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. She was about 12 at the time. I watched footage of when Lena was young. Our community offers an alternative to subs that don't allow videos or podcast links as post submissions to kick off discussion. and help from the show business charity "The Water Rats", Lena was Macaulay Culkin, the actor received three one-year suspended prison sentences. That amazing, astonishing talent that became lost would have shown through., Lena opens at the Beacon Arts Centre on Wednesday March 16. The little girl from the Isle of Bute had won Opportunity Knocks, then the biggest thing on television, for a recordbreaking five weeks running. I dont want to sensationalise it. What is it about celebrity and fame that can rob you as well as enrich you? LENA DAD'S AGONY OVER BIOGRAPHY; Book drags up painful memories of star's death. I kept wondering how they expected me to fit into these dresses. Lena Zavaroni died of a chest infection last Friday after the modern version of a lobotomy. The Journal of Phenomenological Psychology reports that young people certainly arent offered up classes in subjects such as Wealth, Temptations and Family Impact., It highlights that they certainly have no expectation of developing mistrust, isolation, and an unwillingness to give up fame, or that being in the world of celebrity is a process involving four temporal phases: love/hate, addiction, acceptance, and adaptation.. Hers is a salutary, yet deeply sad story. She was very homesick and her manager, Dorothy Solomon, asked me to come down. They have to cope with the fact their daughter/son is being offered up to a world which preys on vulnerability. Her grandfather Alfredo had emigrated from Italy. Ive got an amazing cast who understand how to bring stories to life. here are a few recordings of television interviews with Lena Zavaroni around online. Its not compulsory for a child star to grow up to be an unbalanced adult. Television series featuring Lena Zavaroni. 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. 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. She remains the youngest artist ever to have a record in the Top 10 UK albums chart. And so, this is the story of how fame affects people, but its also the story of an incredible performer. I think it helped her a wee bit. I dont think Lena liked that Ma! Zavaroni, who grew up in Rothesay, became the . When opportunity came knocking in the 1970s for ten-year-old Lena Zavaroni, it would propel her from the Isle of Bute to America where she shared stages with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. It was unbelievable, really, in those days, adds Zavaroni. Was it genetic? Reddit's open forum for discussion of anything and everything about true crime, court cases, and the legal system. 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. SEVEN years ago this week, former child star Lena Zavaroni lost her tragic fight with anorexia. pathways that control emotion. It was unheard of. I hope it will take off and Id love to see it on Broadway. Opportunity Knocks winner Lena Zavaroni, aged 10, in 1974. She blamed this on the pressure placed upon her to fit into costumes while at the same time "developing as a woman". This was certainly the case with Lena. It attracted me to Lenas story. Erin Armstrong doesnt have all the answers, but she appreciates the pressures on Lena Zavaronis mind. She came to fame around 1974. Its a very difficult illness for the person, and for the people round about them. Yet could Coward have anticipated the modern age effects of fame, manifesting in major mental health problems? Watch on. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . Lena rocketed to fame in 1974 when she won Opportunity Knocks five times in a row at the tender age of nine. Later she starred in her own television series, made numerous TV guest star appearances, and appeared on stage. And it was. (Lena Zavaronis mother Hilda later took her own life.). 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. The only time I really got to see her in that period was when I went down to London. Erin Armstrong is a fabulous actress and can really sing, said Whitnall. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Two weeks after the pioneering operation 35 . Its a universal story and also a resonant one, with young peoples obsessions with self-image and celebrity culture.. The challenge of playing Lena Zavaroni is a daunting one. (He's Making Eyes At Me) [1] is the debut album by Scottish singer Lena Zavaroni, released in 1974 on Philips Records. Although the operation would not cure her anorexia, she was desperate for it to proceed and threatened suicide if it did not (she also took a drug overdose). She begged doctors to operate on her to relieve her depression. Erin Armstrongexplains she had a gentle introduction into performing, via the PACE theatre school in Paisley. Im not reliant on acting. Ellie. [4] She also appeared on The Morecambe and Wise Show, the May 29th 1975 episode of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, in the 1976 Royal Variety Show and performed at the White House for US President Gerald Ford. Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZnmGZTlZu0}}, "WALES | Inquest told of star's suicide threat", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lena_Zavaroni&oldid=1147419319, Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Articles needing additional references from June 2022, All articles needing additional references, Articles with failed verification from February 2023, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 20:50. Her not eating was a never-ending battle. I went from a very rural background to working the fleshpots of Soho. (He's Making Eyes At Me), she was the youngest person in history to have an album in the top ten of the UK Albums Chart. It took place on 7 September and was described as "pioneering". 