Lena was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She absolutely loved singing, wherever she was. Who was to blame? Possibly her agent who wouldn't let her eat chocolate gifts, the school, fame, or herself. It certainly wasn't her parents or family, they loved her to bits. My question is, if she hadn't gone into show business, would she be here now? Who knows? But while she was here, she gave her love and joy to millions, and I will never forget her. Rest in peace, my darling Lena
It only takes one person to make a comment about someone's weight to trigger a life of misery. Comments made by her agent on this film says to me she was not living with someone who cared about her childhood but how much money she could make from her. Stage and ballet schools are not the greatest environments unless you are tough enough to cope with them. They are better than they used to be back then as diet and welfare are given more priority than they used to but I think Lena did not know how to conform. As a girl going through puberty they wanted her to look and dress as a child and then as a teenager, she was dressed as an older woman. That is enough to confuse any young girl. I met someone who was in school with Lena and she told me what a happy child she was until she was taken away from the Isle of Bute.
From the repeated explanations shown in the production and from what you have said here it sounds like dissassociative symptoms although I'm not a psychiatrist. However I am a retired therapist and have had my own share of mental health difficulties including dissassociation. It's a trauma response and a totally unconscious process but a way for the psyche to try and protect itself when it is totally overwhelmed. It's not the type of thing that psychiatrists comment on because their main focus is on what medication can ease the symptoms but if she had therapy I would be surprised if it wasn't picked up on. However it's a very difficult mechanism to overcome. I'm so glad that you have such wonderful memories of her and as a fellow Scot I can just imagine her sense of humour; it came through when her cousins were talking in the film too. Her family came across so beautifully and it's not easy being yourself on film which is why it's so important for the film maker to build up a relationship with those they are filming. It's heartbreaking having to witness a loved one torturing themselves and feeling totally powerless to stop it so my genuine love and thoughts go out to her family and yourself. I hope you all know you did everything you could to help as there are so many 'what ifs', guilt etc that accompany a loved one suffering and dying in such a way. I hope her loved ones have sought support with this and their associated grief as that's so important. Take care and thank you so much for sharing some of your memories here with us
I saw one of her vinyl and played it 2019,she made me speechless by her voice, then I dig deep about her life, when I found she died at the age 35, I was shocked, very sad life story, if she lived longer without this disease she could have been one of the greatest female artist all time
Poor woman, such a talent, to die whist living on benefits after clearly making so much money for other people, is terrible, you would have thought that her management would have paid for private treatment for her long before she reached 3 and half stone, shame on them,!!!
Thankyou "25thNovember1970" for posting this. I am a Brit in the USA, and watched all the 6 parts. She was such a great singer.. what a wonderful talent.
I am really saddened by what I've just watched. I remember seeing Lena on Opportunity Knocks when I was just 5 and not thinking much else of her until hearing of her death. I've just watched a lot of videos and am amazed at what a talent she was. I think the only fault the parents had was thinking they were giving their daughter a chance to make a life for herself that they wouldn't be able to give her. The manager however, scared me, never mind a 10 yr old away from home. Such a shame!
It could have just been the manager's normal demeanor but she did seem a little cold. Perhaps she's on the defensive because she's received bad press or maybe she feels guilty. I felt unsettled by her. Hi from Oz. 👇💜🙃
I'm sorry but this is another tragic case of a young child star having no sense of a "normal" childhood. How many other child stars have had serious issues, Michael Jackson, River Phoenix, Karen Carpenter....the list is endless...too sad!
She made Neil Sedakas "Going Nowhere" her own swansong. The way she sang it, you can see it had deep meaning for her. I only wish she defeated her illness. Let's hope she is somewhere happy now.
I feel so sad after watching this documentary and wish Lena could have been cured and was still around today. God bless you and rest in peace, Lena. Dawn xx
For the miniscule bit I feel it is worth! I offer my sympathy and no judgements, to EVERYONE who loved her, tried to do their best for her at anytime in her life, and still live missing her each day.
