Biography for
Lori Singer More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

6 November 1957, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Birth Name

Lori Jacqueline Singer

Height

5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Mini Biography

Dancer, cellist, actress -- it's not just "Virtual Reality." Lori Jacqueline Singer was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her father Jacques Singer was a symphony conductor, and her mother Leslie a concert pianist. Lori grew up in Texas, Portland, Vancouver and London. Lori always wanted to become a dancer. At age 12, she fell in love with cello music and wanted to study that, too. Lori was a prodigy, because at 14 she got accepted to the Juilliard Performing Arts School in New York, where she majored in music. Lori became the school's youngest undergraduate student, and only one year after enrolling she made her debut as a soloist with the Western Washington Symphony. In 1980, Lori won the Bergen Philharmonic Competition. In 1981 Lori married Richard Emery (they would divorce in 1998). This lovely lady (5' 10") also pursued a successful modeling career with the Elite Model Agency. Inspired by her brother Marc Singer's success in Hollywood, Lori had started taking acting lessons at 17, and in 1982 she landed a role in the TV series "Fame" (1982). She was a natural to play the tall, beautiful cellist Julie Miller, displaying her dancing and singing skills. Lori portrayed a model in the TV-movie Born Beautiful (1982) (TV), and won a Silver Halo Award for her performance. Lori went on to do movies, her breakout film being Footloose (1984) which grossed $80,000,000 (and Lori had beat out Madonna for the part). In 1985, Lori was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in Trouble in Mind (1985). Lori had a son, Jacques Rio, in 1991. In 1993, Lori won a Golden Globe Award for her outstanding performance in Short Cuts (1993). In 1995 Lori starred in "VR.5" (1995) the short-lived sci-fi series. That same year she was also listed in People magazine as one of the "Most Beautiful People." Lori still plays the cello regularly, and although she was classically trained, Lori plays rock as well (sometimes she gathers her friends in her apartment for a jam). Big-hearted Lori also devotes a lot of time and effort to the "DISHES Project" for Pediatric AIDS. (DISHES-- Determined Involved Super-role models Helping to End Suffering) Their mission "is to raise funds and awareness for programs dedicated to direct care, prevention & education, foster care and adoptive services." Lori is one of many generous celebrities (including Cindy Crawford, Heidi Klum, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and many others) who have donated their time, image and money for this noble project. Lori lives with her son in Manhattan. And, as Lori writes occasionally when she signs an autograph: "Stay Footloose!"

IMDb Mini Biography By: kdhaisch@aol.com

Spouse

Richard Emery

(1981 - 1998) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

Lead character in TV series "VR.5" (1995) was originally written for a male.

Sister of actor Marc Singer.

Was born weighing less than four pounds. Her twin brother entered the world three minutes later.

Made her solo cello debut at age 13 with the Oregon Symphony.

Measurements: 34-23-34 (Source: modeling card)

Twin sister of Gregory Singer.

Lori has a son, Jacques Rio Emery, born on March 1991.

Sister of Claude Singer.

On the "Fame" (1982) TV series, her character (Julie Miller)'s birth date was July 13th.

Close friend of actress Erica Gimpel (of the "Fame" (1982) TV series).

A 1980s Esquire Magazine feature on Singer began with an excerpt from the William Butler Yeats poem "For Anne Gregory": "That only God, my dear, Could love you for yourself alone, And not your yellow hair.".

Cousin of director Bryan Singer.

Personal Quotes

On NYC: "I feel closer to my background there, closer to Carnegie Hall as well as Europe. It's a city where you feel anything is possible, which makes life fun and interesting."

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