Lory Bianco
Encyclopedia
Lory Bianco is an American singer and actor from the United States. She started her career in humble surroundings at the age of 10 performing in musicals, fairs, convalescent homes, hospitals, conventions, and beauty pageants. She was managed by Sam Gino and her mother Helen Bianco.
In 1983 she landed the female leading role in the film–mini TV series Cinderella 80 or Cindy. The series was a renewed adaptation of the fairy-tale "Cinderella". She starred along with French actor Pierre Cosso, known from his movie La Boum 2 with Sophie Marceau. Bianco, who played a singer in Cinderella 80, also recorded the soundtrack for this TV series. The soundtrack album included a duet with Pierre Cosso, the hit single "Stay". Her album went gold in Germany.
From 1983 to 1985 Bianco was featured and sang and danced in the famous prime time Saturday Italian variety show Al Paradise. She became an overnight success in Italy. Her film Cinderella 80 was also released at the same time in the movie theaters and this as well gave her instant success as an actress in Italy.
In 1987 the two-hour film, that had 2 additional hours of film footage, was turned into a TV series and finally was aired in Germany and was a huge success. The duet "Stay" went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard German charts and stayed there for several weeks, and the album was in the number 2 spot for several weeks. The single became a Top 3 hit in Switzerland
and Austria
too. Cosso and Bianco became overnight sensations in Germany
. Bianco also starred in a second TV mini series, Molly O, released only in Italy.
After going on a trip to Israel, Lory painfully contemplated not to renew her contract with the De Angelis Brothers' record label, as she was signed exclusively to their label and was not able to work with other writers. She decided to explore other career opportunities. This was a very hard decision, but nevertheless she decided to take a risk.
After several months of rest she signed with Christian De Walden and Steve Singer in a 1/3 business partnership. They signed a new record deal for the European market with Metronome Records. The first single off the album "Miss You So" was an instant Top 10 hit on the German charts. It was produced by Gunter Mende (Alexis
, Falco
) and Candy DeRouge
(who scored a worldwide No 1 hit with Jennifer Rush
's "The Power of Love
" in 1985). Lory and Christian De Walden had different ideas on the vision of Bianco's career and both came to a decision to break away.
She managed to get out of her contract with Metronome after a battle of seven months and signed a new deal with the German record company WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, belonging to Warner Bros records). They produced a new album, True Love, Lory, as they mutually agreed to gradually fade away from the name "Bonnie". The record company stated that she had become famous by the name "Bonnie Bianco" and people would not know who Lory Bianco was. The album failed to continue the Top 10 success of the 2 previous albums, it even failed to reach the German Top 40. Moreover, neither of the two singles off that album cracked the German charts. German hit producer Dieter Bohlen
(formerly of the 80s pop group "Modern Talking") was doing the soundtrack for a TV series and persuaded Bianco to sing one of the songs, "A Cry In The Night", which finally was another hit single for Lory "Bonnie" Bianco, but couldn't help the album to climb the charts.
For the second album with WEA, Lonely Is The Night, Lory wanted to challenge herself and go a little more pop, with a touch of dance. She is known for her ballads and this was a huge risk; also dropping the name Bonnie, didn't help make it any easier, it took a lot of courage. The album was produced by international top-notch producers, such as Klarmann/Weber
(who also worked with Tracie Spencer
, Chaka Khan
or Jamie Stevens), one of America's most successful songwriters Diane Warren
, and Jeff Lorber
(successful from his work with Karyn White
and Sheena Easton
). Lonely Is The Night became a huge flop due to a lack of promotion and wrong singles choices.
Bianco spent some more time in Israel, reflecting on her life, contemplating her career. She has led a very full life, but found herself homesick. Lory has been living in Europe for 10 years, she's left everything to follow her career, her home in the States, her family, and friends. She became weary of living out of her suitcase, not ever being able to establish a permanent home for herself in Europe due to the laws and regulations, etc. Bianco had come to a very painful decision again and it was to leave WEA records. She had to agree to walk away from at least $300,000.00 that was guaranteed to her as an advance if she would make two more CDs. She had systematically stopped her career. She has been offered several contracts since then, but has not found the right team.
In the year 2001 she managed to take a risk and produce and release a new album on her own. She recorded the album On My Own ... but never alone and distributed it through the internet and the biggest independent record online store, CDBaby. Because of her loyal fan base she even managed to promote her new album on German television in 2001.
After completing her trip to Germany, she returned on the night of September 10, and the next day, September 11, the World Trade Center in New York was bombed by terrorists. This event had a devastating impact on Lory that she decided not to record pop songs anymore, but only sing Christian music.
Lory Bianco still has a loyal fan base and her own international fan club from many parts of the world. She has a close connection to all of her fans and encourages them to go forward in their dreams and to never give up. Perseverance creates character.
