Alex said that if you take a child on the edge of puberty and you change them, they stay changed forever. Tim Whitnall, who has won a Bafta and Olivier Award for his writing, describes the play with songs as the celebration of a talent, but with a sobering lesson to be learned. Lena rocketed to fame in 1974 when she won Opportunity Knocks five times in a row at the tender age of nine. The actor points out that anorexia is not only a known illness, but far more prevalent than it was in Lena Zavaronis day, with some 1.25m sufferers in the UK today. We would to go the Winter Gardens, the fun fair, the beach we had great times. Weighing less than four stone, she died of pneumonia a month after the surgery, aged 35. [3], Zavaroni underwent drug treatments and received electroconvulsive therapy in an attempt to end her depression. The record was a hit and made Zavaroni the youngest artist, to have a record in the Top 10 UK albums chart, a distinction she still holds. I asked what was wrong, and she told me Lena had passed away.. Track listing [ edit] Speedy Gonzales (you'd better come home) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song I Always Seem To Wind Up Loving You Keep Your Mind On Love Songs Are Such Good Things I Should Have Listened To Mama There will be no lawyers on the island who will understand this, and if you delay things you might miss out on this great step for your daughter.. In 1989, Zavaroni married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire. [1], Zavaroni was discovered in the summer of 1973 by record producer Tommy Scott, who was on holiday in Rothesay and heard her singing in a band with her father and uncle. Hes Making Eyes song, but they couldnt find a song suitable for a kiddie that wasnt a love song., Zavaroni knew nothing about the complexities or workings of showbusiness, he says. She developed anorexia nervosa. Lena Zavaroni was just 10 years old when she appeared on TV variety show Opportunity Knocks in 1974 and went on to become a singing sensation. Zavaroni was in the charts at 11 and died after years of illness aged 35. The Real Lena Zavaroni. We also have Alan McHugh as Victor, Julie Coombe as Lenas mum, Hilda, and Helen Logan as her manager, Dorothy Solomon.. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Ive got an amazing cast who understand how to bring stories to life. Seen through the eyes of her father, Victor, the story of Zavaroni will be staged for the first time at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock next month, before touring next year. Yet could Coward have anticipated the modern age effects of fame, manifesting in major mental health problems? Watch on. Her parents sang, and my father was the same, as was their father.. battled anorexia nervosa since age 13, and felt she could not live with Search with an image file or link to find similar images, Search for stock images, vectors and videos. I was 16 when I auditioned for Elvis and I went from being at school on Friday, to being on stage on Monday to start rehearsals, with our faces all over the papers. [5] In September 1978, the BBC broadcast Lena Zavaroni on Broadway. I can remember seeing Lena on television as a child. Was it genetic? She was sensational. Editors' Code of Practice. She became depressed. I think so, he says. She liked entertaining people. [7] After the operation, she appeared to be in satisfactory condition 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 and sing again. By John Devlin. The death of Lena Zavaroni, the child singer who suffered from anorexia for most of her life, was not a result of the brain surgery for depression she underwent three weeks earlier, an inquest. Ive since gone on and trained to be a teacher. Written by Tim Whitnall, who wrote an Olivier Award-winning show about Eric Morecambe and a BBC film about Kenny Everett, and starring Shetland actor Erin Armstrong, it will receive its world premiere in Greenock where Lena was born in March. With such horrific actions, how come no one talks about this case? They have to cope with the fact their daughter/son is being offered up to a world which preys on vulnerability. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. It does feel like a long time ago, but I have always got Lena in my mind. Our community offers an alternative to subs that don't allow videos or podcast links as post submissions to kick off discussion. That amazing, astonishing talent that became lost would have shown through., Lena opens at the Beacon Arts Centre on Wednesday March 16. Shed say: Its as if Im living in a tunnel.. The cast from Lena, a new play with music based on the life of Lena Zavaroni, seen from the point of view of her father Victor. attribute the words to Sinatra. Dr. Lawrence Addicott recorded a verdict of death by "natural causes". For me there are a lot of similarities with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Caroline Flack people who needed help in the face of all that media pressure. If you take a nine or ten-year-old girl and you stick them in the spotlight, then you can have serious problems. Hailed as a child prodigy, she got a chance to perform in a TV show, 'Opportunity Knocks', and went on to win five successive . "She wasn't a precocious little girl. Opportunity Knocks winner Lena