Lena Zavaroni 1262385 225132260 2008-07-12T01:24:19Z Therefore 266340 /* Illness */ copyedit {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | Name = Lena Zavaroni | Img = | Img_capt = | Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels --> | Landscape = | Background = solo_singer | Birth_name = | Alias = | Born = [[November 4]] [[1963]] | Died = {{death date and age|1999|10|01|1963|11|04}} | Origin = [[Rothesay, Argyll and Bute|Rothesay]], [[Scotland]] | Instrument = | Genre = | Occupation = [[Singer]] | Years_active = 1974 – 1982 | Label = | Associated_acts = | URL = | Notable_instruments = }} '''Lena Zavaroni''' ([[November 4]],[[1963]] - [[October 1]], [[1999]]) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] child singer and a television show host. With her album ''Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me'' at ten years of age, she is the youngest person in history to have an album in [[UK Albums Chart|UK album chart]] top ten. Later in life she hosted tv shows and appeared on stage. She died at the age of 35 after a long battle with [[anorexia nervosa]]. == Career == === Early life === Lena grew up in the small town of [[Rothesay, Argyll and Bute|Rothesay]] on the [[Isle of Bute]]<ref name ="BBC1"> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/463512.stm BBC News. Child star Lena dies at 35 ] Retrieved [[21 April]] 2006</ref> with musical parents. Father Victor Zavaroni played the [[guitar]], mother Hilda sang, and Lena herself sang from the age of two.<ref name="Bio1"> [http://www.lena-zavaroni.co.uk/lenazavaroni-biography.html Lena Zavaroni biography.] Retrieved [[21 April]] 2006</ref> Her [[Italian language|Italian]] [[surname]] came from her immigrant grandfather.<ref name ="Bio1"/> She was discovered in the summer of 1973 by [[record producer]] Tommy Scott, who was on holiday in Rothesay and heard her singing with her father and uncle in a band.<ref name ="Bio1"/> Scott contacted [[impresario]] Phil Solomon, which led to his partner, Dorothy Solomon, becoming Zavaroni's manager.<ref name ="Bio1"/> === Career in music === In 1974 she appeared on [[Hughie Green]]’s ''[[Opportunity Knocks]]'' and won the show for a record-breaking five weeks running.<ref name ="BBC2"> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/463549.stm BBC News. Tragic Zavaroni ruined by illness.] Retrieved [[21 April]] 2006</ref> She followed this with the album ''Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me'', a collection of classic and then-recent [[pop standard]]s which reached #8 in the [[UK Albums Chart|UK album chart]].<ref name ="Bio1"/> At 10 years, 146 days old, Zavaroni is still the youngest person to have an album in the top 10<ref> [http://www.everyhit.com/recordalb.html Everyhit.com] Retrieved [[21 April]] 2006</ref> and was also the youngest person to appear on the [[BBC|BBC's]] ''[[Top of the Pops]]''.<ref name ="Bio1"/> Zavaroni also sang at a [[Hollywood]] charity show with [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Lucille Ball]]<ref name ="Bio1"/>in 1974, at which Ball commented, "You’re special. Very special and very, very good,"<ref name ="Bio1"/>although some sources attribute the words to Sinatra.<ref name="Bio2"> [http://elvispelvis.com/lenazavaroni.htm#obit Fuller Up Obituary.] Retrieved [[21 April]] 2006</ref> Following this, Zavaroni guest-starred on ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''.<ref name ="Bio1"/> She also appeared in the ''[[Morecambe and Wise|Morecambe and Wise Show]]'', the 1976 ''[[Royal Variety Performance|Royal Variety Show]]'' and performed at the [[White House]] for [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Gerald Ford]].<ref name ="Bio1"/> "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me," originally an [[Eddie Cantor]] song from [[1921]], became her only US chart record when it reached #91 during a four-week run on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] in the summer of 1974. === Stage and TV career === While attending London's [[Italia Conti Academy]] stage school, Lena met and became long-term friends with child star [[Bonnie Langford]].<ref name ="Bio2"/> The two starred in the TV show ''Lena and Bonnie''. Between [[1980]] and [[1982]], Lena had her own TV series on the [[BBC]], ''Lena Zavaroni and Music'', which featured singing and dancing, and included guests such as [[Spike Milligan]] and [[Les Dawson]].