Amy Lee
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Amy Lynn Lee (born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, lead songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band
Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...
. A classically trained pianist, Lee began writing music at age 11 and co-founded Evanescence at age 13, inspired by various musical genres and film scores from an early age. Lee has also participated in other musical projects, including '' Nightmare Revisited'' and '' Muppets: The Green Album'', and composed music for several films, including '' War Story'' (2014), '' Indigo Grey: The Passage'' (2015), and the song "
Speak to Me "Speak to Me" is the first track on English rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', on which it forms an overture. Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track, though recollections differ as to the reas ...
" for '' Voice from the Stone'' (2017). She has also released the covers EP '' Recover, Vol. 1'' (2016), the soundtrack album to ''War Story'', the children's album '' Dream Too Much'' (2016), and collaborated with other artists such as
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
,
Seether Seether are a South African Rock music, rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with ...
,
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
,
Lindsey Stirling Lindsey Stirling (born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, songwriter and dancer. She presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007. Stirling per ...
,
Body Count A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...
, and Wagakki Band. Alongside her
awards and nominations An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...
with Evanescence, Lee's other accolades include: the Songwriter Icon Award from the
National Music Publishers Association The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is a trade association for the American Music publisher (popular music), music publishing industry. Founded in 1917, NMPA represents American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NM ...
(2008); Best Vocalist at the ''Revolver'' Golden Gods Awards (2012); Rock Goddess of the Year at ''Loudwire'' Music Awards (2012); Best Film Score by the Moondance International Film Festival for ''Indigo Grey: The Passage'' (2015); and the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in Independent Film for "Speak to Me" (2017). In 2012,
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
named Lee one of the top 100 greatest women in music. Lee is the American
chairperson The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...
for the international
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
awareness foundation Out of the Shadows, and in 2012 was honored with
United Cerebral Palsy United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities. As one of the largest health nonpro ...
's Luella Bennack Award for her work.