Zavaroni, aged 10, in 1974. I had never heard of her [Lena] before but as soon as I looked her up the story was just so striking, so poignant and so many themes are relevant today. (He's Making Eyes At Me) [1] is the debut album by Scottish singer Lena Zavaroni, released in 1974 on Philips Records. In sketches set on Hollywood Boulevard, a baseball game, and a bus stop, Carol and company prove that big laughs can be found everywhere. It attracted me to Lenas story. We idolise Lena. What a voice and what a pair of lungs for a wee girl who was only 4ft 11in. Archived post. Copyright 2000 Gale, Cengage Learning. From the earliest times to 2004. And she could tell a story so well. You have to pull it off. Margaret, who runs Caf Zavaroni in Rothesay, has carried on the familys musical legacy, performing in the Taverna bar most weekends for more than 20 years. I could see youth was a currency. Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed. These are just some of the attack weapons on the vulnerable. A Gannett Company. We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com. and our National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. They have to grow up so quickly. We meet Lena at the end of her life, and the story then stems off into two narrators, one reliable, her father, Victor, played by Alan McHugh. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lena_Zavaroni_and_Music&oldid=1123890914, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Back In Time"/"Jump, Shout, Boogie" (Lena), "All That Jazz" (The Ace Eight with Lena, Elaine Stritch, Wayne Sleep and George Chisholm), "Music Was My First Love" (Lena; a shorter version than the previous week; this became the show's theme song), "It's a Miracle"/"Take Me Back To Hollywood" (Lena), Comedy sketch with Lena and Adrian Hedley featuring an audio harmonizer, "Music Was My First Love" (Lena, shorter version), "Can You Feel A Brand New Day"/"Just The Way You Are" (Lena), "D, D, D, Dancing" (Lena with Gerard Kenny), "Doris Day Medley" (Lena and the Ace Eight), "The Little Old Lady/City Lights and Spotlight" (Lena), "Razzle Dazzle" [part 1] (Lena and the Ace Eight with Adrian Hedley), Johnny Hutch and the Herculeans (comedy acrobatic troupe), "Razzle Dazzle" [part 2] (Lena and the Ace Eight with Adrian Hedley), "Tomorrow" [from the musical "Annie"] (Lena), "Dancing in the City" (Lena and the Ace Eight), "I Love America" (Lena and the Ace Eight), "Forever in Blue Jeans"/"Corner of the Sky" (Lena), Comedy sketch (Johnny Hutch and the Half Wits), This page was last edited on 26 November 2022, at 07:26. She was truly exceptional.. I suppose it goes back to my own experience, he recalls during a break from rehearsals. In attempting to deal with the depression she agreed to a partial lobotomy. All rights reserved. Singer Lena Zavaroni, who has died aged 34, epitomised the potentially traumatic effects of child stardom. Lena Hilda Zavaroni[2] (4 November 1963 1 October 1999) was a Scottish singer and a television show host. Margaret became aware of her cousins anorexia fight when Lena was 13. She came to fame around 1974. Then when you are appearing on the likes of a TV show with Liza Minnelli or Cher, the pressure is immense., Former child star Lindsay Lohan has echoed that comment. on the Isle of Bute, just off the West coast of Scotland. He adds, smiling: I suppose Ive done something right because Im still here and that [debut] was 44 years ago. To make a long story short, Lena was kept in her room, forbidden to directly contact family and friends and not even being allowed to leave. I just wanted to have a nice shape.. She would just jump up and do her thing. And since then, Ive looked at the careers of Dusty Springfield and Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette, at how theyve reinvented themselves over the years., He adds, in soft voice. The actor-turned-writer was able to identify with Zavaronis story, having become a young star himself when he starred alongside Shakin Stevens and PJ Proby in a West End production about Elvis Presley in the late 70s. The story is told in flashback. [3] She continued to have anorexia throughout the 1980s. We were out having a meal in the Black Bull when my dad came to the door and signalled to my mum, who was with us, to come out, she recalled. Robbed of her childhood, she struggled with mental health issues and eating disorders for a quarter of a century before her death at just 35 in 1999. She would be 58 now and its been more than 20 years since she died, so some people have forgotten her.. Writer/actor Tim Whitnall agrees that little Lenas story is not only timeless, but frighteningly relevant to the modern era in which so many seek fame. When she returned, she told us we needed to go home. Its a story that needs to be told.. It was at that point my mum, whod been a figure skater, asked me if Id enjoyed the whole process and when I said Id loved it she said she would reach out and try for auditions for other things., Armstrongfound an agent and success continued. And you realise that even though she is a child and shes sweet and nave, she acts like an adult when she is singing, convincing that she really knows about love or whatever. Following this, Zavaroni guest-starred on The Carol Burnett Show, and on June 4th 1974, The Tonight Show. Lena Zavaroni who died in October 1999 in Cardiff. We are lucky at The Herald. Stressed boss wins payout of pounds 175,000. Suddenly she was everywhere, he says. If that spotlight is the school playground that can be difficult enough, but if its the internet and it goes out to the world, then thats very different. