Deborah Anderson

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title: "Deborah Anderson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1970-births", "place-of-birth-missing-(living-people)", "20th-century-english-women-singers", "20th-century-english-singers", "21st-century-english-women-singers", "21st-century-english-singers", "21st-century-english-photographers", "english-emigrants-to-the-united-states", "21st-century-american-women-photographers", "21st-century-american-photographers", "english-women-photographers", "english-women-film-directors", "living-people", "people-educated-at-roedean-school,-east-sussex"] description: "English musician and photographer (born 1970)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Anderson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary English musician and photographer (born 1970) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Deborah Anderson
nationality	British
education	Roedean School
occupation	{{flatlist
parents	Jon Anderson
family	Jade Anderson (sister)
years_active	1980present
notable_works	Aroused
website
::

| name =Deborah Anderson | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = British | other_names = | education = Roedean School | occupation = {{flatlist|

• Musician
• photographer
• film director | parents = Jon Anderson | family = Jade Anderson (sister) | years_active = 1980present | known_for = | notable_works = Aroused |website= Deborah Leigh Anderson (born 16 December 1970) is an English musician, photographer, and film director. Her early music work was as a vocalist on her father Jon Anderson's albums. Her 1995 single "Feel the Sunshine" was her first song that charted, hitting the UK Dance and European Hot 100. She has also contributed vocals to a number of collaborative works with other recording artists. Her 2009 debut album Silence accompanied her photography book Paperthin, a work featuring photos of actors and musicians.

Her photography work was featured on albums by singer Pink, and in Cosmopolitan, Vogue and other magazines. Her second photo book, Room 23, featured her pictures of celebrities in a collaboration with Sanela Diana Jenkins. In 2013, Anderson made her directorial debut with Aroused, a documentary film following the lives of 16 adult film actresses. Aroused was generally well received by critics, who note the film for the vulnerability of its subjects and compared Anderson's stylistic presentation to Annie Leibovitz and Michael Moore.

Early life and family

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Jon_Anderson_-_Vicenza_29-11-07_3.jpg" caption="Deborah Anderson's early music included collaborations with her father [[Jon Anderson"] ::

Deborah Anderson is the daughter of singer Jon Anderson and Jennifer Anderson (née Baker), and sister to singer Jade Anderson. On the 1983 Jon & Vangelis album, Private Collection, Jon wrote the lyrics and a song named after her titled "Deborah". Deborah's earliest musical work was on projects with her father: including backing vocals on "Song of Seven" in 1980, and on Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (album) (1989), the 1993 Latin American Jon Anderson solo tour, Deseo (1994), Angels Embrace (1995) and Toltec (1996). She also worked in vintage fashion, owning her own store.

Music

1995 saw the release of "Feel the Sunshine" (Island Records) by Alex Reece featuring Deborah Anderson (included on Reece's 1996 album So Far). The drum & bass single made #2 in the UK Dance Singles Chart in 1995, and #4 on the same chart the following year. It made the Eurochart Hot 100 in 1996. This led to Anderson signing to Mo' Wax and her debut solo single, "Lonely Without You", was released in 1997.

She has worked as a vocalist on a number of projects, including work with DJ Krush ("Skin Against Skin" on 1997's Milight, released on Mo' Wax; later used on the TV series La Femme Nikita), Fallen Angels ("Blue Sky" on 1999's Part One), DJ Shadow, Zero 7, Le Tonne and Tipper (2000s "Dissolve (Out)" single, released on Fuel Records). She appeared and co-wrote three songs on Télépopmusik's album Angel Milk (EMI Music, 2005), including the single "Into Everything".

Her debut solo album, Silence, was released in 2009. The album accompanied Paperthin, a coffee table book of her photography.