Early life and musical start

Amy Lee was born on December 13, 1981, in
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
, to parents John Lee, who worked as a
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
and
voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...
artist, and Sara Cargill. The oldest of five siblings, Lee has two living sisters. She had a younger sister who died at age three from an unidentified illness when Lee was six years old, and a younger brother who died in 2018 at age 24 after struggling with severe
epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
for most of his life. Lee said that when her little sister died, her "whole perception of life changed", and it influenced her rumination on death. She wrote the songs "Hello" from ''Fallen'' and "Like You" from ''The Open Door'' for her late sister. After her sister's death, Lee did not allow herself "a lot of outward grief" to protect her parents' emotions. She spent time by herself creating, which became a self-soothing medium. Lee discovered a passion for the piano in early childhood, wanting to play the instrument at age six after hearing her mother play.
Classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
was her first musical influence as a child, inspiring her to become a musician and composer. She was first inspired by
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
when she watched the 1984 film '' Amadeus'' at eight years old.
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
was another early classical inspiration, as well as
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
and
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
's film scores. She wanted to take piano lessons, and studied classical piano for nine years. Lee considers the ''Lacrimosa'' movement of Mozart's
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
her favorite piece of music, and wove it into ''The Open Door'' song " Lacrymosa". Lee began writing poetry about eternity and loneliness at age 10. Her mother had expressed concern about her writing, suggesting she see a therapist. Lee thought about taking
antidepressants Antidepressants are a class of medications used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. Common side effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, headaches, akathisia, sexu ...
at the time but chose not to as she felt it would take her "soul away" and she "wouldn't be able to feel anything." One of the first songs she remembered writing was an instrumental piece called "Eternity of the Remorse", writing the sheet music when she was 11. Her first song with lyrics was called "A Single Tear", which she wrote for an eighth-grade assignment, recording it on a cassette tape and playing guitar while her friend from choir did backup vocals. During her pre-teen years, Lee's family moved to many places, including
West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...
, and
Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...
, eventually settling in
Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...
. When her family moved to Little Rock, Lee had a lot of pent-up "negativity". In Little Rock, she attended Pulaski Academy, a private college preparatory school, starting in
junior high Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
. She described the school as a "weird fit" for her, where she was a loner for a while, and experienced bullying for dressing differently, which she would later embrace during high school. Lee found solace in writing, and joining the school choir helped her slowly gain confidence in her voice. She was in the
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
section of her choir. Lee was initially insecure as a singer, and only used singing as a vehicle for her writing. A self-described "choir nerd", she became president of her high school's choir, and wrote a choir piece called "Listen to the Rain", which the choir teacher liked and asked her to direct. The piece was performed by the choir in graduation. Originally wanting to focus on classical or film score composing, Lee's plan changed as her "tastes got darker". In late childhood and throughout her teens, she listened to a variety of musical styles, including
alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Independent music *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alter ...
,
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
,
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
, industrial music,
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
,
groove metal Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...
, and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
artists like
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
and Portishead. Lee's earliest memory of wanting to fuse various musical genres, especially contrasting styles, was when she was training in classical piano and noticed that a "real shreddy" section of a composition from
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
composer
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
resembled heavy metal. She found "so many similarities to be drawn, almost more so the further out you go on both sides". Lee's extra-curricular activities involved working on music, playing music with others from school, and freelance painting. She spent most of her free time making music at her house late at night. By age 13, Lee was inspired to form her own band, her musical vision for it being a fusion of her diverse musical tastes including cinematic and classical music, alternative, metal, and electronic music. In 1994, she met budding guitarist
Ben Moody Benjamin Moody (born January 22, 1981) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is known as co-founder of rock band Evanescence, which he departed in 2003 after the release of their debut album '' Fallen'' (2003). After leav ...
when she was 13 at a Christian youth camp; when others in the camp were playing sports, she played piano and he played acoustic guitar and she thought they could play music together. Lee thinks what drew them together at the time was that they "didn't fit in that well" and were "out of
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
element in this silly camp environment."


