It's hard to find someone who has never heard of the Evanescence group, which has been around for more than 20 years. The team performs songs in different genres, one way or another related to rock. But there is something in this group that fascinates, forcing them to listen to their songs again and again. This is the unique, powerful and indescribably beautiful voice of the lead singer Amy Lee. Who is she, this mysterious girl?
Biography
Amy Lynn Hartzler was born on December 13, 1981 in Riverside, California, America. The girl grew up in a musical family. Constantly moving with her parents, Amy traveled to Florida and Illinois, and then stayed in Arkansas. Here, in Little Rock, Amy spent her childhood and youth.
John Lee, the girl’s father, worked as a DJ on the radio. Also, the biography of Amy Lee says that she had a brother and two sisters. One of them died at the age of three due to an unknown disease. Fans probably heard the piercing song Hello, from which, it seems, the soul is torn to pieces, and Like You. Amy dedicated these texts to her sister. In general, the sadness of loss is felt in many tracks of the singer. But only Hello, she never sings at concerts.
Amy is a professional pianist, and she has been playing the guitar since she was 9 years old. She studied at the Baptist school at the monastery, where she studied art, kept diaries and served as the leader of the choir. As a child, she was a strange child and even somewhat frightened her parents: she did not like happy fairy tales, she loved playing tragic scenes more. Perhaps this was influenced by the death of her sister, because the girl was then very young. At school and university, the girl studied very well, especially in high school. After graduation, Amy moved to Los Angeles.
Amy Lee's personal life
In 2007, the singer married the psychotherapist Josh Harzler and took his last name. At the end of July 2014, Amy gave birth to an heir, whom the couple named Jack Lyon.
As part of the Evanescence Group
“Music is one of the most important things in my life. I strongly believe that creativity is the best therapy for your soul, which is why I encourage my fans to create. When you create something, this is true life. And when you create something as real as music, you feel worthy, realized, ”says Amy.
Lee met Ben Moody at a children's summer camp in 1994. Then the guy was literally delighted with the way the girl plays the piano. They met, even met for some time, but in the future these relations went exclusively into a creative framework.
As Amy herself admits, initially she wanted to become a classical composer. The meeting with Ben, her like-minded person, changed everything. At this moment, she felt a desire to have a direct relationship with heavy music, to do it.
Ben said, “She shocked me even more with the song she wrote. I thought that I was in paradise when she sang ... "
In 1995, the band's first tracks were recorded. By the way, young people called her Evanescence. Amy Lee and Ben Moody released their first mini-album in 1998, some of the songs were on the radio, which ensured their popularity long before the concert. The first songs were much “lighter” than the subsequent ones; elements of Gothic are traced in them. The following year, David Hodges, a backing vocalist and keyboardist, joins them, with whom the guys already released the first full-length album in 2000, later recognized as a rare edition.
Later, several more members joined the group - guitarist, bass player and drummer. The team was even popular for some time on the Christian Rock market. Later, Hodges, who supported the religious concept, completely refused to participate in the group and left it. Moody, in turn, categorically refused the label of religious music.
As part of Evanescence, Amy Lee and Ben Moody released the album Fallen, which included the first hit of the band Bring Me to Life, as well as the piano game My Immortal and other popular songs in their time. Released in 2003, Fallen stayed in the top ten of the American chart and 60 - of the British for 100 weeks, reaching the first place. By the end of the same year, the album became triple platinum.
In the same year, the group, together with 12Stones, traveled to the United States, attending many prestigious festivals, and at the very end of 2003 they came to Europe. During the tour, one of its founders, Ben, disappeared from Evanescence. As Moody later commented on his departure, he left the group due to internal disagreements. Terry Balsamo soon took his place , and the guy himself continued his solo career. Ben can be heard on Avril Lavigne and Anastacia.
As part of the group, singer Amy Lee released the albums Anywhere but Home, The Open Door and many other assemblies that are still popular today. Evanescence made many clips, their tracks often became the soundtrack of various films.
Solo albums
In 2014 and 2016 Amy has released several compilations. Her first "solo album" was created with the participation of Dave Eggar and was called Aftermath. The other two are Recover, Vol. 1 and Dream Too Much - she released in 2016.
Amy Lee is a talented singer, songwriter, pianist and composer who is active in the field of music and cinema - she writes soundtracks for films. Her voice is characterized as mezzo-soprano. Amy is fluent in piano, harp, organ and guitar. Prefers rock style, alternative rock and metal, gothic rock.
Collaboration with other artists
With the aforementioned David Hodges in 2000, Amy recorded the songs Breathe and Fall Into You. In 2003, together with Big Dismal - track Missing You. The song Broken was recorded in 2004 with Seether, and Freak on a Leash in 2007 with Korn.
Amy Lynn Harzler - a unique person with a unique voice
In addition to the fantastic vocals, the girl’s fans highlight her features such as the lack of “stardom”. Amy, unlike many other stars, leads some kind of "secluded" life and does not flaunt what should be personal, as most do. She sincerely believes that only the soul should be naked in the singer. Behind the standard of rock music, the Gothic image and the goddess of vocals is a smart, gentle, good-natured, sympathetic and extremely talented woman.
Amy's brother has epilepsy, and her sister has set up a fund to support people suffering from this disease. A man with a big heart, she sponsors this fund and pays special attention to this problem. Amy believes that seizures can be treated with Mozart’s music. Of course, it has not been proven that this can lead to a complete cure, but significant improvements have been noted, and this is a good result.