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From
the age of 16, when she was declared ‘The Face of ‘66’ by a British
newspaper, Twiggy has packed in a lot of living and a multitude
of careers – as a world famous model, a recording artist, a film
actress and an author (her second autobiography ‘Twiggy in Black
And White’ was published when she was 48).
Born Lesley Hornby in Neasden, London in September 1949, she was
to become the most famous model of the 1960s and one of the most
familiar faces in the world. Her photograph was even encased in
a time capsule and sent into space. However, her career in films
and on record has not been as well documented as her modelling
career under her boyfriend and manager of the time, Justin de
Villeneuve.
Many people commented on the control he seemed to wield over her
and he was dubbed her ‘Svengali.’
She says, “A Sevengali? I don’t think so, but he made sure he
ran every aspect of my life.”
Twiggy has recorded more than a dozen singles and appeared on
seven albums. It was in 1966 that record label Ember approached
deVilleneuve offering a contract for her to make records. “I don’t
suppose they even knew I could sing,” she recalls, remembering
she’d only left school six months previously. When her debut single
was released in Japan it became a huge hit and she was booked
to appear at the prestigious Budokan Hall in Tokyo. Twiggy paraded
up and down the stage wearing different outfits while a Japanese
group played Beatles numbers. Despite the numerous records she
has made, Twiggy was only to enjoy one Top Twenty entry, ‘Here
I Go Again’, which was a hit for her in 1976. |
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Once Twiggy was established as a model she sought to expand her career
by becoming an actress. She and Justin thought that William Faulkner’s
‘The Hanging Tree’ would make a good film project for her and decided
to approach the Beatles for backing. They met John Lennon and Paul McCartney
and she was to say, “For me it was like meeting God…… Paul was the one
who was my hero; he was the one I’d stuck pictures of all over my desk
at school and on my bedroom wall. “At 13 it was him I’d screamed my
head off for at the Finsbury Park Astoria. I was so excited to be meeting
him at last, but trying to be cool. And he was lovely, just as I’d imagined,
and he was the one I became most friends with. The Beatles did like
the film idea, but we never managed to get it together.”
However,
Paul suggested they contact movie director Ken Russell, and Twiggy
was later to star in his film musical ‘The Boyfriend’ in 1971,
for which she received two Golden Globe Awards. In 1968 there
were plans for Twiggy to tour Russia and Granada Television intended
making a documentary film of the trip. Unfortunately, it fell
through. Twiggy said, “Paul actually wrote a song for that trip
to Russia that didn’t come off – and it was ‘Back In The USSR’,
which went on the Beatles white album.”
After ‘The Boyfriend’, Twiggy sought further roles, and a film
called ‘Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance’ was planned. The name was inspired
by the Gene Kelly song ‘Broadway Melody’, which contains the words
‘gotta dance’ and the story was to be set on a cruise liner in
the 1930s.
Once again, Paul wrote a song for Twiggy, this time the title
song. The film was never made and Paul later used the number in
his ‘James Paul McCartney’ television special. In 1996 Twiggy
released the album ‘London Pride’ which was a collection of classics
from British musicals. She next released an album of Noel Coward
numbers.
Her career in films hasn’t been spectacular, but it has provided
her with steady acting work over the years and her movies, following
‘The Boyfriend’, have included ‘W’, ‘There Goes The Bride’, ‘The
Blues Brothers’, ‘The Doctor & The Devils’, ‘Club Paradise’, ‘The
Diamond Trap’, ‘Madame Sousatzka’ and ‘Istanbul.’
One of the most dramatic periods of her life occurred when she
was cast in the thriller ‘W.’ Her co-star was 6ft 2ins former
baseball player Michael Whitney. The two fell in love, |
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were married at
Richmond Registry Office, and went off to Sardinia for their honeymoon.
After a miscarriage Twiggy became pregnant again and their daughter,
Carly, was born in 1978. Things began to go downhill when Twiggy discovered
that Michael was an alcoholic. His behaviour became so erratic that
it produced problems for the couple. |
Bill Harry 2012 Original
Graphics 