Career


1994–present: Evanescence

In 1994, Lee played Moody a cassette tape of her playing guitar and singing a song she wrote and the two began working on music at Lee's home. They were soon performing acoustic sets at bookstores and coffee houses in Little Rock and co-founded Evanescence. What made Lee want to start Evanescence was "the idea of combinations that were unlikely". Lee wanted to combine her various musical tastes, "bringing something from the cinematic and classical symphonic world and marrying it to metal, hard rock and alternative music." "There was all this music that was inspiring me. And Evanescence was the product of these two extremes combining". The duo independently recorded two
EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
: ''Evanescence EP'' (1998) and ''Sound Asleep EP'' (1999). Their demos got them airplay on the local modern rock station in Little Rock, and helped them develop a local fanbase, play a couple of bigger shows a year, and hire guest musicians to perform other instruments live. Although Lee and Moody performed with guest musicians, Evanescence remained a duo. After graduating high school, Lee attended
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
to study music theory and composition for film scoring, but left after a semester to solely focus on Evanescence. They packaged a demo CD, ''
Origin Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
'' (2000), to showcase to record labels. Evanescence was signed by Wind Up Records in 2001, and moved to Los Angeles, where they completed their debut album, '' Fallen'' (2003). Most of Lee's writing on ''Fallen'' was driven by her mindset during a relationship she was in with an abusive man. Some of the songs on the album were composed by Lee and Moody when they were young teens, including three songs originally from their earlier independent records. Lee and Moody said they did not consider their music to be "goth" or nu metal. In October 2003, Moody left the band in the middle of the ''Fallen'' tour, citing "creative differences". Lee said it was a relief that he left because of tensions created within the band. "It was a really uncomfortable situation for everybody ... completely unstable and unhappy. ... I knew something was going to happen and I didn't know what and I was afraid everything we worked for had the potential of going down the toilet." Tour guitarist John LeCompt commented in 2006 that Lee "gained authority as soon as Ben Moody walked out the door. They had an equal partnership, but he was the man, he had to strangle the band, all the life out of it". In Lee's termination letter to their manager, she stated that Moody was physically and verbally abusive to her. With Moody gone, "a weight had been lifted". Lee's creative disagreements with Moody included his strict approach to songwriting and focus on commerciality; he would "always be corralling" her ideas, and wanting to push the band in a more commercial, pop direction, and his influences were "a lot different" than hers. "A lot of the reason it's been so much fun writing ost-Moodyis that we're not thinking about that. It's like, 'What do we like? What's fun?'", and there is "no pressure of wanting to rule the world", Lee explained. In 2005, Moody conceded that they had different approaches: " myis much more creative than I am ... I am a bit more commercial minded ... she is more educated musically, and she wanted to explore that. ... I think in my immaturity at the time, I did that in just a way-too-controlling manner — it was like my way or the highway. We just couldn't meet in the middle, so I was like, 'The hell with it.'" Lee called former
Cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjectivity, subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute t ...
guitarist Terry Balsamo to replace Moody on the ''Fallen'' tour, and he soon became Evanescence's permanent lead guitarist and Lee's co-writing partner. She and Balsamo "clicked" and "connected on a lot of musical interests". During the tour, Lee wrote a song titled "The Last Song I'm Wasting on You", recording it in a bathroom on an
analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
recording device. When asked if the track was about Moody, Lee said, "If I answer that, then I'm not hiding anything anymore. But I just sort of answered it, didn't I?". She later deemed it "one of those personal, hard moments, when beauty is born out of pain". After finishing the tour for Evanescence's live album and DVD ''
Anywhere but Home ''Anywhere but Home'' is the first live album and concert DVD release by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on November 23, 2004, by Wind-up Records. It includes a recording of a concert at Le Zénith in Paris, an hour of behind the ...
'' (2004) and overwhelmed by label pressure, Lee retreated to her house, cut off contact with people, and spent the next 10 months writing music again, painting and going to therapy. She said of her first therapy sessions, "For the first, I don't know, lots of sessions, I'd just go in and cry. Every time. I guess I was letting out all the ghosts of my past." Lee found comfort in therapy, an environment where she felt she could speak freely and "not feel that anything I said was wrong". She referenced a session of interpreting recurring themes in her dreams, acknowledging a longstanding, deep-rooted feeling of "always something looming under the surface", which she later overcame. During this time, Lee had invasive experiences with stalkers that forced her to leave her house a couple of nights. This experience led her to write the song "Snow White Queen" from her and a stalker's perspective. Other songs Lee wrote throughout these months included " Lacrymosa" and "Together Again". Lee collaborated with Balsamo, co-writing music together for Evanescence's second album, '' The Open Door'' (2006). The writing experience for ''The Open Door'' was "the best process" Lee ever had because she had "free reign" icand could "do whatever I wanted without being judged". In 2006, Lee said that when she listened back to ''Fallen'', she "hear all the vulnerability and the fear and all the childish things in me that are just human." While Lee was drowning in the misery of her experiences in ''Fallen'', she said ''The Open Door'' is largely about her acknowledging her issues and deliberating "what do I have to do to work this out." In the record, she is "purging the trials", but overall it comes from a less hopeless place and with a more reflective outlook. Throughout the stages of writing ''The Open Door'', Lee had moved from California, rented a place in Florida, and eventually settled in New York. After the end of ''The Open Door''s tour, Lee took a break to recollect herself and live life away from the industry. After about 18 months, Lee began writing music again, and took
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
lessons out of a desire to learn the instrument. In 2009, Evanescence began playing live shows again, with Lee realizing that she missed this part of her life, stating: "I had to get back together with all the guys, and we practiced all the old stuff ... and I enjoyed it so much. I started falling back in love with that part of me, the Evanescence part. I'd kind of been doing everything else, writing-wise, by myself, and I was like, 'Oh yeah, I love this stuff too. Maybe we should all make a record!'" Evanescence's third studio album, the self-titled ''
Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...
'', was released in 2011. Lee said that the album's title was a reflection of it being "about the band"; unlike previous albums, the record was composed collaboratively as a band with all bandmembers contributing. Its lyrical themes include Lee "falling back in love" with Evanescence, her being inspired by nature and the ocean, brokenness, the quest for freedom, and falling in love. Different from ''The Open Door'', which was "all about me and my personal experiences", ''Evanescence'' also includes Lee's musings on events that occurred to others in her life. "But really, whatever makes me feel the most, that's what's on the record, because that's what I need to get off my chest." After the touring cycle for ''Evanescence'', Lee took an extended break. In October 2013, Wind-up Records sold part of their catalog of artists, including Evanescence and their master recordings, to Bicycle Music Company. In January 2014, it was reported that Lee had filed a lawsuit against Wind-up Records for $1.5 million in unpaid royalties owed to the band. In March 2014, Lee announced on her Twitter that she and Evanescence had been released from her Wind-up Records contract and she was now an independent artist; she stated: "Today, for the first time in 13 years, I am a free and independent artist. I have wanted this for so long and I am so happy", adding that this meant she was "free to do anything, Ev nescenceincluded." Following several solo projects by Lee from 2014 to 2017, including film scoring, and Evanescence's resumed touring in 2015, the band worked on their fourth studio album, ''
Synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry *Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors **Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organi ...
'', released in 2017. ''Synthesis'' is an album of
orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
re-recordings of the band's previous material in addition to two new songs and instrumentals. The album's release was followed by the Synthesis Live concert tour in which the band performed with a live orchestra for the first time. In April 2020, Lee announced the release date of Evanescence's fifth album, '' The Bitter Truth''. In a Q&A with ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' in May 2020, Lee mentioned that the "image and idea" of the band from the early days was "something that combined multiple dramas, from the dramatic to the rock to the classical to the score", and that although many things have changed since, the "idea that started this whole thing is still there". Four songs from the album were released as singles throughout 2020 and 2021 during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, while a virtual live-streamed show was performed by the band from their recording base at Rock Falcon Studio,
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, in December 2020. The album was released on March 26, 2021.


