Music
Lene Lovich
born 1949 · singer, songwriter
Detroit-born new-wave singer of “Lucky Number” who spent her childhood in the city before moving to England at 13.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 77- Birth name
- Lili-Marlene Premilovich
- Detroit years
- 1949–1962
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Lene Lovich was born Lili-Marlene Premilovich in Detroit to an English mother and a Serbian-American father, and she spent her first 13 years in the city. When her father fell ill, the family moved to Hull in the north of England, where she met guitarist and songwriter Les Chappell, who became her lifelong musical partner. She studied at the Central School of Art and Design in London, took up the saxophone, and worked her way through the London club scene of the mid-1970s. Radio presenter Charlie Gillett passed her demo to Stiff Records, and in 1979 “Lucky Number” reached No. 3 in Britain, making her one of the defining faces of new wave, known for her braided hair, theatrical costumes and hiccupping vocal style. She released three albums on Stiff between 1978 and 1982 and has long campaigned for animal rights.
Highlights
- “Lucky Number” reached No. 3 on the UK chart (1979)
- Top 20 follow-up “Say When”
- Albums Stateless, Flex and No Man's Land on Stiff Records (1978–1982)
- “New Toy”, written for her by Thomas Dolby (1981)