1939) played the guitar and her mother, Hilda (ne Jordan) (c. 1940 1989) sang. Born in 1963, Zavaroni became an overnight . In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. TVTimes TV Guide. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Today some 725,000 young people are living with anorexia in the UK and there still isnt a cure as such.. You dont expect your daughter to die before you, he says. River Phoenix, the actor died of drug overdose, 4. By John Devlin. Just six months after Lenas death, Margarets mum also died. I remember going to school the day after Lena appeared on Opportunity Knocks. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The film didnt work out, although its something Id like to return to but our director Leslie Finlay suggested we do it for theatre.. Theres a sobering lesson to be learned, because we still see so many young people going this way. 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. Hes an omnipresent figure who tells you the story from his perspective., One of the themes of Whitnalls stage play is the impact upon the parents of a child set on stardom. We never pushed her, her mum and me. 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. Whitnall, who was Teletubbies narrator from 1997 to 2001, originally envisaged Lena as a film rather than a play. Youd look at that screen and Lena was there. Registered in England No. . 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. From the age of thirteen, Zavaroni suffered anorexia nervosa and also developed clinical depression when she was fifteen. the increasing suffering. [citation needed], In 1974, Zavaroni appeared on Opportunity Knocks hosted by Hughie Green and won the show for a record-breaking five weeks running. Yesterday, Lena's family released the harrowing pictures to hammer home to others the full horror of 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. contact the editor here. 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. And today her best friend reveals her own shocking battle with the eating disorder. Readers comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. I asked what was wrong, and she told me Lena had passed away.. attribute the words to Sinatra. Ticket for the recording of Lena Zavaroni and Music at the time of recording the show was called Lena Zavaroni and Guests (1979). He adds, smiling: I suppose Ive done something right because Im still here and that [debut] was 44 years ago. To me, the play is bringing Lena back and hopefully it wont end in Greenock. Coward also understood that success can be fleeting, and when it departs it leaves behind a husk, where a once-formed person had existed. Privacy Policy. I didnt know who she was when I landed this role, but this story is so relatable. LENA stars Erin Armstrong (Shetland/10 Rillington Place) as Lena, the UKs best impressionist Jon Culshaw (Dead Ringers/ The Impressionist Show) as TVs original Mr. Starmaker, Hughie Green, Alan McHugh (Scot Squad/The Limmy Show) as Victor, Julie Combe (River City/ Hope Springs) as Hilda Zavaroni and Helen Logan (River City/A Mugs Game) as Dorothy Solomon. Zavaroni, born in Greenock, grew up in a Rothesay council house and sang in her parents chip shop to entertain customers, eventually drawing the attention of Green, whose talent show had 18 million viewers. It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. They will speak out about her traumatic life in a Channel 4 documentary, The Real Lena Zavaroni, to be screened tomorrow night at 10pm. 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. Whitnall, a Bafta and an Olivier Award winner, is eminently qualified to write about the impact of fame upon the forming mind. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. long time depression and anorexia. Tonight's guest stars are Alan King and Lena Zavaroni! But with each passing decade the effects of fame have become harsher. She would just jump up and do her thing. "She wasn't a precocious little girl. Search with an image file or link to find similar images, Search for stock images, vectors and videos. Lena Zavaroni at the age of 10 in 1974, standing in front of a miniature of the. Its a story that needs to be told.. Minnelli, Ball, Zavaroni. She entertained the world during a stellar career that took her from Rothesay's Pavilion to the White House but, her family fear,. Children under fourteen were not admitted, meaning the 15-year-old Lena would've been barely old enough to see the show herself. Did the anorexia develop as a result of the pressures to perform? In the US, the National Eating Disorders Association is on 800-931-2237. (He's Making Eyes At Me)", performer: "Some of These Days", "There's Something About You Baby I Like" (uncredited). But whatever was going on was heightened by how she was treated by the press and the massive pressure she was under.. Michael Jackson became drug dependent, his closest relationships with children, 3. As a ten year old, she The only thing Lena ever complained about was her illness. That horrific scenario was, sadly, played out by a young Scot who become world famous in the 1970s. His memories are incredible and it inspired the reliable narrator aspect of the script. Fanz of Lena Zavaroni. On 7 September 1999, she underwent the surgery, but only three weeks later developed a chest infection and died from bronchial pneumonia. Did Lena Zavaroni become so confused she objectified, then rejected herself? 