Remembering Lena Zavaroni Part Two

[@TomthatiscalledTom]

That manager had the warmth, empathy and maternal instinct of a poisonous reptile

[@gaynordurdy7689]

Old cow

[@SerenDipity64711]

Lena had her own TV show when she got older. She had a lovely personality and would have guests on. She grew into a really beautiful woman but was troubled and suffered with depression. I am surprised a film hasn't been made about her because she was a huge star in the UK in the 70's. She deserves to be remembered for her talent - rest in peace Lena Zavaroni, we love you💖

[@MsJubjubbird]

that manager pissed me off. she was annoyed that child protection laws prevented a little kid from working and making money. and then when she was doing that interview with Lena you could see that Lena had no idea how to step up and speak for herself. She was scared not to get her manager's approval. Loved the clip of her and Bonnie though. Bonnie is another child-star legend.

[@JohnBhoy83]

her parents made the mistake of letting her grow up among adults and not children plus any agent making a child diet at the age of ten should have been prosecuted

[@sharonramsey715]

I so agree, her manager is as cold as ice.

[@jswerdel]

I suppose this is totally irrelevant now, as what as happened has already happened, but Lena, even at ten, was not at all "plumpy," as her cousin described. She looked like a perfectly normal, healthy little girl. It is devastating to think that this small child would have gotten that idea, perhaps from the "diet" that Dorothy Solomon put her on. Ugh...I think one of the most haunting thoughts in my head right now is that she probably died in her 30s weighing less than she did at 10.

[@cheriegoodwin6819]

I can't imagine what fears etc lena went through been away from her family from such a young age and placed with a cold hearted cow....so so sad..

[@lucygeorgina8656]

Dorothy what a monstrous woman

[@poshlady7454]

lena and Judy garland most amazing female performers ever both their young lives cut short

[@annoldham9355]

The contrast between her performing and that uncomfortable Pebble Mill interview is disturbing. The interviewer and Dorothy Solomon talk about her as if she isn't there and then when asked a question, she defers to Dorothy and bites her nails. This is quite worrying!

[@MsFanmail]

lena was one amazing singer

[@joshuamadden1684]

Dorothy should probably had been barred from being around children. yikes

[@itsjanjanbf]

That is what I was thinking.

[@MonaLisa-lu8zi]

A Callous character.

[@pellebravesskylar]

What a waste. Beautiful young girl with a talent that was unbelievable. So sad what happened to her.

[@karenkimberley241]

The manager seems disgusted that kids could only work 36 weeks in a year that manager what a vile human being she is so annoyed she couldn’t make more money out of Lena am glad the manager never had her own kids wow what a mother she would’ve been

[@reesemorgan2259]

I disagree, I think she was defending herself against accusations that Lena was overworked & stressed. Or possibly "where did all Lena's money go?" etc.

[@jasonladd6400]

I well remember her on Opp Knocks in 74 and I was only 6 or 7 at the time. She was incredible. We've not seen anything like that since.

[@oranjelibertine]

Typical: That woman going on about the competitiveness of stage school and the mocking of the quiet, reserved types is disgusting. That's why I can't bear the thought of stage schools, seems like such a lonely, competitive, back biting environment for the young ones.

[@sleepypoodle]

It may sound like a cliché, but it's true - anorexia is all about control, dis-empowerment and extreme unhappiness. When a child or teenager (particularly if they are not terribly assertive) is being overwhelmingly controlled by either a situation or other people - it could be their domineering, obsessive parents, or in Lena's case - her unscrupulous agent Dorothy Solomon, creating a situation in which just about every aspect of their lives are being dictated by someone else, the one thing which children can have almost complete control over is what they eat - or don't eat, it's almost like a silent rebellion. Clearly Dorothy was a very precise, hard, cold, domineering and emotionally unintelligent woman. She had no children of her own and a very one dimensional approach, abrupt, arrogant, bossy and very intimidating, I can barely bring myself to imagine what it must have been like for Lena being taken away from her secure, loving (hopefully) home environment and being 'managed', exploited and emotionally neglected by a virtual stranger. Lena's parents were simple folk and back in the 1970's there was very little awareness of or knowledge about the psychologically damaging effects of such emotional deprivation. The emphasis would have been on transforming Lena into marketable commodity - to be trained, groomed, publicised and sold. Her agent was running a business, not a holistic, temporary substitute for her 'real' home. Lena was almost a textbook example of an anorexia nervosa victim in the making.

[@MsJubjubbird]

sleepypoodle She couldn't control her career, she couldn't control her social life or fun time and she couldn't control the dysfunction in her family.

[@JacquiCryer]

Spot on x

[@61505]

i would think the details you outlined would describe the triggering of any typ eof emntal illness,not only an eating disorder.

