When Donyale Luna was discovered by photographer David Mc Cabe she was a creature of her own invention. Behind her was her family in Chicago where she was raised by her mother who was a nurse and father who worked in a construction. She was no longer Peggy Ann Freeman who performed in local theatre productions. She had come to New York City to be a model and fate answered. The editor of Harpers Bazaar sent her to an illustrator and used the drawing for the cover. The 6’2” stunning beauty went on to take Europe by storm walking in the haute couture shows.Then the achievement of any model Donyale became the first black model to grace the cover of Vogue. She was lionized by the press where she gave colorful and controversial interviews. She partied with Salvador Dali, the Rolling Stones and had a romance with Maxmillian Schnell. Film roles followed in Skidoo, Andy Warhol’s Camp, Salome, and the lead in director Federico Fellini, Satyricon. Unfortunately Donyale had a drug habit that began to deteriorate her relationships and career. Her engagement to actor Klaus Kinski was called off. She married the photographer Lugi Cazzangina and had a daughter Dream. Sadly her drug addiction overtook her life and she died of a heroin overdose at 33 years old in a Rome hospital.
When Donyale Luna was discovered by photographer David Mc Cabe she was a creature of her own invention. Behind her was her family in Chicago where she was raised by her mother who was a nurse and father who worked in a construction. She was no longer Peggy Ann Freeman who performed in local theatre productions. She had come to New York City to be a model and fate answered. The editor of Harpers Bazaar sent her to an illustrator and used the drawing for the cover. The 6’2” stunning beauty went on to take Europe by storm walking in the haute couture shows.Then the achievement of any model Donyale became the first black model to grace the cover of Vogue. She was lionized by the press where she gave colorful and controversial interviews. She partied with Salvador Dali, the Rolling Stones and had a romance with Maxmillian Schnell. Film roles followed in Skidoo, Andy Warhol’s Camp, Salome, and the lead in director Federico Fellini, Satyricon. Unfortunately Donyale had a drug habit that began to deteriorate her relationships and career. Her engagement to actor Klaus Kinski was called off. She married the photographer Lugi Cazzangina and had a daughter Dream. Sadly her drug addiction overtook her life and she died of a heroin overdose at 33 years old in a Rome hospital.
