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Lena Zavaroni - Sign here, Please don't let her be forgotten.

PrincessMichaela

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[Edit: Please, please sign this petition. She literally gave her life to performing, the least we can do is see that her work survives. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/LenaZavaroniCDReleases/?e ]

Hi guys. As we all appreciate talent and have a special place in our heart for children, especially those who have been robbed and taken advantage of, I urge you to check out this little girl.

Her name is Lena Zavaroni. She rose to fame as a singer from Scotland at the age of 10 in the 1970s, however she struggled with anorexia and severe depression immediately following her stardom and passed away at the age of 35.

Short tribute/documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auRl-cMgBhE&feature=related

I love her like I love Michael and the similarities are incredible.
*She began in 1973, she was just a few years younger than Mike.
*They performed on all the same shows during the same seasons (Tonight Show, Cher, Carol Burnett, Jerry Lewis, etc...)
*They even made guest appearances performing on the same shows at the same night! (The Royal Variety Show, the Kings Theatre, MDA Telethon...)
*They were both "old souls" singing with the emotion of someone four or five times their age.
*They were both SUPER shy, quiet, sweet, uncomfortable around the opposite sex.
*Perfectionists who just want to please and help everyone.
*Zero childhood
*Isolated from "the real world" (and family too, in her case)
*Viewed only as a dollar $ign.
*Struggled with identity issues, self-esteem, depression, loss, loneliness, lack of feeling loved.
The list goes on and on...it's crazy.

I can't believe she has almost been forgotten. She is, imho, one of the grestest talents there has ever been. She was so versatile that I can't even believe it. She did pop, showtunes, 1920s classics, disco, dancing, acting, comedy, everything. And ALL EQUALLY well.

Luckily, thank God, someone started uploading videos of her on Youtube a couple of years ago and somehow all the Lena fans have found each other and come together and so there are lots of tribute sites and hundreds of videos of her, spanning her whole life long, with new ones being uploaded every day. It's amazing that we have all this great footage, but it is SUCH an injustice that none of her stuff is available in stores. She guested on every big show in America and Britain, she appeared in several West End stage shows, she was signed to Stax records and recorded seven full length studio albums, and she had three successful BBC television series - yet none of this has been put on CD or DVD...That's pretty outrageous and definitely unacceptable. Like Michael, she sacrificed her childhood and gave every bit of her life to performing....yet her work is just going to fade away and be forgotten, along with her, unless people do something. We can't let that happen.

All she ever wanted to do was make people happy and people took such advantage of that. All her work needs to be recognized. I'm determined that her work and death won't be in vain. She brought SO SO SO much joy. Yet, she died living alone in a gov't house, off of state handouts. In 1976, she was on the way to becoming the world's youngest self-made millionairess. What happened to all that money? Only one person from her showbiz life showed up to her funeral. It's sad sad sad. All people remember now is the precocious little girl with the big voice who spiraled downhill at high speed, but she was so much more. She effortlessly made the trek from child star to adult performer and her success continued until she had to stop because of her illness. Only America didn't take notice of all of this. She was a class act and had so much to offer. She was so sweet and kind. The most charismatic female performer I've ever seen.

Anyway, I don't know if she and MJ ever *really* met and talked or if he followed her career and knew of her fate, but I know that they would have connected and loved each other and been good company for one another. At least they're together now, peaceful and carefree.

Please please don't let her be forgotten. Check her out. But be warned - you'll fall in love. =)

Age 10: "Ma! He's Makin Eyes at Me" on Top of the Pops - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHWfmYHK324

Age 10 - Johnny Carson interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAKwu0MvOEU and "End of the World" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG4y6WCY1RA&feature=related

Age 11 - "Music, Music, Music" / "I Love a Piano" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hslww8JdlO0

Age 12 - "Some of These Days" + Interview - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ciPEaHSiM

Age 13 - "I Had a Brontosaurus" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOeGkQjeCao

Age 15 - "Home" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V1NHjBBt9Y

Age 17, "Ain't Misbehavin'" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs4Lh4OPXLg

Full Length Documentary - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy7E1JXf0Ls
 
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I don't understand how signing a petition is going to keep someone's legacy alive. That would have to do with whoever thinks they can make money off of her work. The companies doesn't really care about anybody's legacy, only if an act can make money for them.
 
