Zavaroni biography

Scottish singer (1963–1999)

Musical artist

Lena Hilda Zavaroni^[3] (4 November 1963 – 1 October 1999) was a Scottish singer and television show host. At the age of 10, with her album Ma! (He's Making Eyes at Me), she was the youngest person to have had an album in the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Later she starred in her own television series, made numerous TV guest-star appearances, and appeared on stage.

From age 13 Zavaroni suffered anorexia nervosa, and she developed clinical depression when she was 15. Following an operation to cure her depression, Zavaroni died at the age of 35 from pneumonia on 1 October 1999.

Life and career

Early life

Zavaroni was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, and grew up in the small town of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Her parents owned a fish and chip shop. Her father Victor (b. 1939) played the guitar and her mother Hilda (née Jordan) (c. 1940 – 1989) sang. Her grandfather Alfredo had emigrate

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Lena Zavaroni: The tragic life of a forgotten talent show star

In an interview for the programme, still battling anorexia and nedstämdhet, she spoke of keeping faith that better days would come.

“There is always hope at any time of life, and inom think you’ve just got to think that, whether you feel it or not,” she said.

Just six years later, in 1999, it was that hope of having better health and returning to her singing career, which led Lena to undergo brain surgery she hoped would cure her.

Dad Victor, after visiting her in hospital, thought the operation may have worked.

"I honestly think when I went to see her, she was starting to eat , inom honestly do, but I’ll never know," he said.

Lena died of pneumonia after the operation. She was 35.

Looking back on recordings of Lena singing for the documentary, Victor watches and listens closely to a TV performance bygd his 18-year-old daughter.

She is singing, standing at the microphone, elegant in a long dress, sequins twi

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Lena Hilda Zavaroni (4 November 1963 – 1 October 1999) was a 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 the top ten of the UK Albums Chart. 

Lena Zavaroni was born into an Italian-Scottish family at Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute. Her father Victor, who had come from Genoa, would sometimes play the accordion in clubs. 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. Scott contacted impresario Phil Solomon, which led to his partner Dorothy Solomon's becoming Lena's manager.

 

 

In 1974 Lena appeared on Opportunity Knocks hosted by Hughie Green and won the show for a record-breaking five weeks running. She followed this with the album Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me), a collection of classic and then-recent pop stand