Bianco currently resides in the Pacific Northwestern United States and is working on a hymn CD-project, called Jesus paid it all.
Lory is hoping to release her new CD "Jesus paid it all" very soon (traditional, Christian-worship and meditative music)
Career
Lory sang solo and sang duet with her sister Holly and the two of them recorded their first single, "Give me a Minute". Later at 15, Bianco received her first professional break with Hal White and Mark Gibbons, who released a single on RCA records, "Teenager in Love". At eighteen Lory was discovered by two producers from Italy, Guido and Maurizio De Angelis. They held a talent search in New York, Texas, San Francisco and Hollywood. This was a dream come true; Lory used to dream of going to Italy. The De Angeles brothers signed her to a management contract and became her record label Kangaroo Records/Polygram for five years. Also they changed her name to Bonnie Bianco.In 1983 she landed the female leading role in the film–mini TV series Cinderella 80 or Cindy. The series was a renewed adaptation of the fairy-tale "Cinderella". She starred along with French actor Pierre Cosso, known from his movie La Boum 2 with Sophie Marceau. Bianco, who played a singer in Cinderella 80, also recorded the soundtrack for this TV series. The soundtrack album included a duet with Pierre Cosso, the hit single "Stay". Her album went gold in Germany.
From 1983 to 1985 Bianco was featured and sang and danced in the famous prime time Saturday Italian variety show Al Paradise. She became an overnight success in Italy. Her film Cinderella 80 was also released at the same time in the movie theaters and this as well gave her instant success as an actress in Italy.
In 1987 the two-hour film, that had 2 additional hours of film footage, was turned into a TV series and finally was aired in Germany and was a huge success. The duet "Stay" went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard German charts and stayed there for several weeks, and the album was in the number 2 spot for several weeks. The single became a Top 3 hit in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
too. Cosso and Bianco became overnight sensations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Bianco also starred in a second TV mini series, Molly O, released only in Italy.
After going on a trip to Israel, Lory painfully contemplated not to renew her contract with the De Angelis Brothers' record label, as she was signed exclusively to their label and was not able to work with other writers. She decided to explore other career opportunities. This was a very hard decision, but nevertheless she decided to take a risk.
After several months of rest she signed with Christian De Walden and Steve Singer in a 1/3 business partnership. They signed a new record deal for the European market with Metronome Records. The first single off the album "Miss You So" was an instant Top 10 hit on the German charts. It was produced by Gunter Mende (Alexis
Alexis (singer)
Alexis is a German pop and gala singer. She is mainly known for participating in the German "Rudi Carrell Show" in 1989, singing Whitney Houston's song "One Moment In Time"...
, Falco
Falco (musician)
Johann Hölzel , better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian pop and rock musician and rapper. He had several international hits: "Der Kommissar", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Vienna Calling", "Jeanny", "The Sound of Musik", "Coming Home " and posthumously, "Out Of The Dark"...
) and Candy DeRouge
Candy DeRouge
Candy de Rouge is a German producer and songwriter. His real name is Wolfgang Detmann.He has worked extensively with the likes of Jennifer Rush, Celine Dion, Bonnie Bianco, Sally Oldfield, Laura Branigan, Thomas Anders, Chris Norman, Falco, The Window Speaks, Helen Schneider and other...
(who scored a worldwide No 1 hit with Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush
Jennifer Rush is an American/German-based pop/rock singer, best known for the million-selling single "The Power of Love", which she co-wrote and which went on to be covered by Laura Branigan and Celine Dion.-Career:...
's "The Power of Love
The Power of Love (Jennifer Rush song)
"The Power of Love" is a power ballad co-written and originally recorded by Jennifer Rush. It has been covered by several artists, most notably by Laura Branigan, Air Supply, and Céline Dion, and translated into several languages, becoming a pop standard....
" in 1985). Lory and Christian De Walden had different ideas on the vision of Bianco's career and both came to a decision to break away.
She managed to get out of her contract with Metronome after a battle of seven months and signed a new deal with the German record company WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, belonging to Warner Bros records). They produced a new album, True Love, Lory, as they mutually agreed to gradually fade away from the name "Bonnie". The record company stated that she had become famous by the name "Bonnie Bianco" and people would not know who Lory Bianco was. The album failed to continue the Top 10 success of the 2 previous albums, it even failed to reach the German Top 40. Moreover, neither of the two singles off that album cracked the German charts. German hit producer Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...
(formerly of the 80s pop group "Modern Talking") was doing the soundtrack for a TV series and persuaded Bianco to sing one of the songs, "A Cry In The Night", which finally was another hit single for Lory "Bonnie" Bianco, but couldn't help the album to climb the charts.
