Amy Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amy Lee
Lee performing with Evanescence in June 2023
Born	Amy Lynn Lee (1981-12-13) December 13, 1981 (age 43) Riverside, California, U.S.
Occupation	Singer-songwriter musician
Spouse(s)	Josh Hartzler ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1
Musical career
Origin	Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal gothic metal alternative rock symphonic metal nu metal
Instruments	Vocals keyboards
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Wind-up BMG
Signature

Amy Lynn Lee (born December 13, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known as the lead singer and keyboardist for the rock band Evanescence. Amy Lee started writing music when she was 11 years old. She co-founded Evanescence at age 13. Her music is inspired by many different styles and film scores.

Besides her work with Evanescence, Lee has also worked on other music projects. These include albums like Nightmare Revisited and Muppets: The Green Album. She has also written music for movies such as War Story (2014) and Indigo Grey: The Passage (2015). Her song "Speak to Me" was for the film Voice from the Stone (2017). She released an EP of cover songs called Recover, Vol. 1 (2016). She also released a children's album, Dream Too Much (2016). Amy Lee has worked with many other artists, including Korn, Seether, Bring Me the Horizon, and Lindsey Stirling.

Amy Lee has received several awards for her music. She won the Songwriter Icon Award in 2008. She was named Best Vocalist at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2012. She also won Rock Goddess of the Year at the Loudwire Music Awards in 2012. In 2015, she won Best Film Score for Indigo Grey: The Passage. In 2017, she won an award for Best Original Song in Independent Film for "Speak to Me". In 2012, VH1 listed her as one of the top 100 greatest women in music. Amy Lee is also involved in charity work. She is the American chairperson for Out of the Shadows, a foundation that helps people learn about epilepsy.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Amy Lee was born on December 13, 1981, in Riverside, California. Her father, John Lee, was a disc jockey and voice-over artist. Her mother is Sara Cargill. Amy is the oldest of five children. She has two living sisters. Her younger sister died at age three from an illness when Amy was six. Her younger brother died in 2018 at age 24 after struggling with epilepsy. Lee said her sister's death changed her view of life. It made her think a lot about death. She wrote the songs "Hello" and "Like You" for her late sister. After her sister's death, Amy found comfort in creating art and music.

Amy Lee loved the piano from a young age. She wanted to play it at age six after hearing her mother. Classical music was her first big influence. It inspired her to become a musician. She was inspired by Mozart after watching the film Amadeus at eight years old. Beethoven was another early classical inspiration. She also loved film scores by Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer. She took classical piano lessons for nine years. Lee considers Mozart's Lacrimosa from his Requiem her favorite piece. She used parts of it in her song "Lacrymosa".

Lee started writing poetry about loneliness when she was 10. Her first song with lyrics was "A Single Tear". She wrote it for a school project at age 11.

During her childhood, Lee's family moved often. They lived in Florida and Illinois before settling in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Little Rock, she attended Pulaski Academy. She felt like an outsider at first. She was bullied for dressing differently. Writing music helped her feel better. Joining the school choir also helped her gain confidence. She became president of her high school choir. She even wrote a choir piece called "Listen to the Rain".

Lee originally wanted to compose classical or film music. But her musical tastes changed. She started listening to many styles as a teen. These included alternative music, grunge, hard rock, and electronica. She noticed how different styles could mix. She saw similarities between Baroque composer Bach and heavy metal.

Lee spent her free time making music. By age 13, she wanted to form her own band. She wanted to mix classical, metal, and electronic music. In 1994, she met guitarist Ben Moody at a youth camp. They both felt like they didn't fit in. They started playing music together.

Music Career

1994–Present: Evanescence

In 1994, Amy Lee and Ben Moody started working on music together. They performed acoustic shows in Little Rock. They soon formed the band Evanescence. Lee wanted to combine different musical styles. She wanted to mix cinematic, classical, metal, and alternative music. The band independently recorded two EPs: Evanescence EP (1998) and Sound Asleep EP (1999). Their songs were played on local radio. This helped them gain fans.