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. Lena is produced by Anna Murphy, Feather Productions in association with Beacon Arts Centre and is funded by Creative Scotland. And Coward could never have imagined the internet, an awesome platform for those who live to pass judgement on those who try to entertain. Photograph: PA The Observer Pop and rock Lena Zavaroni: fame, anorexia and the tragedy of a 1970s child star Zavaroni was in the charts. Short article about the documentary (Stars In Their Eyes) which follows the lives of various members of the Italia Conti stage school, including Lena Zavaroni and Bonnie Langford. Met Gala 2023: What time does the Met Gala start in the UK and where can you watch it? Posts Biographies Discography+ On This Day More. To me, the play is bringing Lena back and hopefully it wont end in Greenock. Two years later she sang for President Gerald Ford at the White House and went on to have her own TV shows while performing live around the world, including Broadway. Written by BAFTA and OLIVIER award-winner Tim Whitnall (Morecambe/ The Best Possible Taste) and directed by Leslie Finlay (The Misanthrope/ The Reader), this dynamic new work also features a wealth of classic songs including Ma! Reddit's open forum for discussion of anything and everything about true crime, court cases, and the legal system. Erin Armstrong, 26, who plays Lena in the new show, believes not enough lessons have been learned about the problems of celebrity. Tonight's guest stars are Alan King and Lena Zavaroni! I hope it will take off and Id love to see it on Broadway. She remains the youngest artist ever to have a record in the Top 10 UK albums chart. Hes Making Eyes at Me, 11 when it was a hit and 13 when she was diagnosed with anorexia, a barely known illness then called the slimmers disease. For more information, please see our Recently, watched a documentary about the late singer, Lena Zavaroni and at the very end, there was a mention that the clinic she had stayed in for Press J to jump to the feed. Was it the demands of appearing on stage looking like a primary school girl? [3][failed verification], Zavaroni sang at a Hollywood charity show with Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball in 1974, at which Ball commented: "Youre special. THE father of tragic singing star Lena Zavaroni has launched an attack on filmmakers over plans to bring her life story to the big screen. Im not sitting here wondering what Ill be doing in four weeks time. Tatum ONeill began taking drugs and alcohol at the shockingly young age of 9 and became addicted to heroin. Terms of use | Victor, who lives in Yorkshire, hopes to attend the shows in Greenock should his health allow, and Whitnall is keen to make the family proud. Nowadays, in primary schools, children are developing eating disorders. Lena was huge. 1939) played the guitar and her mother, Hilda (ne Jordan) (c. 1940 1989) sang. And I suppose Ive learned of the pitfalls.. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. [2] Track listing [ edit] "Ma! I want the people to leave the theatre and ask themselves what they think happened to Lena., Who is the villain in the piece? In Wales, at a Cardiff hospital, she underwent a psychosurgical operation. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. I dont think Lena liked that Ma! Lena, a new play with music based on the singing sensation Lena Zavaroni as seen from the point of view of Lenas father, Victor. Confused, I had asked the uploader, Loving Lena Zavaroni on what was found and they sent me a link to their Facebook page where it had the article talking about it. LENA is produced by Anna Murphy, Feather Productions in association with Beacon Arts Centre and is funded by Creative Scotland. Later she starred in her own television series, made numerous TV guest star appearances, and appeared on stage. Lena Zavaroni was born on the 4th of November in the town of Rothesay, I wanted to be just right for them, but I had to go to all these breakfasts, dinners and lunches. I genuinely hope a lot of younger people will see the show, because Lena was a poster girl, a pioneer before Britains Got Talent or any of that she was doing that rags-to-riches story with raw talent. She was very homesick and her manager, Dorothy Solomon, asked me to come down. You never thought you werent going to see her so much. Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. MARTELL'S BELLS! The young Scot went on to perform at the White House for President Gerald Ford. Recently, watched a documentary about the late singer, Lena Zavaroni and at the very end, there was a mention that the clinic she had stayed in for her anorexia, the Montreux Clinic, was going under investigation for their methods. She went on to have her own TV shows. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. I cant be sure. Becoming a teenager and attending stage school in London, Zavaroni struggled to cope. Lenas musical gift would soon be spotted and it led to her appearing on Opportunity Knocks in 1974, when she was 10, winning the talent contest for a record five weeks in a row. 296,669,475 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. performer: "Ma! Lena Zavaroni died of a chest infection last Friday after the modern version of a lobotomy. Her mum and dad had divorced by then. Yesterday, Lena's family released the harrowing pictures to hammer home to others the full horror of anorexia. Especially since the clinis founder, Peggy Claude-Pierre would say in Lenas documentary that anorexia was based on trauma and needed to be dealt with through love and high self-esteem. Suddenly, when she appeared on Opportunity Knocks, she won five weeks in a row. You have to know your lines.. Copyright 02/05/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, Revealed: Trees planted to help achieve net zero are adding to Scotlands carbon emissions, Dreading the hordes? Victor Zavaroni, 69, is furious that producers of the . I was a plump little girl, and I was also developing into a woman. Find the perfect lena zavaroni stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Im proud to have been Lenas dad and I try to remember the happy times.. Her not eating was a never-ending battle. She would be forced-fed by staff and was so damaged she attempted suicide. He could call the shots in television, labelled Mr Starmaker. Zavaroni was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire and grew up in the small town of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Teaching also offers Armstrong an insight into the problems of the developing mind. [6], In 1979, Zavaroni had her own TV series on the BBC called Lena Zavaroni and Music, and from 1980 to 1982 she had a TV series, Lena. It's about a child star Lena Zavaroni who died of anorexia in the 90s. Today some 725,000 young people are living with anorexia in the UK and there still isnt a cure as such.. On 7 September 1999, she underwent the surgery, but only three weeks later developed a chest infection and died from bronchial pneumonia. There are lots of Ron Howards, Donny Osmonds and Hayley Mills out there. But when you're on a show, you are often carrying a whole show and you know that. It was a 22-year battle she was to lose despite being granted her wish for a brain operation in a last desperate attempt to cure her eating disorder. In 1974, getting on the telly was a big thing. Its there for ever., The writer adds: And if you are changing rapidly and every day you are forced to confront your image it can be extremely formative. At 10 years, 146 days old, Zavaroni remains the youngest person to have an album in the Top 10. Episode 1,[1][2] broadcast 23May1979(1979-05-23), Episode 2, broadcast 30May1979(1979-05-30), Episode 3, broadcast 6June1979(1979-06-06), Episode 4, broadcast 13June1979(1979-06-13), Episode 5, broadcast 20June1979(1979-06-20), Episode 6, broadcast 27June1979(1979-06-27). Lena Zavaroni and Music (originally known as, pre-broadcast, as Lena Zavaroni and Guests) was a variety TV programme featuring singer Lena Zavaroni and her guests. Did the anorexia develop as a result of the pressures to perform? Edited by Elizabeth Ewan, Sue Innes and Sian Reynolds. Whenever she came to Scotland, she would stay with me rather than going to a hotel, said Margaret. musical environment, performing at an early age. We never pushed her, her mum and me. I want audiences to wonder how they would feel if they were the parent of a child offered the world at the age of 10?, Many would open their arms and grab at it. Coronation Street actress Barbara Young dies aged 92, Nurses strike continues: Major disruption for NHS services in England, Additional flight to evacuate Britons from Sudan today, Ryanair cancels 220 flights over May 1 bank holiday due to strikes, Hardcore coronation fans already camped outside Buckingham Palace, One dead and seven injured in Cornwall nightclub knife attack. Girls are girls and dont like to get too fat. Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. She followed this with the album Ma! There are a few recordings of television interviews with Lena Zavaroni around online. I kept wondering how they expected me to fit into these dresses. While at stage school her weight dropped to just four stones. Remembering Lena Zavaroni Part Two 25thNovember1970 5.09K subscribers Subscribe 109K views 15 years ago Lena Zavaroni tribute site:- http://www.lenazavaroni.com Part 2 of the 6 part. There was a happy moment in 1989, though, when she married computer consultant Peter Wiltshire but according to Margaret that was a no-no from the beginning and they separated 18 months later. For webmasters |, COPYRIGHT 2000 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. Although Scottish, her family was of Scottish and Italian descent and she grew up in a musical environment, performing at an early age. Lena Zavaroni knew all about the highs and the lows in her short life, while running through it as a constant thread was her fight against anorexia. Whitnall first spoke to Lenas dad, Victor, a decade ago and it was those conversations which prompted him to write the script from her fathers point of view. All rights reserved. And what happens if a young hopeful reveals a degree of