For the second album with WEA, Lonely Is The Night, Lory wanted to challenge herself and go a little more pop, with a touch of dance. She is known for her ballads and this was a huge risk; also dropping the name Bonnie, didn't help make it any easier, it took a lot of courage. The album was produced by international top-notch producers, such as Klarmann/Weber
Klarmann/Weber
Klarmann/Weber is a successful German producer and songwriter duo, consisting of Irmgard Klarmann and Felix Weber.The duo is composing and producing music since the late 70's. In the 80's Klarmann/Weber established their name in Germany as successful composers...
(who also worked with Tracie Spencer
Tracie Spencer
Tracie Monique Spencer is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, and model.-Biography:She began singing by the age of three and modeling in pageant competitions at age five. Tracie performed, produced and directed her first music videos before she was ten years of age...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
or Jamie Stevens), one of America's most successful songwriters Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, and Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber
Jeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
(successful from his work with Karyn White
Karyn White
Karyn White was a new jack swing singer who became popular during the late 1980s.-Biography:White was born in Los Angeles,to the parentage of Vivian and Clarence White. She is the youngest of five children...
and Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
). Lonely Is The Night became a huge flop due to a lack of promotion and wrong singles choices.
Bianco spent some more time in Israel, reflecting on her life, contemplating her career. She has led a very full life, but found herself homesick. Lory has been living in Europe for 10 years, she's left everything to follow her career, her home in the States, her family, and friends. She became weary of living out of her suitcase, not ever being able to establish a permanent home for herself in Europe due to the laws and regulations, etc. Bianco had come to a very painful decision again and it was to leave WEA records. She had to agree to walk away from at least $300,000.00 that was guaranteed to her as an advance if she would make two more CDs. She had systematically stopped her career. She has been offered several contracts since then, but has not found the right team.
In the year 2001 she managed to take a risk and produce and release a new album on her own. She recorded the album On My Own ... but never alone and distributed it through the internet and the biggest independent record online store, CDBaby. Because of her loyal fan base she even managed to promote her new album on German television in 2001.
After completing her trip to Germany, she returned on the night of September 10, and the next day, September 11, the World Trade Center in New York was bombed by terrorists. This event had a devastating impact on Lory that she decided not to record pop songs anymore, but only sing Christian music.
Lory Bianco still has a loyal fan base and her own international fan club from many parts of the world. She has a close connection to all of her fans and encourages them to go forward in their dreams and to never give up. Perseverance creates character.
Bianco currently resides in the Pacific Northwestern United States and is working on a hymn CD-project, called Jesus paid it all.
Albums
- 1982 Bonnie Bianco (Italy and Germany 1983)
- 1983 Cenerentola ' 80 (Italy)
- 1984 Al Paradise EP (Italy - Songs of the TV Show)
- 1985 Un'Americana a Roma (Italy and Germany)
- 1985 Molly ´O (Italy)
- 1987 Cinderella ´87
- 1987 Un `Americana A Roma (Germany Re-release)
- 1987 Stay
- 1987 Rhapsody
- 1987 Just Me
- 1988 Too Young
- 1988 True Love, Lory
- 1989 True Love ("A Cry In The Night" included)
- 1990 Lonely Is The Night
- 1993 Miss you So - The Very Best Of
- 1993 Un `Americana A Roma (re-release)
- 1993 Stay - The Very Best Of
- 1993 You're The One
- 1996 Lonely Is The Night (re-release)
- 2001 On My Own...But Never Alone
- 2003 The Deluxe Edition (Double CD)
- 2007 Best of-Incl. Spanish Mixes (Double CD including Spanish songs)
Lory is hoping to release her new CD "Jesus paid it all" very soon (traditional, Christian-worship and meditative music)
Singles
- 1984 EP-Single "Al Paradise"
- 1987 Stay (with Pierre Cosso)
- 1987 My First Love
- 1987 Miss You So
- 1987 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
- 1988 When The Price Is Your Love
- 1989 Straight From Your Heart
- 1989 A Cry in the NightA Cry in the Night (Bonnie Bianco song)"A Cry in the Night" is a single by Lory "Bonnie" Bianco. It was released in 1989, and was rather successful hit in Europe, which peaked at #1 on Austrian Singles Charts and at #41 in Germany.-Tracklisting & formats :Original versions...
- 1989 Hold On (Austria only)
- 1990 Heartbreaker
- 1990 Lonely Is The Night
- 1992 Talking Eyes
- 1993 Stay (The 1993 Remix)
- 2002 I Feel The Rhythm (promo CD only)
Chart positions
- 1987 "Stay" Germany: #1 Austria: #3 Switzerland: #2
- 1987 "Miss You So" Germany: #9 Austria: #7 Switzerland: #12
- 1987 "My First Love" Germany: #52
- 1989 "A Cry In the Night" Germany: #41 Austria: #1