Amanda Grafanakis
Name: Amanda Grafanakis
Age: 27
Category: Over 25s
Amanda Grafanakis comes from a big Greek family - but is the only performer in the fold. Born in Tasmania, but now living in Melbourne, music has always been a part of her life. “I was writing lyrics in my diary at age 8,” Amanda says. “When I was 12, my mum got me a piano and that’s when I started singing lessons.” She was always encouraged by her mum. But, recently, Amanda had lost her drive and ambition. “I’d lost my mojo with music. I had been gigging so much and I thought that I needed a break from it,” she says.
She turned up to the auditions for The X Factor to support a friend - but she ended up deciding to have a go herself, performing Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ and standing out from the crowd and impressing the judges with her unique style. Like her competitors, she is looking forward to getting out on stage for the live shows “I can’t wait to be on stage with an audience that cares about singing,” she says. “I’ve done so many gigs where people have come there to drink and socialise and it’s really disheartening as a performer”. You grow so much in these competitions because you are constantly inspired and to have someone like Ronan mentoring me - I feel like I’ve already won. I’m going to come out of this competition a better artist.”
Her musical tastes vary from Alice Cooper and Guns’ N’ Roses to Lionel Ritchie and Stevie Wonder. She says of her mentor Ronan: “I love him but I don’t feel like I’ve completely won him over, he doesn’t give too much away. It’s very much business with Ronan and I.”
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