Amii Stewart

Amy Paulette Stewart, born on January 29, 1956, in Washington, D.C., began her formal training in singing and dancing at the age of four. Early in her career, she adopted the stage name Amii due to another Amy Stewart being registered with the Actors’ Equity Association. After briefly attending Howard University, Stewart pursued her passion for dance at the Classical Repertory Dance Ensemble. Her professional journey then led her to significant roles in touring musical productions like “Bubbling Brown Sugar” in 1975, which took her from Miami to Broadway and eventually London’s West End. It was in London that she met Barry Leng, who would become the producer of her breakthrough hits.

Stewart’s collaboration with Barry Leng led to her first recording, “You Really Touched My Heart,” at the end of 1977. This was followed by her debut album in February 1979, featuring original songs and cover versions. Her career received significant international attention with her disco cover of Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood,” which became a U.S. Billboard number 1 hit in April 1979, earning her a platinum record and a Grammy Award nomination. The track also achieved commercial success across Europe, reaching number 6 in the UK and number 2 in Australia. The same year, her medley cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven” also charted successfully, reaching number 5 in the UK and number 14 in Australia. Despite a shifting music landscape and declining interest in disco in the U.S., her 1979 album “Paradise Bird” garnered continued success and media attention in Europe, leading her to relocate to Italy in the mid-1980s.

In Italy, Stewart continued to release music, achieving hits like “Friends” and “Together,” a collaboration with Italian composer Mike Francis. Her career expanded beyond music into acting, with a notable role as Mary Magdalene in a revival of the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 2000. In 2004, she co-wrote, produced, and starred in the musical “Lady Day,” based on Billie Holiday’s life, and released a companion album. Stewart also became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF Italia in 2001, participating in campaigns like “Uniti per i bambini, Uniti contro l’AIDS” and recording the charity single “Love Song” in 2006, collaborating with Ennio Morricone. In 2014, she won the Rai TV show “La Pista” as a team leader, further demonstrating her diverse talents.