[@mranderson4541]

sleepypoodle - totally agree, my first impression of the agent, TOTALLY HER FAULT!!

[@gardens4212]

i had anorexia at 15...it was extreme unhappiness...and i worked as child talent (modeling/acting)...i can only imagine the pressure on poor Lena

[@willewinky]

@cynthiacher Very well said my friend. Lena's life story has affected me greatly. No doubt Lena's money went into maintaining her managers lifestyle and luxury London flat. When she died, only Bonnie Langfield turned up to the funeral service out of her showbiz friends. I wonder if Mrs Soloman went? Was she welcome?

[@elizabethf1591]

Wonderful Lena .💜

[@Utubeifuwant]

It was a sad day when Lena met Dorothy S. She seem to be complaining that the Chidrens employment regulations were preventing her from working Lena 24/7. Dorothy had no children of her own so I suspect work and money was her only love and expected Lena to be the same. I doubt it even crossed her mind that Lena needed to grow up at her own pace, with other children and learn to stand on her own two feet, just like other children. She expected Lena to be a monster? Dorothy was the monster.

[@jamesmillar938]

seems everyone wanted a bit of this poor wee lassie :(

[@nicholalaw169]

Eating disorders are dangerous, because you are not getting nutritional supplements in your body

[@jamesmillar938]

@@nicholalaw169 don't understand the need for the reply, but thanks anyhow 👍

[@debwalls9405]

Oh dear Solomon. Only 39 dates a year. What a shame for YOU

[@arfies]

@stanibol I didn't know who Lena was until recently, but it's freaky how much her life paralleled Karen Carpenter's- famous at young age (first signed at 16, but the record label folded; signed again at 19); high achiever; perfectionist; great mimic with sense of humor; great voice beyond her years; OCD/anxiety/depression (Karen's was after her marriage failed); cold mother figure; huge star and pressure to be thin; stress of touring; anorexia; died in her 30s. Will we ever learn??

[@Kevin-1969]

Poor Lena, falling into the clutches of that Solomon and her relatives that looked after her. If she was my girl I would have taken her home and stopped this.

[@michaelleacy]

She was attending clinics for years in London and the States - they don't come cheap. And don't forget - her last TV series was 1982, that's 17 years before she died. That money wouldn't last long over 17 years with all the expense - especially after everyone else had taken their cut.

[@melgrant7404]

That voice xxxxx

[@LPCLASSICAL]

At 1.30 the agent is talking about restrictions on the number of times a year young people can perform like it's a social policy outrage. These regulations are in place to protect young people from being exploited and harmed.

[@karenkimberley241]

Stuart yea but she came across as if it was an inconvenience for her she might loose money what a cold hearted creature she was 😡

[@bufb]

I remembering seeing her on tv here in America. For some reason I recall Virgina Graham and Tottie Fields commenting on her talent. I always wondered what happed to "that little girl" I am sad to hear she died

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

This is a really haunting, sad story of a talented young woman who just wanted to sing and make people happy…and then things happened. There was a commenter in an earlier video in this series who said that he was the cousin of Lena, who said that her dad Victor was still very sensitive about the subject and back in the 70’s, people were much less guarded about having their kids around strangers than they are now and they were content to let their kids roam freely and discover the world for themselves, something that people would never really allow now. Also, I don’t think the parents had any clue that the manager was/is such a cruel woman, and again, back in the 70’s people were a lot more trusting of people, so they were content to allow her to move in. According to the cousin, her dad Victor said that he had no regrets about letting her move in with the manager lady because to him nothing was important than watching his little girl chase her dreams of stardom. I mean, it’s great that her parents were by no means stage parents like Judy Garland’s/Karen Carpenter’s were, but it is still sad that she was still taken advantage of by a woman who made her suffer. Her story reminds me a lot of Judy Garland’s mixed with Karen Carpenter’s.

[@joshuamadden1684]

But her father seems wonderful and loving

[@mikegordon61mg]

just as well that dorothy didnt have children if thats how she treated other peoples!!

[@jenniferjones188]

She sticks to horses feel sorry for the horses

[@joelarama]

Thanks for posting..so interesting..I'm a huge fan of Lena. My partner is playing the Piano for her 5.40 secs. Conti's days!

[@wk1810]

If the love, acceptance, care and protection of that wonderful aunt and uncle couldn't reach her, then... Man, that is an awful lot of responsibility for a 14 y.o, having your own show!! What? Most kids that age are still goofing off with their friends.

[@itsjanjanbf]

What a charmer is that agent.

