Long before she got her esthetician’s license or opened Loredana’s Beauty Spa alongside Highway 114, Lory Craciun experienced a larger-than-life singing career that took her all over the world. Whether she was performing in Romania or Japan, Lory has dedicated her life to bringing light to people’s lives. Now she’s continuing her mission from her beauty spa in Southlake, making people feel confident and comfortable with themselves every day.
I WAS BORN IN… Romania, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Our family would grow their own fruits and vegetables and make their own produce. The electricity was shut off at 9 p.m. every night. If we had to study or read, we had to light a candle or a gas lamp. We had to struggle for everything we had. It was not easy. We had a very difficult time in our life.
SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL IN KINDERGARTEN… my parents noticed that I liked to sing a lot. They would put me on stage at weddings to sing traditional wedding songs, and when I became a teenager I sang for the president, Nicolae Ceaușescu.
WHEN I WAS 16 YEARS OLD… I went to a private music school and was fortunate enough to work with one of the most famous singers in Romania, Mihaela Runceanu. She was a fantastic singer. She could sing anything — jazz, blues, rock, everything.
AFTER STUDYING UNDER MIHAELA FOR A YEAR… she was killed in her home. It was very hard for me to experience. I had just started my career, and all of a sudden she was no longer in my life. All of Romania came to her funeral; There wasn’t any room in the streets. She was very, very loved by our people.
TWO YEARS LATER… Romania experienced a huge revolution. Many people died, but we won our democracy and were no longer under dictatorial rule. We became a democratic country. We were finally free to travel out of the country and live a free life. We understood our freedom very well because we’ve had to live so long without it.
AFTER MIHAELA’S PASSING… they invented this music festival in her honor, and I went to compete. I participated three times and never won anything. I finally said ‘This is it, this is the last time. If I don’t win anything, I will never come to this show again.’ I ended up winning first place.
I STARTED GETTING SINGING CONTRACTS… from all over the world. I sang everywhere — Turkey, Egypt, France. I learned 10 different languages so I could sing in the listener's native tongues. I also had the chance to work with many celebrities over the years — Steven Segal, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Eminem, Sylvester Stallone, the Backstreet Boys, Avril Lavigne. I even met Sting three separate times.
ONE DAY… a Japanese promoter came to Romania, and he was looking for professional singers for a big show. The contract was for six months, but I liked it so much I kept going back again, again and again. I ended up living in Japan for 17 years.
I STARTED THINKING ABOUT… what I would do when I’m not a singer anymore. I enjoyed doing makeup and helping my colleagues with their hair and nails, so I went to makeup school and did Japanese nail art for a few years before deciding to go into skin and massage therapy. I did seven years of massage, nails and facials while simultaneously singing at night. I never stopped singing.
IN 2014 WHILE I WAS SINGING IN A PIANO BAR… I met my future husband, Paul. He was a great American Marine for 21 years and fought in Desert Storm. He worked with Marine One and was working with some engineers in Japan. We saw each other a few times and after his contract finished, he asked me to come live with him in America. We married on Dec. 31 in 2015 and were married for five years before he passed away in April. I miss him so much.
IN BOTH SINGING AND SKIN CARE… I make people happy. I make people happy when I sing for them, I make people happy when I provide them skin treatment. I want to make people feel good about themselves, whether they have acne, wrinkles or [fine] lines.