2000–present: Solo work


2000–2007: Early solo projects

Lee performed backup vocals for "Missing You", a song on
Big Dismal Big Dismal is a Florida-based Christian rock band, which released three albums. Their first, ''Believe'', was released by Wind-up Records in May 2003. The band was active until 2005, and then reformed in 2023. History The band formed in Tallah ...
'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. Lee later performed a duet with her then-boyfriend
Shaun Morgan Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (, born 21 December 1978) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Seether. Early life Morgan spent most of his early life in South Africa.Bottomley, CSeeth ...
on the track " Broken" for
Seether Seether are a South African Rock music, rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with ...
's 2004 album ''
Disclaimer II ''Disclaimer II'' is the second studio album by South African rock band Seether. It is a recompilation of the band's first album, '' Disclaimer'', from 2002. Although the 12 tracks from the original album are present, they were slightly remixe ...
''. The song is in the soundtrack for the 2004 film ''
The Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...
''. In 2004, Lee said she was 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". The producers of ''Narnia'' then stated that Evanescence music was never planned for the soundtrack. Lee said that she used part of the instrumental she wrote to segue into the last track of the album, " Good Enough". 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 Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...
. Lee's younger brother, Robby, was previously diagnosed with this condition. The singer also made a brief guest appearance in the music video for
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
's " God's Gonna Cut You Down" in late 2006. 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 Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
. In February 2007, Lee performed with
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
on their song "
Freak on a Leash "Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album, ''Follow the Leader (Korn album), Follow the Leader''. After ''Follow the Leader''s release, the song was released as a single in Februar ...
" for '' MTV Unplugged: Korn''. The song was also released as the first single from the album. In November 2007,
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
produced a
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
in the style of ''
Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is an American documentary television series that initially aired on VH1 from 1997 to 2014. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group, examining career beginnings, roads to success and any resul ...
'', titled ''Rock Band Cometh: The Rock Band Band Story'', to promote the video game ''Rock Band''. She is one of the celebrity cameos featured on the show.


