OF news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=84367. DEATH Retrieved on 2007-11-08. External links Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Lee" Categories: 1981 births, Living people, American Christians, American female singers, American heavy metal singers, American rock pianists, American rock singer-songwriters, Middle Tennessee State University alumni, English Americans, Scottish-Americans, Musicians from Arkansas, Evanescence members, Female metal singers, Grammy Award winners, People from Little Rock, Arkansas, People from Riverside, California This page was last modified on 25 May 2009, at 22:12 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 6