Valerie Dore

Monica Stucchi was born in Milan, Italy. Prior to her career in music, she worked as graphic designer. In the early 1980s she started singing in The Watermelon String Band, a bluegrass band led by the banjoist Bruno Guaitamacchi that played in Milan pubs.

Stucchi was discovered at age 20 by the Italo producer Roberto Gasparini, who decided to launch her solo career and give her the name Valerie Dore to improve her international appeal. Dore's first single, "The Night" (1984) arranged by [[Lino Nicolosi, "Get Closer" and "It's So Easy", released in 1984 and 1985, respectively. During this time, the Italian music news publication TV Sorrisi e Canzoni ("Smiles and Songs") awarded Monica Stucchi alias Valerie Dore the prize of best new artist of year. She also finished second at the Festivalbar music showcase and performed on the TV show "Azzurro" and on German TV.

In 1986, Monica Stucchi changed her collaborator and Dore began working with a new production team at Castello di Carimate on her first album, The Legend. Marco Tansini wrote the music, Simona Zanini wrote lyrics and Monica Stucchi/ Valerie Dore recorded the 10 songs includid in LP.

The Legend album's first single, "Lancelot," was a hit in Italy. The second single, "King Arthur," enjoyed moderate success in Europe, and was performed on the Italian music program Discoring. The songs "The Magic Rain" and "Bow and Arrow" were radio hits as well.

In 1986, Monica Stucchi/Valerie Dore was voted the 6th best female artist in Italy by readers of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni. The following year, she changed team that don't paied royalties and moved to London to record the single and mix "Wrong Direction" in co production with her future husband, Mauro Zavagli, for their new disco label "MZM PRODUCTION" (MauroZavagliMonica Production). Monica sang in studios with German producer Ralph Ruppert and collaborated with musicians Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo and Marck Price. But in Italy the mobbing was started. The underpromoted record hit #23 in the Italian charts.

Between 1990 and 1991, Dore and her husband were in Madagascar where they began a collaboration with a local group. She considered recording a new LP in a Caribbean style, but after some contact with international labels companies, she came to believe that mobbing was horrible.

In 1992, the ZYX label released Dore's The Best of Valerie Dore with bonus tracks: the extended versions of her dance hits "The Night", "Get Closer" and "It's So Easy," plus two remixes of "The Night" done by DJ Oliver Momm. In 1995, Zavagli and Dore moved to Arezzo, Toscana, and Monica Stucchi alias Valerie Dore start working also as an antiquary and restorer. At the same time, they opened a '800 picture's gallery important store in Milan.

In November 2006, Dore recorded a new song "How do I get to Mars?" and launched her personal web site www.valeriedore.it (Italian). In 2007, she promoted non-smoking, on "Radio 24". She had been smoking for 15 years, and it was affecting her voice and shortening her career. She wanted to inspire others to stop smoking as well, and, through radio and in an internet forum, she encouraged abstinence. In 2007 she recorded more material in her home studio, eventually released in the 2014 album Greatest Hits & Remixes. She is preparing new publications.

Official site www.valeriedore.it

• Monica Stucchi alias Valerie Dore – official site