^^ (Except for LPs) her work is completely unavailable. Imagine if none of Michael's stuff was ever put onto CD or DVD and there was literally nothing available on him. His legacy would have to be kept alive through word of mouth... That's what's going to happen to her if no one releases her stuff. One or two generations from now, she will be completely forgotten and her life's work will be gone along with her.
 
PrincessMichaela said:
^^ (Except for LPs) her work is completely unavailable. Imagine if none of Michael's stuff was ever put onto CD or DVD and there was literally nothing available on him. His legacy would have to be kept alive through word of mouth... That's what's going to happen to her if no one releases her stuff. One or two generations from now, she will be completely forgotten and her life's work will be gone along with her.
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That's what I was saying. Records don't go out of print if they're selling. Her record company most likely wasn't making any money from her music. If Mike wasn't an act who sold or had an audience, he'd go out of print too, or could only be found in Japan. A lot of acts albums have long been out of print, and maybe only have a greatest hits out.
 
I get what you're saying, but there are other artists out there who had much less success than she had whose work can still be found around places. That's what I don't understand. All of her stuff was released before the advent of CDs, so how well does an older artist have to be selling to be transferred when a new storage medium comes out? I mean, anyone can have a CD in stores. My uncle can be found in Barnes and Noble, no joke...so, why can't the youngest person to have an album in the UK top 10 be found?...:scratch: I mean, she had her own TV series on the BBC for four years, surely they're able to release it? (I was a massive fan of Roswell, which the WB dropped after 1 season and after petitioning for almost five years we were able to get it on DVD and it was so successful, that they rereleased it again last year.) I just don't believe that there's nothing that can be done about this. :ermm: I just think we need to let people know, by signing a petition (to start with), that she still has an audience. There's a major biopic being planned for release next year, maybe that'll help things along? I don't know. :(
 
But if not many people know of her, nobody is going to buy her CDs. Acts like The Beatles continue to sell because parents play their music for their kids, they get played on oldies radio, people continue to put out books or write magazine articles on them, their music gets put into movies, commercials, circus shows, video games, etc. They have lots of merchandise such as dolls. They're on TV, so people are aware of them even though they haven't made a record since 1969. A lot of people don't realize Jermaine Jackson made solo albums because none of his albums are in print and he doesn't get much play. They just know him as Mike's brother who appears on TV shows like "Goin' Country". Jackson 5/Jacksons albums are hard to find also. Most stores don't stock them other than greatest hits. Look at this new CD that Motown recently put out with unreleased J5 music. The general public isn't aware that it is out. The brothers music doesn't get the publicity that Mike's solo music get. When Mike passed, the Jacksons CDs didn't really get the sales spike like Michael's CDs did. Most people buy CDs from chain stores like Best Buy & Wal Mart and they're unlikely to carry Lena's music even if it was in print. It would probably only be in specialty CD stores, which most people don't go to.
 
Well, the Beatles are a tall comparison for any artist. You don't have to be the Beatles to generate interest past your prime. =P People know who she is. Especially in the UK. I've talked to many people who'd forgotten about her, but if they ran across an album, they'd love to have it for nostalgic reasons. One person brought her up on YouTube and within months hundreds of videos had been uploaded, there was a fully updated Wiki page, five or six websites,...I know the audience is small, but her appeal is still there.

It's not that I can't find her stuff or that it's not being continually put out, but that it was never even sent to press, that's way different than no longer being produced or carried (which I'd understand). As far as Jermaine is concerned, his stuff is available at B&N, Amazon, Tower, and various sites online. You're talking popularity and media recognition and general public, I'm not talking any of that. I'm not asking for promotion or publicity or for it to be put in Target or Best Buy - some random online store would be alright with me or even iTunes, plenty of obscure people are available there.

I know she's no Beatle or Jackson or even Lulu, in terms of popularity, but c'mon, if I can still pick up a copy of 'Hung for the Holidays', :)doh:) that's just a slap in the face to Lena. (I know that's a bad comparison, but as far as dignity goes...) All I'm saying is that after all she achieved in her short life, they can at least give her some respect by allowing her music to be heard. :yes:
 
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