Lisa Robin Lyon (May 13, 1953 – September 8, 2023) was an American female bodybuilder and photo model who is regarded as one of female bodybuilding's pioneers.
| Lisa Lyon | |
|---|---|
| Bodybuilder | |
 | |
| Personal info | |
| Born | May 13, 1953 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 2023 (aged 70) Westlake Village, California, U.S. |
| Professional career | |
| Pro-debut |
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| Best win |
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| Active | 1979 |
Biography
editBorn in Los Angeles, California, on May 13, 1953,[1] Lyon studied art at the University of California at Los Angeles. There she became accomplished in the Japanese art of fencing, kendo, but found herself lacking sufficient upper body strength so she began weight training. This eventually led her into bodybuilding.[2]
Lyon entered and won the first International Federation of BodyBuilders Women's World Pro Bodybuilding Championship in Los Angeles on June 16, 1979. This was the only bodybuilding competition of her career. She appeared in many magazines and on television talk shows, promoting bodybuilding for women. She also wrote a book on weight training for women titled Lisa Lyon's Body Magic (ISBN 0-553-01296-7), which was published in 1981.[2]
Her stats as taken in October 1980:[3] bust 37A, waist 24", hips 35", height 5' 4", weight 120 lbs, hair color brunette. At the time, she could deadlift 225 pounds, bench press 120 pounds, and squat 265 pounds.[4]
Although Lyon is often cited as the first female bodybuilder to appear in Playboy (in October 1980),[2] she was actually predated by stripper and bodybuilder Kellie Everts, who appeared in a May 1977 pictorial called "Humping Iron".[5]
Lyon modeled for Helmut Newton, American fine art photographer Joel-Peter Witkin, and American fine art photographer and boyfriend Robert Mapplethorpe (between 1980 and 1983, Mapplethorpe created over 150 photographs of her, resulting in the 1983 book Lady: Lisa Lyon),[4] and Marcus Leatherdale, who published two pictures of her in his first catalogue book at the Molotov art gallery.[6] Lyon's work with Mapplethorpe was notable owing to Mapplethorpe's depiction of her body as simultaneously traditionally feminine and strong in a conventionally masculine sense.[7]
Lyon was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2000 for being "... a one-woman media-relations activist on behalf of the sport... and Elevating bodybuilding to the level of fine art. "[2]
Lyon also had a short acting career:[8] She played
- Mathilde in Three Crowns of the Sailor, 1982;
- Pilar Jones in the bodybuilding movie Getting Physical,' 1984; and
- Cimmaron in Vamp, a low-budget 1986 film starring Grace Jones.
In creating the Marvel Comics character Elektra, Frank Miller initially used Lyon as a basis for the character's appearance.[9]
Lisa Lyon died from stomach cancer at her home in Westlake Village, California on September 8, 2023, at the age of 70.[1][10]
Personal life
editShe was married to French singer Bernard Lavilliers 1982 - 1983.
References
edit- ^ a b Green, Penelope (September 14, 2023). "Lisa Lyon, Bodybuilding Pioneer and Mapplethorpe Muse, Dies at 70". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Lisa Lyon". IFBB Professional League. Archived from the original (Archived by the Wayback Machine) on October 29, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Lisa Lyon on Playboy | Nearly Nude Pics & Videos". Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ^ a b Mapplethorpe, Robert; Bruce Chatwin (1983). Lady: Lisa Lyon. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 0-670-43012-9. OCLC 8826279.
- ^ "Kellie Everts – The Progenitor and Foundress of Female Bodybuilding". kellieevertsistripforgod.com.
- ^ Marcus Leatherdale: New York 1983. His photographs and text by Kathy Acker and Christian Michelides. A book in a series on people and years. Vienna: Molotov, 1983. ISBN 978-3-9503703-1-7
- ^ "God is in the Detail*". Sandy Hill. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015.
- ^ Sanderson, Peter. "The Frank Miller/Klaus Janson Interview," Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson vol. 2, p. 305.
- ^ "Bodybuilding Star Lisa Lyon Dead at 70". TMZ. September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.