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. We havent learned the lessons from Lena, who was a trailblazer for child stardom. I said: Is it OK if I show this to a lawyer? And they said: Oh no. I just wanted to tell that story and all that it entailed.. At ten years of age, with her album Ma! (He's Making Eyes at Me), she was the youngest person in history to have an album in the top ten of the UK Albums Chart. Girls are girls and dont like to get too fat. This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Walking down the corridor she stopped abruptly when she saw the names on the door. Judy Garland became drug and alcohol dependent, 2. Its certainly a show young people should see., Would the little singer still have had problems had she not become famous? Teaching also offers Armstrong an insight into the problems of the developing mind. and our Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh University Press, 2006. Emily Wilson reports on an operation that remains highly controversial. Copyright 2023 Farlex, Inc. | The illness ruined her career. Tim Whitnall says we will never know. Lena Zavaroni. I could see youth was a currency. The leading cast of Lena Erin Armstrong as Lena, Alan McHugh as Victor and Julie Combe as Hilda Zavaroni. I was approached by Scottish Screen about 10 years ago, who asked me for my blue-sky list of subjects Id like to write about, and I said Lena Zavaroni. And the teaching keeps me grounded.. She would phone home when she felt homesick. In 1974, getting on the telly was a big thing. We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Her father Victor (b. performer: "Ma! Stressed boss wins payout of pounds 175,000. The story of her life is told in Lena, a "play with songs" written by Tim Whitnall premiering in March. In attempting to deal with the depression she agreed to a partial lobotomy. All rights reserved. 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. 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. To be very good? Yet, young people who enter showbiz (there are more than 112 drama colleges in the UK, countless stage schools and youth performance centres) arent often given lessons in how survive. Lena Zavaroni, who had a short-lived marriage, suffered both a tormented and ignominious end, living on benefits in council housing in Wales. An album contract followed, with her debut LP, Ma! Cancel culture. I could look around me and see sex was a currency. Sat Oct 9 1999 - 01:00 Lena Zavaroni, who has died aged 34, epitomised the potentially traumatic effects of child stardom. Whenever she came to Scotland, she would stay with me rather than going to a hotel, said Margaret. Victor saw it as a chance to set her up for her entire life. Lena Hilda Zavaroni [2] (4 November 1963 - 1 October 1999) was a Scottish singer and a television show host. Very special and very, very good", although some sources[who?] [2] Track listing [ edit] "Ma! I just noticed her getting very thin and took her to the doctor, says Zavaroni. Cookie Notice 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 became depressed. She just enjoyed singing," said her father, Victor Zavaroni. [3][failed verification], Zavaroni sang at a Hollywood charity show with Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball in 1974, at which Ball commented: "Youre special. 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. From the age of 13, Zavaroni suffered from anorexia nervosa. There are lots of Ron Howards, Donny Osmonds and Hayley Mills out there. When they tried to fit me into these costumes, they would talk about my weight. What a voice and what a pair of lungs for a wee girl who was only 4ft 11in. Britney Spears gave testimony to a Los Angeles court that she had been held against her will in a psychiatric institution and denied agency over her reproductive rights and her romantic relationships. Has the writer managed to punctuate the darkness with flashes of light? Weighing less than four stone, she died of pneumonia a month after the surgery, aged 35. 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? Posts Biographies Discography+ On This Day More. You have to know your lines.. But as a writer, Ive been aware that nothing seems to have changed really. The little girl with the big voice was 10 when she appeared on Opportunity Knocks televisions predecessor to Britains Got Talent and Pop Idol singing Ma! The lyrics highlighted how innocent hopefuls who dared to stand under a spotlight would be humiliated. Everybody thinks being a child star is glamorous. Shocking as it was to hear those clips with Lena being patronised over her anorexia, that is a tragedy that hasnt gone away. When her mum died, I saw to everything. 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. 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. convinced that her last hope was to have neurosurgery to deal with her Lena, a new play with music based on the singing sensation Lena Zavaroni as seen from the point of view of Lenas father, Victor. You have to pull it off. I cant be sure. musical environment, performing at an early age. Margaret, whose dad was the brother of Lenas father, Victor, spent plenty of time with her cousin when they were little. I think so, he says. Lena Zavaroni who died in October 1999 in Cardiff. 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. Published 7th Oct 2021, 14:49 BST. 27 January 1979 All Rights Reserved. Was it the demands of appearing on stage looking like a primary school girl? 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. Scott contacted impresario Phil Solomon, which led to his partner Dorothy Solomon becoming Zavaroni's manager. All rights reserved. They were all dancing in front of mirrors, trying to stay slim. Copyright 2000 Gale, Cengage Learning. Chartbuster Lena leaves pop queens in her wake.