Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear was a close companion and collaborator of David Bowie during the mid-1970s, most notably appearing alongside him in The 1980 Floorshow.
Her presence during the Diamond Dogs era embodied Bowie’s fascination with gender ambiguity, theatrical excess and European decadence.
- Born: 1939
- Role: Performer, singer, muse
- Active with Bowie: 1973–1975
- Bowie connection: The 1980 Floorshow / Diamond Dogs era
The Diamond Dogs period
By 1974, David Bowie had entered one of the most theatrical and confrontational phases of his career. The Diamond Dogs era combined dystopian imagery, cabaret decadence and aggressive stagecraft.
Amanda Lear became part of Bowie’s inner circle at precisely this moment, sharing both creative and personal space.
The 1980 Floorshow
The 1980 Floorshow was a filmed concert event recorded in October 1974 at the Marquee Club in London for American television.
Lear appeared prominently alongside Bowie, contributing to the show’s provocative visual identity and reinforcing its cabaret-meets-dystopia tone.
Shared performances
- The 1980 Floorshow (1974)
- Live Diamond Dogs-era performances and rehearsals
Gender, image and ambiguity
Amanda Lear’s androgynous elegance aligned perfectly with Bowie’s ongoing exploration of identity, sexuality and performance.
Together, they projected a vision of glamour that rejected rigid gender boundaries and embraced ambiguity as artistic power.
Creative influence
While Lear was not a musical contributor in the traditional sense, her influence was visual, symbolic and performative.
She reinforced Bowie’s belief that image, presence and myth were as important as sound.
After the Floorshow
Following the Diamond Dogs period, Bowie moved rapidly toward the soul-influenced direction of Young Americans.
Lear would later pursue her own successful career as a singer and European pop icon.
Place within Bowie’s universe
Within David Bowie’s extended creative universe, Amanda Lear represents the height of theatrical provocation and visual decadence.
Her presence during The 1980 Floorshow captures a moment when Bowie pushed performance beyond concert into living art.