Evanescence signed with Wind Up Records in 2001. They moved to Los Angeles. There, they finished their first album, Fallen (2003). Many songs on Fallen were written by Lee and Moody when they were young teens.

In October 2003, Ben Moody left the band during the Fallen tour. He said it was due to "creative differences." Lee said his leaving was a relief. She said there was a lot of tension in the band. Lee later said Moody was difficult to work with. He wanted to push the band in a more commercial direction. After he left, Lee felt more free to create.

Amy Lee (age 21) at the Billboard Music Awards (2003).

Lee asked Terry Balsamo to join Evanescence as the new lead guitarist. He also became her co-writing partner. They connected well musically. After touring for their live album Anywhere but Home (2004), Lee took a break. She spent 10 months writing music and painting. She also went to therapy. During this time, she wrote songs like "Snow White Queen" and "Together Again".

Lee and Balsamo wrote Evanescence's second album, The Open Door (2006). Lee felt she had "free reign" to create. She said The Open Door was about working through her problems. After the tour, Lee took another break from music.

After about 18 months, Lee started writing again. She also took harp lessons. In 2009, Evanescence started playing live shows again. Lee realized she missed performing. Evanescence's third album, Evanescence, was released in 2011. This album was a group effort. All band members contributed to the songs. The album's themes included Lee's renewed love for the band. It also explored nature, freedom, and love.

After touring for Evanescence, Lee took a long break. In 2014, Lee announced that Evanescence was no longer with Wind-up Records. She was now an independent artist. She said she was "free to do anything, Ev[anescence] included."

Amy Lee performing with Evanescence in 2015

After some solo projects, Evanescence started touring again in 2015. They then worked on their fourth album, Synthesis, released in 2017. Synthesis features orchestral and electronic versions of old songs. It also has two new songs. The band toured with a live orchestra for the first time.

In April 2020, Lee announced Evanescence's fifth album, The Bitter Truth. She said the band's original idea of combining dramatic, rock, classical, and score music was still there. The album was released on March 26, 2021.

2000–Present: Solo Work and Collaborations

Early Solo Projects

Lee has provided backup vocals for other artists. She sang on "Missing You" by Big Dismal in 2003. She also sang with Seether on "Broken" in 2004. This song was part of The Punisher movie soundtrack.

Lee in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2007

In 2004, Lee worked on music for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, the music was not used. Lee later used part of it in her song "Good Enough".

Lee became the American chairperson for Out of the Shadows in 2006. This group teaches people about epilepsy. Lee's younger brother had this condition. Lee also appeared in Johnny Cash's music video for "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in 2006. She chose to appear laying flowers on a grave.

In February 2007, Lee performed with Korn on their song "Freak on a Leash". This was for MTV Unplugged: Korn.

Tribute Albums and New Directions

Lee performing during a concert in 2011

In June 2008, Amy Lee received the Songwriter Icon Award. This award recognizes great songwriters.

For Walt Disney Records' Nightmare Revisited (2008), Lee covered "Sally's Song". This album featured new versions of songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Lee performed "Sally's Song" live several times.

In 2011, Lee covered "Halfway Down the Stairs" for Muppets: The Green Album. In 2012, she covered "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" for a Johnny Cash tribute album.

In 2012, Lee received the Luella Bennack Award. This was for her work raising awareness about disabilities.

Film Scores and Cover Songs

On December 2, 2013, Lee announced she was working with Dave Eggar. They created music for the film War Story. Lee said the film was "dark" and had little talking. This made it a "beautiful, sad platform for music." She blended different sounds, mostly using keyboards. She also wrote "Push the Button" for the movie. This song had an electronic sound. On August 6, 2014, Lee announced the soundtrack album would be called Aftermath. It was released on August 25. This was her first full solo album.

Lee in 2015

In March 2015, Lee and Eggar worked on music for the short film Indigo Grey: The Passage. It was released on September 14, 2015. Lee also composed "Speak to Me" for the 2017 film Voice from the Stone.