I remember Lena winning Opportunity Knocks. We all envied her! She is the same age as me, so we sort of identified with her. I remember at the time, wondering how she could bear to leave home to live with strangers - no fame is worth that. The family was misguided. God help them in their obvious pain now. That manager - comes across as a cold fish. Rest in Peace Lena x
Thanks for uploading this documentary, I've been glued to every second and watched all 6 parts. Her name just came in to my mind a few days ago and I thought I'd check out YT to see if I could find anything with her on it and to my surprise there's loads. I was a bit younger then her, but remember Lena as a child star in the 70's, first on Opportunity Knocks, then she was everywhere. Such a talent and beautiful girl and lady. I did actually have a crush on her growing up. It was so sad when anorexia took hold of her life and you could see it as she aged when she was on TV. I'd think what is happening to her, she's got very thin. Of course back then, not so much was known about the disease as it is today. I wish she had been able to get through it and control those demons within her and we would have had her singing talent to enjoy even today. I reckon she would have been like another Shirley Bassey. After all, she nearly always sang big powerful songs, often used in musicals. I don't know why the manager woman took Lena away from her family and made her live with her. Why she didn't arrange for her parents or one of her parents to stay with Lena in hotels, or even a flat in London, I don't know. That sort of arrangement wouldn't be allowed these days, that's for sure. She could have been smacking Lena, or mentally or physically abusing her, which could have lead to her anorexia. Has that woman ever taken in any other child stars, or was Lena the only one. When Lena was young, her parents clearly didn't even know what shows she was going to be on or anything. Didn't the manager even phone them to say Lena will be on this tonight, or we're going off to film this today and her father seems a great guy too. I would definately want to give him a man hug and buy him a drink if I met him. And her sister must have missed having her around. There were no mobile phones then, which would have let them stay in touch all day like today. Such a tragic loss, RIP Lena.
I feel sad about her , though she made everyone happy in her first years . Thanks to every one who tried to help her , thanks to her family and friends .
I remember Lena from "Wonderama" back in the seventies--I used to imitate her around the house to the point that I got nicknamed Lena and still get called that today by my siblings. To be honest I hadn't thought of her since then but my brother came across these videos and sent me the link. When I was eight I thought Lena had the best life ever. Just goes to show ... RIP, Lena, and put another nickel in the nickelodeon ...
I stood on the kitchen table at 10 years old and imitated her singing my heart out the song "Mama his making eyes at me". My audience was my Gran, my Mom and Aunt and a cousin. What a sad documentary relaying her tragic end. So sad.
thank u 4 posting this, i remember Lena so vividly, from when she won opportunity knocks, but did not know how the poor woman suffered...may she rest in peace with all the love and care she deserves
People and doctors and shrinks listened. She used to explain it to me, that it was like being the only one in an aeroplane, and looking out of the window at the grey world outside. Only problem is, that no matter how much you tried to reason, that is all she knew or could comprehend. I feel that she was explaining the ravages of show business, where she just became a performing shell, but inside, she was the loveliest person you could ever meet.
I remember watching her too when I was about 5. Having just watched all 6 parts of the documentary, I never realised just what a great singer she was for her age. And what a tragic end she had.
OH yes I think the relatives in London should have had full guardianship of Lena, and the manager should have only had part in arranging and setting up her concert dates and interviews, NOT taking her in, that Lady was just horrible.. she clearly did not know anything about children... it's just so sad that this dear soul and beautiful talent had to die this way...
Exactly. I think he loves her very very much, but he just wasn't sure what to do, and even today, many parents still go through the same thing, it must be terribly difficult to see both his beloved wife and daughter suffering and be the rock they depend on.. but not being able to do much.. and I'm sure he suffered alot through this. I think her family is very loving especially the aunt/uncle who took her in so much, they are awesome!!
I am not qualified to determine whether Lena needed neurosurgery or not, but I simply cannot imagine a physician agreeing to do major surgery on someone who was THAT malnourished. Of course someone that ill was going to develop complications from the surgery. However, I also read a while ago that Lena was threatening suicide if the surgery was not performed, so who knows what the "right" thing to do would have been at that point? All I can really hope is that she has finally found peace.
Dorothy Salomon is to blâme ! Poor girl she took her away from home And used her voice as a wallet ! I think Léna just had enough of her that kind of life And lost her self. Too bad she woke up Too late .PS:sorry for the ortographe i'm french
Have you actually listened to what has been said! It’s more than any of us can imagine, it’s an inbuilt depression and inherited from her mum. Mum suffered, became an alcoholic and committed suicide. Poor Lena couldn’t be helped and no one is to blame.
kkid28 Yes, I can see how you would think that but I believe Lena's fragility and gentleness was real as where Diana's was learned/manufactured. I always got the sense, when listening to Diana speak in interviews, I was being manipulated.
it seems pretty obvious that she did have anorexia, and it was the long term effects of starving her body that resulted in brain damage (ie brain cells die when you are that starved and you cant get them back), leaving her with the feeling of 'the static'.
