Biografia
Amanda Strawn was born in Los Angeles, California, to Amanda Ambrose, a jazz singer and pianist, and Buffy Strawn, a tailor. She began singing even before starting kindergarten. As the youngest of five siblings, she found a unique way to stand out. Singing came to her as naturally as breathing or blinking. In the 1950s, Amanda's mother was a protege of Harry Belafonte and a true patron of the arts, as was her father. It was common to find brilliant creative and intellectual figures like Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Miriam Makeba, and Maxine Zawinul at her father's atelier, where he crafted his designs.
Amanda’s first professional experience in entertainment was joining her two brothers as backup singers for their mother at the inauguration of the Prince Edward Island Confederation Centre of the Arts, a key venue in Canada’s maritime region. Her family led a nomadic life, spending much of her youth in New York and various other U.S. states. At twelve, a pivotal year for the talented singer, she traded babysitting for an acoustic guitar, which she taught herself to play that summer on the steps of the New York Public Library. She also traded babysitting for her first professional photo shoot. Acting on her independent nature, she took the photos to New York’s leading modeling agency for African-Americans and was quickly signed.
Her dazzling but brief modeling career included being the face of Clairol Cosmetics’ Shampoo In A Can, a significant achievement for a young model of darker complexion. She was also featured in a New York Times spread. For several years, she toured intermittently with her mother, performing at major venues such as the Los Angeles Coliseum and the legendary Aquarius Theatre. She especially enjoyed traveling to exotic locations like Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
A chance meeting with a handsome French-Canadian on Hollywood Boulevard, as she was heading to join the Navy, sparked a whirlwind romance, leading to a twenty-year marriage and the birth of a son. She moved to Montreal, her husband's hometown and her current residence. A friend's dare launched a series of events that led her to audition for an established theatre company, where she landed a role and caught the acting bug. Amanda has since appeared in over twenty films, numerous TV shows—including "Are You Afraid Of The Dark", "A Diva’s Christmas Carol", and "Caillou"—as well as television commercials. She remains a fixture on the Canadian theatre scene, performing in a wide range of productions from musicals to comedies and dramas. She has also done extensive voice-over work.
Recently, Amanda Strawn has shifted her focus back to music, writing new material for an upcoming CD. She is preparing for a live show featuring original songs alongside a few covers. Known as "the Sybil of music" for the many vibrant personalities she channels on stage, Amanda exudes soul and sensuality effortlessly.
