Farina, Sandy

Raspy-voiced Sandy Farina, singer, songwriter and actress, was born in Newark, New Jersey. She acted in school plays and sang in the chorus, and after high school sang with a couple of bands at coffee houses. Her big career break came when she was chosen for the part of “Strawberry Fields” in Robert Stigwood’s 12-million-dollar film version of the Beatle’s Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band in 1978. Parts in a couple of other films followed: Toxic (1984), in which she sang “Body Talk,” and Electric Blue (1987), in which she sang “The Pride Is Back.” She also co-wrote a song with Lisa Ratner for Barbra Streisand: “Kiss me in the Rain.” In 1980 she released her own album, “Alone in the Night.” Later she had a career doing television commercials for such companies as Sears, Ivory, Chevrolet and Visa.