I never heard of Lena until recently. She was an amazing singer. I'm glad her music still lives on. Her agent Dorothy seemed to not care about Lena at all. Dorothy states that Lena never complained at all. What? How could she? Maybe Dorothey didn't let her. God rest Lena's Soul.
It seems that Lena was a sweet "people pleaser" who didn't like to say no. Or perhaps she really did want to work + work til she dropped but it should not have been that poor child's decision. The allotted carer of a minor should be making better choices for her. Sad. Hi from Oz. 👇💜😔
Honestly listen to yourself. You saw the woman for a few minutes- because she wasn’t weeping and wailing and choking back tears, to you you she doesn’t care! The canker Lena go with her- mum couldn’t as she had mental health problems (later killed her self). The woman was Lena’s agent and Lena was very happy with her (according to a biography) as all she wanted to do was sing an perform. As a child the number of days she could work was limited by law. Lena had inherited mental health problems- no one to blame on the demons in her head. You could question why wait until she was three stone to find treatment
this is such a sad story... i only just found out about her today since we're studying this case in psychology.. im glad i got to find out about her,, it's a shame she's gone though. she's so beautiful and talented! RIP Lena!!
This is such a sad, sad story. It seems to me that everyone did try to help Lena but Anorexia is such a complicated illness and I think no-one could really get to the root of it to save her, including Lena herself. I really think, like many child stars, she missed out on having a normal childhood and was too afraid/polite to say she wasn't always happy with her life. Food was the only thing she felt she had control over and in the end it killed her. What a terrible waste. RIP Lena. - Dawn xx
Beautiful Lena RIP. She once came into the shoe store I worked at. Sadly she was very very skinny but so kind and polite, gentle. Her family seem very loving and giving. As for Dorothy..... I hope the money she made took great care of her dogs and horses. Very sad.
That agent very clearly didnt give a damn about lena. Her story breaks my heart. That poor girl. She was such a lovely kind soul destroyed by showbiz. Rest in peace dear Lena. You will never know how how many lives you touched with your gift.
Please listen to what’s being said. Of course she cared. Before she died Lena had asked her if she could make a comeback. Don’t judge someone after seeing her for a few minutes
@@willewinky I’ve just read it. They sound ruthless. Who in their right mind would put a healthy little girl on a strict diet. They sowed the seeds of self doubt in Lena’s mind. I’m absolutely convinced that Lena would not have had those problems if they had just let her be herself. Disgusting.
i just came across these postings of lena zavaroni. i remember her ... but she was an adult by the time i heard of her. ty for posting these videos. i thought oh wow & then oh my what & it angered me whoever agreed to the surgery was not right. no brain surgeon needed ... lena needed love & reassurance, the real her not the talent she had but to help her get those yrs away from her family must have been taxing in more ways than one & on tv too.
Sadly, like MJ she lost her childhood. She spent time away from her parents and family and worked until she didn't have her own identity, she was just a talented money making machine... that must be hard to come to terms with has a child. It's tragic not only how her life ended, but what seems so amazing to someone else can be the ruination of that person. Maybe if she'd been introduced to stardom later in life, she would have handled it better. RIP Lena. I hope the 'static' is now a rainbow.
What a horribly sad story. I remember the news of her death being on TV - it was the first time I had heard of anorexia. It seems to me the person whose motives and methods should be questioned was Lena's agent, Dorothy Solomon. She seemed to be emotionless about the awful disease Lena had. I feel so sorry for her father and for her aunt and uncle; they tried so hard to help her. Heartbreaking.
What a moving documentary - I remember Lena Zavaroni from the 70s and she had a fantastic voice. As I watched that I felt so sorry for her - fame isn't always what it's cracked up to be!
I remember lens. On the talent show. My neighbours would get me to sing all the songs that lens sang over and over again. And I loved it. I didn't get my chance to sing for the public when I was 16yrs old with a friends band. I had to leave home because of what was happening to me so by the age of 17 is was married and had a baby many years went buy just singing here and there until I started up a country music band in my 30's. I felt so sorry for lens what a waste of a talent, I don't think it would have happened to her if she had lived with her parents. They took away her identity, she didn't need to be moulded into what the agents wanted she was perfect the way she was. But you can be sure she's still singing to the Angels.
thanks for putting this up i dont think u can put any blame on anyone - not even lena herself... im sure she did not want this for herself, but its just what happened to her in her life her aunt and uncle were very insightful to what she was going through RIP
its usually a life long battle to find peace in loving yourself not as others want you to be but to accept yourself the good the bad & the ugly. love yourselfs & others even if they have talent/gift don't forget the spirit & soul of the person/human being!