<ref name ="LenaTV1"> [http://www.lena-zavaroni.co.uk/lenazavaroni-tv-series.html Lena TV-series on BBC ] Retrieved [[30 April]] 2006</ref> == Later years == From the age of 13, Zavaroni suffered from [[anorexia nervosa]]<ref name ="BBC2"/>. While at stage school, her weight dropped to 56 [[Pound_%28mass%29|lb]] (25 [[kg]]).<ref name ="BBC2"/> Zavaroni blamed this on the pressure placed upon her to fit into costumes while at the same time she was "developing as a woman."<ref name ="BBC2"/> She continued to suffer from anorexia throughout the 1980s, and in 1989 she married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire.<ref name ="BBC2"/> The couple settled in north [[London]] but separated 18 months later. Also in 1989, Zavaroni's mother, Hilda, died of a [[tranquilliser]] [[overdose]] and a fire destroyed all of her showbiz momentos.<ref name ="BBC2"/> After the breakup of her marriage, Zavaroni moved to [[Hoddesdon]], [[Hertfordshire]], to be nearer to her father and his second wife.<ref name ="BBC2"/> By this time, she was living off state benefits and in 1999 was accused of stealing a 50[[pence|p]] packet of [[Gelatin dessert|jelly]], although the charges were later dropped.<ref name ="BBC2"/> === Illness === Zavaroni underwent a number of drug treatments and received [[electroconvulsive therapy]] in an attempt to beat her anorexia.<ref name ="BBC4"> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/554625.stm BBC News. Inquest told of star's suicide threat] Retrieved [[21 April]], 2006 </ref> Her inquest was told that none of these had been successful in the long term.<ref name ="BBC4"/> In addition she was suffering from [[Clinical depression|depression]] and begged doctors to operate on her to relieve her depression.<ref name ="BBC4"/> Although the operation would not cure her anorexia, she was desperate for it to proceed and threatened suicide (she also took a drug overdose) if it did not.<ref name ="BBC4"/> In September 1999 Zavaroni was admitted to [[University Hospital of Wales]] in [[Cardiff]] for a [[Psychosurgery|psychosurgical operation]].<ref name="PSO"> [http://www.psychosurgery.org/2005/12/lena-zavaroni.html Lena Zavaroni]</ref> After the operation, she appeared to be in a satisfactory condition<ref name ="BBC4"/> and after a week she was "making telephone calls, cheerful and engaging in conversation," even asking her doctor if he thought there was any chance that she would get back on stage.<ref name ="BBC4"/> However, three weeks after the operation, she developed a chest infection and died from [[pneumonia]] on [[October 1]].<ref name ="BBC1"/> She weighed less than 70 lb (32 [[kg]]).<ref name ="BBC4"/> Although the press at the time of her death reported that the surgery done was a [[leucotomy]] (also known as a [[lobotomy]]),<ref name="BBC3"> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/463655.stm BBC News. Star dies following brain surgery] Retrieved [[21 April]], 2006 </ref> the hospital said the medical procedure was not, in fact, a lobotomy nor meant as a cure for anorexia<ref name="PSO" /> but as a cure for depression.<ref name ="BBC4"/> === Novelisation === In [[2003]], [[Andrew O'Hagan]] wrote the fictional work ''[[Personality (novel)|Personality]]'', a thinly disguised [[novelization]] of Zavaroni's life and career. == Discography == === Albums<ref name="discogs">[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Lena+Zavaroni Lena Zavaroni Discography] Retrieved 2008-03-25</ref> === * ''Ma! He's making eyes at me'' (1974) * ''The Lena Zavaroni Collection'' (1975) * ''If My Friends Could See Me Now'' (1976) * ''Presenting Lena Zavaroni'' (1978) * ''Songs Are Such Good Things'' (1980) * ''And Her Music'' (1981) * ''Hold Tight, It's Lena'' (1982) * ''Galaxy'' (1985) === Singles<ref name="discogs"/> === * ''(You've Got) Personality / Schools Out'' (1974) * ''Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me)'' (1974) * ''I Should've Listened To Mama / Out Of Your Heard'' (1978) == References == {{reflist|2}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Zavaroni, Lena}} [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from anorexia nervosa]] [[Category:Italia Conti graduates]] [[Category:Scottish female singers]] [[Category:Scottish child singers]] [[Category:Scots of Italian descent]] [[Category:People from Argyll and Bute]] [[Category:People from Rothesay]] [[et:Lena Zavaroni]] [[fi:Lena Zavaroni]] ==External links== *[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R8sewohu2qI Lena gives a live performance from her 1981 television series, via Youtube]