Giorgia O’Brien (1928 - 2004) singer, actor.

Giorgio Montana, born in Palermo, Sicily, was keen on singing and spent eight years in amateur choirs. He had the unusual ability to switch between baritone and soprano. He was almost accepted at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, but a man who could sing soprano did not have the respectability then required.

He worked in Germany and France, often en travesti. One of his co-workers was Coccinelle. On return to Italy he became a star of the avanspettacolo, and performed at Rome's Teatro Ambra Jovinelli, singing both pop and opera.

In 1970 Giorgia completed transition with De Burou in Casablanca. She changed her surname to O'Brien in homage to Margaret O'Brien who played Beth in the 1949 version of Little Women.

Giorgia worked three years at Milan's Teatro Piccolo, and collaborated with Franco Zeffirelli and Guiseppe Bertolucci. The latter cast her in his 1979 film, Oggetti smarriti. Giorgia was noted for her rendition of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries wherein she sang both Brunnhilde (soprano) and Wotan (bass).

In 1985 she and Christine Jorgensen were featured in the Danish documentary about transsexuals, Paradiset er ikke til salg. 

In 1991 she was cast as the wife of the minister in Johnny Stecchino in 1991. In real life she became the wife of Georges Argand.

In 1998 she revived her half-man-half-woman act.

Giorgia died at the age of 76 after a short illness. Her husband died shortly afterwards.

• Teit Ritzau (dir). Paradiset er ikke til salg (Paradise Is Not for Sale). With Giorgia O’Brien and Christine Jorgensen. Denmark 60 mins 1985.
  
• Gianfranco Mingozzi (dir). Giorgio/a Una storia di Transessualsimo attraverso una diva dello spettacolo. With Giorgia O’Brien. Italy 2004.
  
• "Giorgia O'Brien, Uomo dalla voce d'angelo". ANSA. www.ansa.it/opencms/export/site/notizie/rubriche/daassociare/visualizza_new.html_790972343.html.
  
• "Giorgia O'Brien" MaleSoulMakeUp: Queer Culture Blog, 7 giugno 2011. http://malesoulmakeup.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/giorgia-obrien.
  

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