2008–2012: Tribute albums

In June 2008, the
National Music Publishers Association The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) is a trade association for the American Music publisher (popular music), music publishing industry. Founded in 1917, NMPA represents American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NM ...
presented Lee with their 2008 Songwriter Icon Award, which "recognizes outstanding songwriters for their personal achievement". For
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from the Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios (division), motion picture studios, television shows, Disney Experiences, them ...
' September 2008 release of '' Nightmare Revisited'', Lee covered "Sally's Song". The album contains new material and covers of songs from the original ''Nightmare Before Christmas'' soundtrack. Lee performed live renditions of "Sally's Song" during the October 17 ''Nightmare Before Christmas'' re-release premiere in Hollywood, and for an October 13 appearance on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
''. 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 Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and
Celtic music Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celts (modern), Celtic people of Northwestern Europe (the modern Celtic nations). It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and ...
, she says her current writings feel like she is going back to her "really old" roots. She gave no potential release date, but said of her reason for this new direction, "I need to show that I'm more than a one trick pony." Lee stated during an October 2008 interview with ''The Gauntlet'' 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 was still together as a band but that she found touring to be monotonous. She reiterated that she was continuing to write songs, although she did not yet know what purpose they would serve. In a ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' interview in March 2010, Lee stated that she was "in a very different creative space then" regarding her previous work on new material, and that while she wrote some good songs, nothing from those efforts would be included in the band's album ''
Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...
'', which was released on October 7, 2011. In 2011, Lee covered " Halfway Down the Stairs" for '' Muppets: The Green Album'' and "
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song has been covered by a wide range of musicians. Authorship and production Various writers quoted Williams ...
" for the tribute album '' We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash'' in 2012. In 2012, Lee received
United Cerebral Palsy United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities. As one of the largest health nonpro ...
's Luella Bennack Award. The organization stated:


2013–2015: ''Aftermath'' and ''Recover''