Photography and filmmaking

She served as art director for The Gansevoort Hotel group. Anderson contributed photography for Pink's albums: I'm Not Dead, Funhouse and The Truth About Love, and a marketing campaign for Bebe Stores. Based on her first photographic exhibition, "Hollywood Erotique" (Los Angeles, 2004), Paperthin, published in 2008, is a book of her black-and-white photography based on 1930s erotica. Models include Minnie Driver, Fergie, Pink, Natasha Henstridge, Sophie Dahl and Tilda Swinton. The book accompanied her debut solo album Silence. The book was organised in conjunction with Sanela Diana Jenkins to support the UCLA Sanela Diana Jenkins International Justice Clinic. Anderson was described by the Los Angeles Times as "a photographer whose distinctive sensuality is located somewhere between classic French erotica and Helmut Newton".

Anderson's first feature documentary film Aroused featured interviews with 16 female pornographic performers, and was released in cinemas in the U.S. in the summer of 2013 and internationally in January 2014. Sixteen actresses were involved: Jesse Jane, Belladonna, Katsuni, Allie Haze, Kayden Kross, April O'Neil, Francesca Lé, Lisa Ann, Brooklyn Lee, Alexis Texas, Asphyxia Noir, Teagan Presley, Ash Hollywood, Tanya Tate, Lexi Belle and Misty Stone. She wanted to draw attention to a double standard in society regarding consumption of pornography while simultaneously stigmatizing the actresses that perform in the adult industry. She stated her attempt was to humanize and provide dignity to the actresses. Anderson cast the actresses in the film in order to showcase, "the most successful women in the adult film industry". Aroused was compared by the Chicago Tribune to the documentary After Porn Ends with a more optimistic feel to it. Screen Daily and BroadwayWorld commented favorably on the vulnerability of the subjects. A review of the film in the Los Angeles Times was critical, writing that it was only recommended for fans of Alexis Texas, Katsuni and Misty Stone. The Village Voice found the subject more appropriate for a photography book. The Hollywood Reporter and The Washington Post criticized Aroused for its lack of depth. The New York Daily News criticized Anderson for self-promotion. In 2015, Anderson was one of the first clients for a new photographers' agency launched by Rihanna called The Dog Ate My Homework.

Her documentary film "Women of the White Buffalo" was released in 2022.

Filmography

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Notes
1995	Embrace of the Vampire				Musician, Performer, "You Make Me Want You".
2013	Aroused				Also released photography book, Aroused.
2014	Deborah Falconer: Lift Your Gaze				Director, music video.
2016	Walking Prayers				Also served as film editor.
2018	My Revolution Lives in This Body				Written by Eve Ensler.
2019	Jon Anderson: Makes Me Happy				Music video. Also served as film editor.
2020	Women of the White Buffalo				Feature-length documentary. Also served as film editor.
Raise the Vibration				Short film. Also served as film editor.
::

Discography

Publications

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Notes
2019	Red Nation Film Award of Excellence	Best Documentary	Women of the White Buffalo		url=https://whitefeatherfoundation.com/achievements/deborah-anderson-powerful-documentary/
Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Award	Best Director Documentary Feature
2020	Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema Award (IIFC Award)	Best Director Documentary
Best Feature Documentary
Golden Era Humanitarian Award
Summerhawk Native American Award
::