I am so out of touch because I don't subscribe to television, I never knew until now that lovely Lena was gone! But how I wish I could have spent time with Lena and talked with her about what Lena calls static!
i was deeply saddened to hear of another young person struggle with anorexia & self image the age 13 is the most crucial for young teens. sad also partents sacrifice children to go & live with strangers! i can't imagine doing that yet lots do send away kids to bording schools & such. r.i.p lena ... you are a beautiful person in & out & sorry that you were so lonely. may the angels & G-d himself comfort you & hold you tight as you so much needed the love that you so missed as a child.
A tragic and sad story of a beautiful talented girl. Her manager/agent just seems like a cold, heartless person who was only interested in how many shows and appearances she could get Lena to do. It was all about the money for her not about the welfare of a young girl who she enticed away from her parents. I`m sure there is more disturbing stuff connected to her, she just comes across as sinister in every way ! Her cousins on the other hand were the polar opposite and gave her sanctuary. RIP Lena, no more hurt x
He can’t blame his self they tried everything available to them it was her choice crying out for help to put herself through that operation I hope her life helps others severe depression is impossible to live with not many understand I don’t even think doctors fully understand yet but with videos like this maybe it will help someone else thanks for sharing and at least she had a loving family and her pain is over ❤
I never once heard her father saying he regretted letting Zena go away with a strange woman (her agent) at the age of just 10 years old from all her family, friends and school to go and search for fame! She could have waited until she was at least 16 to persue her career and would more likely have been better prepared. I just can't imagine any responsible parent letting a little girl go away like that to mix with who knows who 😞 something really damaged her along the way to make her feel like that. She left home a happy healthy little girl. So sad 😔
I remember seeing her performance on Opportunity Knocks,the next day at scholl thats all we talked about. She was a talented singer, it was so sad to see that she was unable to overcome Anorexia,and died so young. She really did pay the price of fame
I remember vividly the first time she appeared on Opportunity Knocks. I was a year older than Lena and my father was stationed in England. I grabbed up any news of her I could as the years passed. I could never have imagined the hell she would endure. I also agree, her agent seemed never to be a mother to her. In a sense, both of her "mothers" let her down. Very sad.
Very sad, I think they didn't know much about the Illness in those days. ,I think the medical profession knows much more about the Illness now ,but I'm not sure ,it's very sad that such a lovely little girl had to go through so much pain Her sister is the spitting image of her ,and it's very sad for all her family ,
megaharriet its sooo right, ive lived it in myself and most part of it its from the parents, she had a lot of pressure and anorexia is not a physical disease, it is mental, everything for small that it is contributes. god bless you lena.
The only comfort is that the eternal rest she now feels has removed all the terrible conflicting turmoil that she suffered and her soul has been freed from her poor ravaged body rest in peace lena no more pain and suffering.
@MissWitchiepoo Do you think that she was told what to say? I would think that a typical child would not choose to give presents away even to charity because its normal for a child to be not mature and want to keep presents for oneself.
You know I cannot help but wonder... Lena kept talking about the static for years, and it seemed that people weren't listening to her. I believe that there was something else wrong that caused the anorexia - and people didn't understand when she tried to tell them. Unbelievably sad.
This is so sad a beautiful looking girl with an amazing talent dont think this was anyones fault just someone said something negative about how she looked and it started her on that journey of negativity and self harm.
Why was she living on her own in a flat, living close by to her Dad, why was she not living with her Dad, I really think no one gave a crap ( her Dad said that her Husband left her because its so hard living with someone with this condition ?...... what would her Dad know, she didn't live with him to start with) why was she living on state benefits ? what happened to all her cash,( she was used and abused by all) R.I.P Lena.x
+Johnny Ecoman She had tried every other treatment, pills, talking, counselling, ECT....nothing worked. She threatened suicide if it was refused. Capsulotomies are absolutely end of the end of the line treatments and are very rarely authorized.
+TomthatiscalledTom The whole, "Treatment," for anorexia has a really bad record. People who are hospitalised are more likely to die than those who are not. What people like Lena need is on going, long term, supportive relastionships where they are given full choice over their food intake. Capsulotomies cause brain damage and should be banned. I do not think they should be offered. There are always other things to be offered. breggin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148
A relative of mine has been treated for anorexia and I would never think brain surgery would be an appropriate response for an eating disorder. Lobotomies have a terrible track record and no one denies they were a disaster, leaving 'patients' brain damaged rather than cured. What Lena opted for, in terms of surgical intervention, was something quite different and it was for her severe depression.
