Immigrant of the Day: Anita Pallenberg (Italy)

Anita Pallenberg (born January 25, 1944 in Rome, Italy) is a model, actress and fashion designer. She was the common-law wife of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards from 1967 to 1980. The daughter of an Italian artist and a German secretary, Anita became fluent in four languages at an early age. Before settling in London, she lived in Germany and New York City, where she was involved with the Living Theater (starring in the play Paradise Now) and Andy Warhol's Factory.   Pallenberg is a naturalized US citizen.

Pallenberg's influence over the development and presentation of the Rolling Stones from the late sixties throughout the seventies was significant. Just weeks before the scheduled release date, tracks on the classic album Beggars Banquet, for example, were brought back into the studio and remixed when Pallenberg found them wanting. Pallenberg is credited as singing background vocals on "Sympathy for the Devil." Besides her influence over the Stones' musical content, her interest in the occult was a featured style component in the Stones concerts and public presentation.

Pallenberg has appeared in more than a dozen films. Most notably, she appeared in Roger Vadim's cult-classic sci-fi film Barbarella, Dillinger Is Dead, and Performance. She also has appeared in documentaries about the Rolling Stones.

Pallenberg became a fashion designer during the 1990s, after four years at London's St. Martins School of Art and Design. She now divides her time between New York City and Europe.

KJ