[@Mesmerize-Eyez89]

oh my goodness this is so interesting,to bad nobody stopped her in time(ON 2 part 3,4)

[@jodavies8247]

Yes I agree Lena was around adults too much and had to grow up fast ,bless her. She never needed to loose weight she was pretty as she was. Her manager was greedy for money ,that was it!. She would be here today if she had the right manager behind her 😏 R I P Lena ❤

[@joshuamadden1684]

yeah Dorothy seems pretty rough

[@Rivqah]

"all the kids in rothesay were full of fish and chips cos thats all they ate" He didn't say that fish and chips were the only things AVAILABLE, but the main things the children there ATE. How many kids do you know who prefer salad over fish and chips?

[@libertyann439]

The baby dresses and the grown-up voice almost is strange to me on some level. The styles should have been age appropriate.

[@allwrighty100]

I remember when she was on Opportunity Knocks my mother saying, "that's no song for a wee girl to be singing".(Ma He's Making Eyes At Me)

[@ThePearlofeire]

@newagemisfit It is well known that an emphasis on slenderness combined with unkindness,low self estemm commonly causes eating disorders. Other young people respond to these triggers with depression.The thing is if Lena wasn,t famous she wopuld perhps have been self conscious but it would never have been severe.Stress triggers latent tendencies.There is no doubting that calling a very young person fat or needing to go on a diet would cause that person to think he/she is fat.

[@neilburns8869]

Dorothy just didn't want to have to look after any child of any age!

[@williaminavanbottle9297]

Handing a young child over to an agent...Who the heck knows what horrors she may have been exposed to...All of them - so called - nice people.

[@philodowd8080]

Cold Woman that Manager

[@Rivqah]

"The worst part was thinking that she had something likie cancer..." Poor Victor :(

[@12121149]

Dorothy Solomon, what an evil woman,just sayin'

[@MsFanmail]

i would have loved lena to been a bigger star much bigger than cheryl cole. She would have been amazing doin west end shows like elaine page does. Such a shame she ended up on benefits she should be a wealthy lady now.

[@allwrighty100]

She actually ended up dying.

[@stanibol]

anorexics distinct fr. bulimic. By the time skin rash and hair loss are noted, the illness is in full bloom. [chem. depletion now triggers death wish] With REST and good caring, the natural recovery span is 12mths, given that no demonic medical intervention occurs. Certain behavioural therapy is useful, dieticians advice, but force feeding is the worst offense. Parents learn hardest lesson: patience. Lena's singing is legendary. Her demise extremely tragic.

[@violetanndoherty6872]

Her agent has her blood on her hands. Her parents are a total disgrace. How can you GIVE your 10 year old child over to a money machine. Oh and no I grew up on the same island and we where not feed onlyon fish and chips.shame on and her family for selling my school friend out. She would still be alive if you had been a proper family. RIP lena my wee pal

[@DrMontague]

I'm remember seeing an interview I think with Terry Wogan in which Lena clearly stated that she thought if she ate less she would grow taller in height. She might have been the same without stardom and there have been similar cases but the people were not famous. It usually they do with the person hates themselves in some way, I think in Lena's case she wanted nothing more than to be taller, and yet other people it doesn't bother them at all for example the gymnast Olga korbut.

[@arfies]

@stanibol Although "cold mothers" don't CAUSE anorexia per se, in Karen's case, it certainly didn't help. Her mother Agnes didn't believe in seeking outside the family for help, thought Karen was just being stubborn with her dieting, and didn't want her to see a therapist.

[@arfies]

@stanibol I know, and I'm aware of that. I agreed with you.

[@lyndamcglynn]

that Dorothy was only interested in Lena when she was fit and well to perform,she had no time for her when she was ill,pity no one else noticed,

[@cookeeee1962]

Poor little girl--woman says it all . She must have thought , " am I a girl or a woman ? "....Of course I am sure there is more to A.N.

[@ThePearlofeire]

@newagemisfit The Tv Producer(s) done his/her research. Consulted Martha and her husband who are experts on Lena herself.It is Dorothy Solomons who cashed in on Lena,s fame.The programme makers just make whatever they usuall make.Exactly they lived thid story but you do have to remember that the giving up of a child to a stranger must be questioned.

[@paranrm]

@TomthatiscalledTom I agree.Her voice kinda sounds like Annie the orphan .I wonder if the song Chimmney was on telivision in USA. I remember this song from my childhood.

[@stanibol]

so very sad. sadder still for the fact that the illness is still widely misunderstood. Generally True: i) predisposition, ii) perfectionist and anxious, iii) high achievement. Generally Untrue i) overworked ii) neglected by others iii) poor nutrition to start with. Thankfully Karolinska researchers reject the notion that this is a psychological illness from the onset. A.N. is firstly an organic illness, when left untreated will cause psychol.problems. Chemical imbalance in the brain,

[@ThePearlofeire]

@newagemisfit Even without this documentary,everything they said and asked is backed upby other sources.Me ( the viewer) didn,t just decide what went wrong. It is plain and obvious to see that fame damages youngsters andthis is know without a documentary. (There are other replies that youtube can,t post for me at the moment).