On December 2, 2013, it was announced that Lee had teamed up with American
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
Dave Eggar Dave Eggar is an American cellist, pianist and composer. Early life Eggar was a musical prodigy as a child, beginning to play the cello and piano at age three and performing as a singer and actor on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera at ...
to create music for the American
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
'' War Story''. During an interview with
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, Lee explained that it would be a "surprise" to her fans; the fact that the film was "dark" and lacking of conversations made it a "beautiful, sad platform for music". She added that for the music she blended various sounds and tones, mostly consisting of keyboard. Speaking about the song "Push the Button" which she originally penned for the movie, Lee explained that it marked a departure for her due to its electronic sound. She added, "I did it all myself, which was crazy, because I'm used to engineering and writing and mixing demos in my house, but being responsible for that being the end product was a new challenge for me." On August 6, Lee announced that the
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
would be called '' Aftermath'' and that it would be released on August 25. Lee contributes to all ten tracks, which features Eggar on eight of them and American/ Moroccan musician Malika Zarra on one. Lee revealed a 36-second teaser of the album on the same day. It is her first full-length solo album to not involve her band Evanescence. In March 2015, Lee and Eggar announced that they were recording music, along with Chuck Palmer, for Hammerstep's short film '' Indigo Grey: The Passage'', which was released on September 14, 2015. The film features the songs "Between Worlds" and "Resurrection". Lee composed and recorded "Speak to Me", the title song to Eric D. Howell's 2017 film '' Voice from the Stone'', during August 2015. The accompanying music video was also directed by Howell. It was filmed on October 22, 2015, on the Castle of Celsa estate near
Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. During a radio interview in July 2015, Lee said that she had been recording
cover song In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...
s and expressed an interest in releasing them online. On October 27, 2015, she released the first song from the collection with Portishead's 1994 song " It's A Fire", followed by U2's 1987 song "
With or Without You "With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock music, rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, ''The Joshua Tree'' (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most succes ...
" on November 10, 2015,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
's 1971 song " Going to California" on December 1, 2015, and
Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and sig ...
's 1996 song "
Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" is a song by American musician Chris Isaak, released as the first track to the 1995 album '' Forever Blue''. Filled with sensuality and erotic imagery, the song was described by Isaak as a declaration to "Somebody who i ...
" on December 15, 2015. They are featured on Lee's debut extended play, '' Recover, Vol. 1'', which was released on February 19, 2016. The cover songs are accompanied by music videos directed by Eric Ryan Anderson. Lee confirmed in an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' that she is "definitely working and making music with every intention of people hearing it at this point," as of October 2015. She also stated that she does not have "any news or plans" for new Evanescence music, but assured fans on Twitter that the band has not broken up saying, "We don't follow the rules of a commerce-driven timeline. Inspiration drives us. We're wide open." She later stated during an interview with ''Loudwire'' that "there is Evanescence in the future". In December 2015, Lee confirmed that she plans to complete some songs from an Evanescence album (originally produced by
Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...
) that was rejected by Wind-up Records in 2010. She explained that she was "devastated" and "furious" over the rejection, but was determined to move forward and ended up being "angry enough to write Evanescence's heaviest album", titled ''
Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...
''. Although three songs from the Lillywhite sessions ended up on it, Lee admitted, "I was still left feeling unsatisfied about what I lovingly refer to as my 'broken record'."


2016–present: ''Dream Too Much'' and artist collaborations

On June 17, 2016,
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...
announced that Lee was scheduled to release the "family" album '' Dream Too Much'' exclusively through Amazon Prime Music. It features "original music for kids and families" and was released on September 30, 2016. The album was a collaboration that involved her father, who is the lead vocalist on "Goodnight My Love", and her sisters. On September 14, 2016,
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
reported that Lee had worked on music for the film '' Blind'', starring
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
and
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
. The film was premiered at the
Woodstock Film Festival The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The festival takes place each fall in the towns of Woodstock, Rosendale and Saug ...
on October 13, 2016. On February 10, 2017, Lee released an English-language cover of Francesca Michielin's " L'amore esiste" ("Love Exists"), which she heard while working on a film project in Italy. With
Guy Sigsworth Allan Arthur Guy Sigsworth (born May 1960) is an English record producer and songwriter. He has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian ...
as producer and
Dave Eggar Dave Eggar is an American cellist, pianist and composer. Early life Eggar was a musical prodigy as a child, beginning to play the cello and piano at age three and performing as a singer and actor on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera at ...
providing string arrangements, Lee recorded her translated and reinterpreted version of the song over the course of a week at Flux Studios in New York City. In March 2017, the song "
Speak to Me "Speak to Me" is the first track on English rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', on which it forms an overture. Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track, though recollections differ as to the reas ...
" was made available on streaming platforms. It features as the end theme music for the film '' Voice from the Stone''. In 2018, Lee collaborated with Veridia on their single, "I'll Never Be Ready", where she played piano. She stated that collaborating on the song helped her cope with the passing of her brother, Robby. In 2019, Amy collaborated with
Lindsey Stirling Lindsey Stirling (born September 21, 1986) is an American violinist, songwriter and dancer. She presents choreographed violin performances, in live and music videos found on her official YouTube channel, which she created in 2007. Stirling per ...
on Stirling's 2019 album ''
Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...
'' on the track and in the music video for "Love Goes On And On". Amy appeared on
Body Count A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...
's song "When I'm Gone" off their seventh album ''
Carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they ar ...
'', which was released on March 6, 2020. On July 31, 2020, American rock band
Halestorm Halestorm is an American Rock music, rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale, drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bassist Josh Smith. Siblings Lzzy and Arejay founded the band in ...
re-released their song "Break In", featuring Lee's vocals. The single was included on the ''Halestorm: Reimagined'' EP. On September 19, 2020, Japanese rock band Wagakki Band released a song "Sakura Rising" featuring Lee. The song was written and recorded the day before their orchestral show in
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
on February 16, 2020, where Lee performed as a guest, but it was finished through file sharing due to the coronavirus pandemic. On October 30, 2020, Lee featured on the
Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...
song "One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death" from their EP '' Post Human: Survival Horror''. Lee voiced a character in the 2023 film '' Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar''. On May 30, 2025, Lee featured on the Halsey song "Hand That Feeds" from the John Wick: Ballerina movie. She followed it up with "Fight Like A Girl" featuring K.Flay from the same movie.


