Lisa Lee Dark

Lisa Lee Dark (born 16 April 1981 in Swansea, Wales), is a Welsh opera singer and voice actress.

Early life

Dark was born in Clydach, one of the Swansea valleys.^[2] She is related to Adelina Patti (1843–1919) and Bette Davis (1908–1989) ^[3] Dark was born with a rare medical condition called Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).^[4] This meant that throughout Dark’s childhood she was raised as a boy because doctors failed to realise that she was biologically female.^[5][6]

The condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), leads to an excessive outpouring of the male hormone testosterone during the early part of foetal life^[7][8] While the genes are thoroughly xx female, an inherited faulty gene blocks production of an essential enzyme.^[9] The deficiency leads to upsets in the body’s hormonal balance and causes the adrenal glands to produce low levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.^[10] In response, the pituitary (the body’s conductor gland) pushes the adrenals into top gear to make more cortisol, because of the enzyme deficiency, they secrete more and more testosterone and in the most severe cases, like Lisa Lee’s, the hormone leads to fusion of the female genitalia and in some an enlarged clitoris, making it quite easy to mistake newborn girls for boys, though ovaries and womb remain intact, making it possible for Lisa Lee to have children of her own.^[11]

Dark only discovered that she was biologically female at the age of 19.^[12][13] Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a disorder that affects one in 15,000 births world wide, with varying degrees of masculinisation.^[14]

Dark was very badly bullied during her school years.^[15] She went to a tough all boys comprehensive school where she would regularly get kicked, punched, spat at and have obscene things screamed at her, even outside school she would get the same treatment, all because she was slightly different and did not behave like all the other boys.^[16]

Dark’s home life wasn’t much better, her parents had drink and money problems, they told Lisa Lee that she was the least important thing to them and that they wished that she was dead, there was also a lot of violence in the home,^[17] so Dark would walk the streets to get away from the troubles, but this made her easy prey for a paedophile ring; the sexual abuse that Dark experienced made her realise that she wasn’t a normal male,^[18] but growing up all she wanted was to die. Dark believes that this is what pushed her into the entertainment industry.^[19]

Acting career

Dark, at the age of ten, first starred in a European advert due to a case of mistaken identity.^[20] Her other voice-over acting work has been on low budget European horror movies; Dark has also done voice-over work, by creating 'evil chants', for a few Hollywood movies and the American television serial Buffy the vampire slayer.^[21] Dark has to date mostly been Uncredited for this work.^[22]

Music career

The beginning

Dark was first heard singing in her local park by a record producer at the age of six, but due to fear and shyness Dark didn't begin to record until the age of nine (three weeks before her tenth birthday).^[23][24] Originally Dark began recording classical, new age and sacred pieces of music for TV and film soundtracks; in 1992, by complete accident, Dark began to record dance music; Dark, who has an 8-9 octave vocal range, had the ability to mimic other singers.^[25] During the 90's Dark would mimic / copy other dance hits, and these were released on the mid-priced budgeted music market, Dark also achieved minor dance hits on the dance music charts by recording remixes of hit songs and releasing them on white labels.^[26] This brought Dark her first commercial success, as these recordings sold almost a million copies.^[27]

Solo music career

Dark's early live work consisted of her mimicking / copying well known singers like Sarah Brightman, Taylor Dayne and Kim Wilde.^[28]

In 1998 Dark signed her first solo recording contract, valued at £5 million.^[29] From 1999 - 2002 Dark released four dance albums; 'The unknown story of Lisa-Lee Dark', 'MM:- The story continues', 'Pray (forever)', and 'Asia'; these albums achieved moderate success shifting 50,000 copies; these albums were released as free albums with a DJ compilation remix album; in 2002 Dark was dropped by her record label, VIP international records, for 'not losing weight'.^[30]

In 2004 Dark released her first mainstream classical album titled, 'Breath of life'.^[1] This album is Dark's first attempt into the new age, ambient, classical crossover music market.^[31] Due to problems with management and the record label 'Breath of life' became a huge commercial flop, despite glowing reviews from critics and the public. .^[32]

In 2005 Dark decided to train to become an opera singer; due to lack of money, Dark taught herself to sing opera by mimicking the well known Italian opera divas Renata Scotto and Mirella Freni.^[33] In her first opera performances, in 2007, critics said they cannot tell Dark apart from Scotto.^[34]

The comeback

2007; Dark records vocals for the Cate Blanchett movie 'Elizabeth', Dark has recorded vocals on several Hollywood movie soundtracks.^[35] In 2007, Dark began her semi-professional opera career, performing in small to medium sized venues around the UK, her debut opera performance was as Liu in Puccini’s opera Turandot; Dark's second opera was the lead in Puccini’s Sr. Angelica.^[36] 2008, Dark signs a new £2.5 million recording deal and releases her debut opera album, 'Sola, perduta, abbandonatta'; this CD is not a mainstream release as it is only available through specialist sellers and the record companies own website.^[37] A limited edition second album, "The Screen behind the mirror", was also released in 2008, free with the debut album, to promote Dark's third opera performance; the lead in Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly.^[38] Dark's early opera voice / recordings is her mimicking the Italian opera diva Renata Scotto; in 2009, Dark was sacked from playing the lead in Puccini’s opera Tosca, for being too fat and not pretty enough.^[39]

References

External links

• BBC Radio 4 - Hometruths interview
• Lisa Lee Dark myspace
• Lisa Lee Dark's Twitter page
• Lisa Lee Dark's official google profile