Annie Lennox (b. 1954)

Talk to Annie Lennox

Have a conversation with this historical figure through AI

Biography

Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. When she appeared in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams " with orange cropped hair and wearing a men’s lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel ", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".

In Their Own Words (3)

I may be madI may be blindI may be viciously unkindBut I can still read what you're thinking.And I've heard it said too many timesThat you'd be better offBesides, why can't you see this boat is sinking?

"Walking on Broken Glass" , 1992

Historically, the image of women in pop music has been so totally ornamental - sexual, but predictably so. It's hard to tell how far women's individuality has come in the past twenty years. Certainly, if you look at the pop charts as a measuring stick, you'd think it hasn't come far at all. But women do feel less like victims now than they did twenty years ago. At heart I'm a feminist, but I'm also a feminist for men. Men should be liberated from the roles that are foisted on them also.

As quoted On IMDb

I understand what it is for a woman to want to protect their children and give them the best they can.

Timeline

The story of Annie Lennox, told in moments.

1954 Birth

Born on Christmas Day in Aberdeen, Scotland. Started learning flute at age seven and won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London at 17.

Was being born on Christmas Day always part of your story? Did the Royal Academy of Music at seventeen feel like destiny?

1983 Event

Eurythmics released "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." The music video, featuring Lennox with cropped orange hair in a man's suit, hit number one in the U.S. and redefined androgynous pop.

Was the androgynous image in 'Sweet Dreams' deliberate provocation or self-expression? Did redefining pop gender presentation feel political?

1992 Event

Released her solo debut Diva. It sold six million copies. "Walking on Broken Glass" became a top-10 hit in eight countries.

Was going solo after Eurythmics liberating? Did six million copies of Diva validate the solo risk?

2004 Event

Won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She'd also become one of the most visible campaigners for HIV/AIDS awareness.

Does an Oscar for a Lord of the Rings song sit comfortably next to HIV/AIDS activism? Which work matters more to you -- the music or the advocacy?