Artistry


Songwriting

Lee is a singer-songwriter and classically-trained pianist. As its main songwriter, Lee infused her love of sonic contrasts and various genres in Evanescence. She described her natural writing process as being "shut in" in isolation. She prefers the feeling of a "clean slate" before she starts writing music, not setting a plan and "going with the flow of inspiration". "An idea can come from anywhere—and oftentimes doesn't feel like I'm setting out to make some epic song." Writing primarily with keyboards and music software, Lee has also engineered, programmed, mixed, and produced music. When demoing, Lee would layer chord progressions and sound effects, including piano, electronic sounds and drum loops. A multi-instrumentalist, she plays and has written with other instruments such as
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
,
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
, and guitar. She generally writes lyrics last, working on music and sounds first before completing melodic ideas and realizing what she feels inspired to write about; often a mood she develops sonically informs her lyrically. Lee said that she rarely starts writing with a specific intention, and discerns what she wants to express after
stream of consciousness In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. It is usually in the form of an interior monologue which ...
writing, which she later hones in on lyrically. Lee regarded the process of creation and expressing herself through the arts as emancipation for herself, a cathartic outlet through which she could pour various emotions and process difficult experiences. For her, writing has to come from an honest place and an internal need to create. Her experience with death and grief as child influenced her perspective and creative work, including her music, lyrics, and drawings. "I spent a lot of time being creative by myself because I was trying to express something that I couldn't say ... trying to paint a picture of the inside". Later in her teen years, her struggle with abuse she experienced also informed much of her writing. She attributed the dramatic sounds she developed in Evanescence to her desire to channel her biggest emotions through music. In 2007, she stated that it was recently that she could start drawing "from all emotions to make music, not just the painful ones." Lee did not view her music and lyrics as morose, stating that, while some of her experiences reflected such emotions in the music, it came "from the perspective of somebody who wants to live, wants to be happy and wants to love life". Lee often writes songs that relate to several things, remarking that her feelings are "complicated, all the time. It's never just one thing. Hardly ever, do I just feel happy or just feel sad. It's always a weird combination of things that make no sense, and that's how I write my music." Her thematic inspirations largely come from "an internal place ... perception and reactions to the events of my life but also to the outside world." Some of her writing has been inspired by her "vivid" dreams, and the idea of life after death. Some lyrics are also her talking to herself while trying to navigate situations. Lee is also lyrically inspired by stories of courage, people overcoming struggles and "stepping forward after they’ve been through something major." Over time, Lee became more outspoken in her lyrics. Topics she has written about in Evanescence include: loss, abuse, fears, numbness, harassment, solitude, artifice, relationship dynamic, sorrow, relationship with music, aimlessness, contentment, mental health, defiance, indulgence, longing, nature, dreams, the music industry, identity, autonomy, disillusionment, speaking up, social issues, illusions, spiritual uncertainty, perseverance, and solidarity.