[@arfies]

@stanibol Yes, I know of the debunked "refrigerator mom" theory. But it's still something they had in common.

[@newagemisfit]

@Janvierireland Well I’m sorry, but I have checked again and here are two quotes from the NHS website, the first is from a video about anorexia the second is from the text: "Anorexia is a complex disorder - we don’t understand the cause" "The cause of Anorexia is unknown".

[@DrMontague]

124cm or just over 48 inches or 4 feet tall. I believe she was an adult before developing Anorexia therefore it wasn't the Anorexia that stunted her growth. Strange that people like the gymnast Olga Korbut have never (as far as I'm aware)had a problem with their height.

[@stanibol]

@arfies Agree on all counts except the 'cold mother figure'. That generalization does not hold. Similarly, up until 30 years ago, many paediatricians et al believed cold mother figure to be the reason behind autism. Prof Rendell Short was a huge advocate, but after some years he refuted his own theory of 'refrigerator mum'.

[@paranrm]

Her vioce kinda sounds like Annie the orphan .

[@ilovesimspets]

this is a 6 part documentary watch the othes.

[@discovery781]

@xoValeriexoxo she didnt make it big in the usa, i remember the summer of 74 she was on a few of TV shows then seemed to dissappear

[@yuukikanameflipflap]

@TomthatiscalledTom Yes, sensitive loving woman she was, best Lena could have had.

[@newagemisfit]

The National Health Service website says that after years of intensive research the medical profession still doesn’t know what causes anorexia nervosa. But apparently some people have watched this TV documentary and discovered not only the cause of anorexia nervosa, but the cure too. Before any of you guys nominate yourselves for the Nobel Prize, can any of you prove that if Lena had experienced a different childhood then she would not have got anorexia nervosa?

[@ThePearlofeire]

its very wrong to blame this on any child...and untrue.

[@jchoma]

I know she was definitely not over 5 feet, but I thought she was close at 4'11.

[@NicholaLaw-uk1pt]

Eating disorder you will never know what causes it. Xx

[@stanibol]

External explanations as cause for A.N. are reinforced by ignorance of medics, media and general public. Warmth, love and rest, even pet therapy, are excellent in the Rx for A.N. patients. Criminal are electroconvulsive therapy and 'most' drug Rx's. I do sympathise, and even understand how some may be driven to perform a lobotomy in an effort to ease symptoms. Headachess, insomnia , unusual reactions to food, taste and enhanced smell, and nausea, are among the early symptoms.

[@DrMontague]

However she was tiny in height at 15 i.e. 4 feet tall, and let face it if she had of ate normally i.e. from 16 to 21 she wouldn't have grown much beyond 4ft tall (it's genetic). Even if we were to push the limit and argue 21 is when you stop growing she wouldn't have grown much taller.

[@tracyhartigan1601]

Jesus this woman has no heart or soul …..

[@rexel666]

Dorothy Solomon - J3wish. Thr Fischers - J3wish. Just sayin'.

[@mandybernhardt4664]

Explain please? What u trying to say?

[@stanibol]

@arfies Agree for the most part, however 'cold mother figure' is inaccurate and is a dreadful generalization.. Similarly, Prof John Rendle-Short refuted his own theory of 'refrigerator mum' as being the ultimate cause for childhood autism.

[@ydschools9745]

She was very thin at 12 more so at 14

[@stanibol]

Chem. imbalance in the brain, though the exact cause remains unknown. July 2005 Pennsylvania university (ie. seratonin, dopamine production) research. The brain manufactures excess chemical as a response to an organic, /. physiolog. problem. [add Hormone factor?] The depressions are the result and not the cause of this illness. The illness is treacherous, because the patient is in as much denial as any alcoholic; external causes are adopted as welcome explanations.

[@matthewcoombs3282]

Dorothy put her on a "healthy" diet did she? mmmmm

[@TomBartram-b1c]

Blimey is there a PERMANENT black cloud over Rothsay??

[@TomBartram-b1c]

Is there a PERMANENT black cloud over Rothsay?

[@ThePearlofeire]

@newagemisfit @newagemisfit However those who are not famous usually recover from anorexia when treated as they aren,t as most exposed to being told that slender is beautiful all of the time as youngsters involved in acting,singing,dancing,gymnastics,modeling,and being seen in public i.e. fame are. I am thinking that you could be a man as there doesn,t seem to be an appreciation as to how very young girls interpret @you need to go on a diet' as.That being said there