talent, has some success but fails to adapt to fame and then finds that the entertainment industry no longer values them? The operation involved inserting a probe into the brain to sever nerve It was a good school to go to and she did well and they were all sorry she developed anorexia they tried their best. She appeared on US television with Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. (He's Making Eyes At Me)", performer: "Some of These Days", "There's Something About You Baby I Like" (uncredited). I went from a very rural background to working the fleshpots of Soho. Erin Armstrongexplains she had a gentle introduction into performing, via the PACE theatre school in Paisley. The beauty of Lena Zavaronis story should trump its tragedy, according to the writer of a new play about the singers life. Starring Erin Armstrong and Jon Culshaw, as Hughie Green as the Opportunity Knocks presenter, it tells her story with tears and laughter before her death at 35 from anorexia nervosa in 1999. appeared on the Thames Television talent show, LP and Single: Ma! Subscribe for only 5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica. His memories are incredible and it inspired the reliable narrator aspect of the script. The only time I really got to see her in that period was when I went down to London. "With hindsight, now, I don't think I'd let her do it," says her father Victor Zavaroni, now 82, through whose eyes a new musical about Lena's life has been written by Bafta. Erin Armstrong doesnt have all the answers, but she appreciates the pressures on Lena Zavaronis mind. TVTimes TV Guide. The BBC also released an LP called Lena Zavaroni And Her Music, manufactured and distributed by CBS Records and copyrighted by Galaxy Records. Hers is a salutary, yet deeply sad story. From the age of 13, Zavaroni suffered from anorexia nervosa. Lena never got the chance to grow up as a woman all her teenage life she was working, doing two shows a night in Blackpool or Morecambe or places like that. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/SHOCKING+LAST+PICTURE+OF+SCOTS+SINGER+LENA.-a060884885. I only became fanatical about not eating when the pressure got too much. She was such a successful wee entertainer, no one has come close to her yet to be so talented at that age, said Margaret. Living with clinical depression and anorexia drove Lena, against her familys wishes, to take the radical step of opting for a lobotomy, a controversial and rarely performed elective operation in which nerve pathways in the brain are severed. For me it was never about fame. Hughie was a bit like Simon Cowell. Songs Are Such Good Things [1] [2] is the fifth album by Scottish singer Lena Zavaroni, released in 1978 by Galaxy Records. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In her first post-rehab interview, she told Oprah Winfrey; "You're a child who is working. The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. The writer was certainly aware that fame, more often than not, requires talent, that talent usually has to be accompanied by a perfect body shape and facial beauty. Two weeks after the pioneering operation 35 . If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can 146K views 15 years ago Lena Zavaroni tribute site:- http://www.lenazavaroni.com Very moving full length documentary which looks at the life and tragic death of the hugely talented child. Available for both RF and RM licensing. While she was at stage school, her weight dropped to 4 stone (25kg, 56lbs). The story will be told in flashback and a cast of five will tell Lenas story. (Hes Making Eyes At Me), reaching the Top 10. This was an enjoyable hobby. And today her best friend reveals her own shocking battle with the eating disorder. BUY TWO IMAGES, GET THE LOWEST PRICE IMAGE HALF PRICE WITH CODE: 50%OFFNEXTIMAGE. Cancel culture. A tiny girl with an enormous voice, she was feted by television viewers when in 1974, at . There is such a big pressure on them. She was such a special wee girl., Lena, Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, March 16-19, Writer: I remember after Opportunity Knocks everyone talking about Lena. Now she wants to see Lenas own legacy returned to prominence. The illness ruined her career. And when I began to write this play I said to Victor, Look, we cant dodge the tough issues in this play. But I hope Ive got it right and we get to show a real balance., He adds: We want to educate and inform. The monster is this awful disease that demanded she stay slim., Tim Whitnall believes that audiences will appreciate the phenomenal talent Lena Zavaroni had, and how she came to blow television audiences away., He also finds it incredibly sad that the Scottish singer didnt manage to work through her demons. You felt proud of her: Oh God, is this happening to my wee lassie?. She was in the Royal Infirmary and I went to see her. It goes into the mind. Starring Erin Armstrong and Jon Culshaw, as Hughie Green as the Opportunity. It was unbelievable, really, in those days, adds Zavaroni. She lived to be a star - but, sadly, it was stardom that killed her. Copyright 2023 Farlex, Inc. | Theyve done it with Abba and lots of other stars, so why not Lena? Television series featuring Lena Zavaroni. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.