Voice

Lee sings in a
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
register. ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' has described her voice as an "ethereal
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
" in a review of " Going Under", highlighting her ability to move with power and brightness through upper registers.


Musical influences

Lee has cited influence from composers such as
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
,
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
, and
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
, and artists like
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
, Portishead,
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
,
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
,
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
,
Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
,
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
,
Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson FRSA (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician who is the lead singer of the rock band Garbage. Known for her distinctive deep voice, forthright style, and rebellious attitude, her accolades include ...
and
Garbage Garbage, trash (American English), rubbish (British English), or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or ...
,
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
,
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
,
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...
, White Zombie,
The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
,
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
, and
A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American Rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool (band), Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle released three of their ...
.


Style and imagery

Lee has a recognizable fashion style, marked by her taste for
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
-styled clothing and occasional use of gothic make-up. She has been labelled a "
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
superstar" and a "style icon". Her image was described as "independent and self-assured". Lee designs many of her own clothes, including those worn in the music video for " Going Under", the dress worn for the cover of '' The Open Door'' and the dress she wore to the
Nobel Peace Prize Concert The Nobel Peace Prize Concert ( Norwegian and Swedish: '')'' has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in Oslo City Hall, while the concert has been ...
in 2011. After she designed the dress she wore at the
2004 Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized ac ...
, she chose Japanese designer H. Naoto to make it for her. In 2003, Lee said she wears "lots of funky stuff onstage", and likes to "mix it up" with "two basic elements ... rock, metal and chains and stuff, mixed with fairies and Victorian clothing, fantasy". Lee explained and showcased some of her wardrobes in 2011, commenting that she would rather make her own clothes because it is hard to find exactly what she wants elsewhere. She likes "asymmetrical things" and "a little bit of chaos" in her outfits, and "when it comes to the band, I want to dress to fit the music." Lee said she used to wear corsets more often in the early years when she wasn't as confident on stage, and it wasn't about "goth" but more about making her feel like "you're about to ride a rollercoaster and you're strapped in and not going to fall out." Lee also guided Evanescence imagery since its start, including the title theme, videos, and album artwork. In 2006, ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' listed Lee as one of the hottest women in rock alongside such singers as
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
,
Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, Love has had a career spanning four decades. She rose to promi ...
and
Liz Phair Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to sta ...
. In 2013, Lee ranked first in NME.com's "Hottest Women in Music" award.


Personal life

Lee was in a relationship with
Seether Seether are a South African Rock music, rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with ...
's singer
Shaun Morgan Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (, born 21 December 1978) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Seether. Early life Morgan spent most of his early life in South Africa.Bottomley, CSeeth ...
from 2003 to 2005. In May 2007, Lee married therapist Josh Hartzler. The couple's child, a son, was born in July 2014. Lee said that she has never been formally religious, but considers herself a Christian. She said that Evanescence was not a Christian band and lyrically did not have any religious affiliation. Lee has spoken about mental health, and stated that she has experienced anxiety and depression from an early age. She considered her creative process to be a self-soothing activity.


Discography

*'' Aftermath'' (2014) *'' Recover, Vol. 1'' (2016) *'' Dream Too Much'' (2016)


Filmography

* '' I Love the New Millennium'' (herself) * ''VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs'' (herself) * '' Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar'' (voice)


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Evanescence.comAmyLeeOfficial.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Amy 1981 births 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers American Christians American women singer-songwriters American film score composers American mezzo-sopranos 21st-century American multi-instrumentalists American rock pianists American rock singers American rock songwriters 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists American women record producers Christians from California Evanescence members American gothic rock musicians American women gothic rock musicians Grammy Award winners Kerrang! Awards winners Living people Middle Tennessee State University alumni Musicians from Little Rock, Arkansas Musicians from Riverside, California Nu metal singers NME Awards winners Record producers from California Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas Writers from Riverside, California 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from Arkansas Rock musicians from Arkansas