References

References

1. (29 April 2020). "Yes' Jon Anderson contributes song to new documentary directed by his daughter". [[ABC News (United States).
2. Redmond, Paul. (10 December 2008). "Deborah Anderson's Book Launch Party for 'Paperthin'". [[Getty Images]].
3. Lanham, Tom. (10 August 2020). "Jon Anderson energized by singing with birds". [[San Francisco Examiner]].
4. Hill, Gary. (2020). "Jon & Vangelis - Private Collection - Review". [[Allmusic]].
5. Wolf, Allison. (22 June 2013). "Alison Wolf on power, politics and porn". [[The Spectator]].
6. Glickman, Elyse. (10 May 2009). "Multi-talented Deborah Anderson doesn't just have a creative vision: she lives it". Lucire Living.
7. "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (10 December 1995-16 December 1995)". officialcharts.com.
8. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 05 May 1996 - 11 May 1996". officialcharts.com.
9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
10. Cohen, Jonathan. (12 December 2008). "Billboard Bits: Mariah, Ringtones, Deborah Anderson".
11. Goergen, Stacey. "Inside Look: Hotel Art Collections". Gotham Magazine.
12. (10 October 2020). "Reflecting on Culture & Identity". Photoville.
13. (2020). "Deborah Anderson - Credits". [[Allmusic]].
14. Ramos, Estevan. (25 May 2018). "Women of the White Buffalo". TLM Publishing Corp.
15. Collins, Nancy. (December 2009). "Sir Elton John". [[Architectural Digest]].
16. (12 December 2008). "Sensual Celeb Photos in New Fine Art Book". The Insider.
17. (13 March 2009). "Sweet suite". [[The Denver Post]].
18. (27 September 2009). "Diana Jenkins: Accidental Philanthropist". [[The Guardian]].
19. Daunt, Tina. (17 February 2009). "Stars underdressed for a good purpose". [[Los Angeles Times]].
20. Herrington, Nicole. (3 May 2013). "'Aroused,' a documentary by Deborah Anderson - Movie Review - Sex Stars as People, With Dreams and Worries". [[The New York Times]].
21. Dawson, James. (26 April 2013). "Adult-Video Actresses Get Real in 'Aroused'". Front Row Features.
22. (3 May 2013). "Aroused (2013)". Covering Media LLC.
23. Cohen, Sandy. (3 May 2013). "Film and book track the real stories of female porn stars". [[Montreal Gazette]].
24. Martinez, A. (9 May 2013). "In 'Aroused,' porn stars reveal the intimate details of their off-screen lives". [[KPCC (radio station).
25. Hammer, Mike. (3 May 2013). "Deborah Anderson's book and film 'Aroused' looks at the people behind the porn industry". New York Daily News.
26. Movie News Desk. (28 May 2013). "Deborah Anderson-Directed Aroused Set for DVD Release on 6/4". [[BroadwayWorld]].
27. Pais, Matt. (2 May 2013). "'Aroused' review: Mildly interesting questions for the people behind the porn". [[Chicago Tribune]].
28. Adams, Mark. (1 May 2013). "Aroused - Reviews - Screen Daily - by Mark Adams, Chief film critic". [[Screen Daily]].
29. Steinberg, Randy. (30 May 2013). "Aroused: DVD Review". Blast Magazine.
30. Plath, James. (5 June 2013). "Aroused - DVD Review". Movie Metropolis.
31. Simon, Brent. (30 May 2013). "Aroused". Shared Darkness.
32. Linden, Sheri. (1 May 2013). "Review: 'Aroused' rarely goes beyond surface in profiling porn stars". [[Los Angeles Times]].
33. Kang, Inkoo. (2 May 2013). "Porn Doc Aroused Is Deep as Tube of Lipstick". [[The Village Voice]].
34. Scheck, Frank. (2 May 2013). "Aroused: Film Review". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
35. O'Sullivan, Michael. (2 May 2013). "'Aroused' movie review". [[The Washington Post]].
36. Weitzman, Elizabeth. (2 May 2013). "'Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's,' 'Aroused': Movie reviews". New York Daily News.
37. Niland, Olivia. (11 November 2015). "Rihanna launches company that will get you ready for the red carpet". [[Mashable]].
38. Ginsberg, Merle. (11 November 2015). "Rihanna Launches New Styling, Hair and Makeup Agency". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
39. Valenti, Lauren. (11 November 2015). "Rihanna Is Starting Her Own Beauty Agency/Taking Over the Creative World As We Know It". [[Marie Claire]].
40. (12 April 2022). "'If given a chance to speak, we'll take it': Inside the lives of Native American women". The Guardian.
41. (14 April 2020). "Deborah Anderson Brings Native Voices to Life in Powerful Documentary - After suffering centuries of colonialism and genocide, the Native Lakota women of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations are now sharing their stories on screen.". White Feather Foundation.

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