In July 2015, Lee said she was recording cover songs. She wanted to release them online. She released "It's A Fire" by Portishead in October 2015. Then came U2's "With or Without You" in November. In December, she released Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" and Chris Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing". These songs are on her EP, Recover, Vol. 1, released in February 2016.

Children's Album and Recent Collaborations

Amy Lee performing in October 2017

On June 17, 2016, Amazon.com announced Lee would release a "family" album. It was called Dream Too Much. It features "original music for kids and families." It was released on September 30, 2016. Her father and sisters helped with the album.

In September 2016, MTV News reported Lee worked on music for the film Blind. The film premiered in October 2016. In February 2017, Lee released an English cover of "L'amore esiste" by Francesca Michielin. In March 2017, "Speak to Me" became available for streaming.

In 2018, Lee played piano on Veridia's song "I'll Never Be Ready". She said it helped her cope with her brother's passing. In 2019, Amy worked with Lindsey Stirling on her album Artemis. She was featured on the song "Love Goes On And On".

Amy appeared on Body Count's song "When I'm Gone" in March 2020. On July 31, 2020, Halestorm re-released "Break In" with Lee's vocals. On September 19, 2020, Japanese band Wagakki Band released "Sakura Rising" featuring Lee. On October 30, 2020, Lee was featured on a Bring Me the Horizon song.

Lee voiced a character in the 2023 film Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. In May 2025, Lee was featured on the Halsey song "Hand That Feeds" from the John Wick: Ballerina movie. She also sang "Fight Like A Girl" with K.Flay from the same movie.

Artistry

Songwriting Process

Amy Lee is a singer-songwriter and a trained pianist. As the main songwriter for Evanescence, she mixes different music styles. She likes to write music in isolation. She prefers a "clean slate" and lets inspiration guide her. She often starts with music and sounds. Then she adds melodies and lyrics. She usually writes lyrics last. She figures out what she wants to express after writing freely.

Lee finds creating music a way to express herself. It helps her deal with difficult feelings. Her experiences with loss as a child influenced her music and art. She said she used to channel her biggest emotions into music. Later, she learned to draw from all emotions, not just sad ones. She believes her music is not gloomy. It comes from someone who wants to live and be happy.

Lee's songs often have many meanings. She says her feelings are complex. Her ideas come from her own experiences and the world around her. Some songs are inspired by her dreams. Others are like her talking to herself. She also gets ideas from stories of courage. Over time, Lee became more open in her lyrics. She has written about loss, fears, relationships, and the music industry.

Voice and Influences

Lee sings in a mezzo-soprano voice. Her voice has been called "ethereal" and powerful. She can sing with brightness in higher notes.

Lee has been influenced by many composers and artists. These include Mozart, Danny Elfman, and Hans Zimmer. She also likes artists like Björk, Portishead, Korn, Nine Inch Nails, and Tori Amos.

Style and Imagery

Lee performing in Miami, Florida, in 2007

Amy Lee has a unique fashion style. She often wears Victorian-style clothes. She sometimes uses gothic make-up. Her image is seen as independent and confident.

Lee designs many of her own clothes. This includes outfits for music videos and album covers. She likes to mix "rock, metal and chains" with "fairies and Victorian clothing." She prefers to make her own clothes because it's hard to find exactly what she wants. She likes "asymmetrical things" and "a little bit of chaos" in her outfits. She wants her clothes to match her music. She used to wear corsets more often when she was less confident on stage.

Lee also helps guide Evanescence's overall look. This includes their videos and album artwork.

Personal Life

Amy Lee was in a relationship with Seether's singer Shaun Morgan from 2003 to 2005. In May 2007, Lee married therapist Josh Hartzler. They have one child, a son, who was born in July 2014.

Lee has said she is not formally religious but considers herself a Christian. She has stated that Evanescence is not a Christian band. Their lyrics do not have religious ties.

Lee has spoken about mental health. She has experienced feeling sad or worried sometimes since she was young. She finds creating art and music helps her feel better.

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