Psychosurgery is a very last resort and controversial. Understandably so. But in this instance, I feel it was the hope Lena and her family needed. The alternative, as her father pointed out, appeared futile. I feel deeply for them all.
Things couldn't have been worse for her. A crippling disease ravaging her life, a failed loveless marriage, her mother had killed herself, and her career was over - with no idea about what she would do for the rest of her life. The ages of 10 - 14 are very crucial for anyone - but she was being paraded around the world in a high money-earning career. This kind of thing needs to stop.
@MJWarner The parents of Lena obiously loved their daughter like crazy abd would do anything to try and save her from herself but, sadly it didn't work. A very talented voiced silenced by the ugly disease called Anorexia.To Lenas parents , may your pain ease withe passage of time andmay the world learn from Lena's life and death, Bless you all, who tried to intervene and save her from herself.
Lena was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She absolutely loved singing, wherever she was. Who was to blame? Possibly her agent who wouldn't let her eat chocolate gifts, the school, fame, or herself. It certainly wasn't her parents or family, they loved her to bits.
My question is, if she hadn't gone into show business, would she be here now? Who knows?
But while she was here, she gave her love and joy to millions, and I will never forget her.
Rest in peace, my darling Lena
Very beautifully said. 💜 From an Ossie.
Beautiful thing to say. I feel the same way.
It only takes one person to make a comment about someone's weight to trigger a life of misery. Comments made by her agent on this film says to me she was not living with someone who cared about her childhood but how much money she could make from her. Stage and ballet schools are not the greatest environments unless you are tough enough to cope with them. They are better than they used to be back then as diet and welfare are given more priority than they used to but I think Lena did not know how to conform. As a girl going through puberty they wanted her to look and dress as a child and then as a teenager, she was dressed as an older woman. That is enough to confuse any young girl. I met someone who was in school with Lena and she told me what a happy child she was until she was taken away from the Isle of Bute.
From the repeated explanations shown in the production and from what you have said here it sounds like dissassociative symptoms although I'm not a psychiatrist. However I am a retired therapist and have had my own share of mental health difficulties including dissassociation. It's a trauma response and a totally unconscious process but a way for the psyche to try and protect itself when it is totally overwhelmed. It's not the type of thing that psychiatrists comment on because their main focus is on what medication can ease the symptoms but if she had therapy I would be surprised if it wasn't picked up on. However it's a very difficult mechanism to overcome.
I'm so glad that you have such wonderful memories of her and as a fellow Scot I can just imagine her sense of humour; it came through when her cousins were talking in the film too. Her family came across so beautifully and it's not easy being yourself on film which is why it's so important for the film maker to build up a relationship with those they are filming. It's heartbreaking having to witness a loved one torturing themselves and feeling totally powerless to stop it so my genuine love and thoughts go out to her family and yourself. I hope you all know you did everything you could to help as there are so many 'what ifs', guilt etc that accompany a loved one suffering and dying in such a way. I hope her loved ones have sought support with this and their associated grief as that's so important. Take care and thank you so much for sharing some of your memories here with us
Bless you Lena. Never forget that voice.
Thoughts and prayers need to go out to her Dad, David & Martha, Carla and her cousin and everyone else who cared about her deeply.
RIP Lena Zavaroni.
when you have severe depression you can be flying high for ages, but one cruel comment can leave you suicidal for weeks especially from those you love
I saw one of her vinyl and played it 2019,she made me speechless by her voice, then I dig deep about her life, when I found she died at the age 35, I was shocked, very sad life story, if she lived longer without this disease she could have been one of the greatest female artist all time
Poor woman, such a talent, to die whist living on benefits after clearly making so much money for other people, is terrible, you would have thought that her management would have paid for private treatment for her long before she reached 3 and half stone, shame on them,!!!
Thankyou "25thNovember1970" for posting this. I am a Brit in the USA, and watched all the 6 parts. She was such a great singer.. what a wonderful talent.
A Beautiful Soul and a wonderful voice! So sad!
May you rest in paradise Lena x
Lena had so much to give in life i am a fan of this beautiful young lady xxxx
I am really saddened by what I've just watched. I remember seeing Lena on Opportunity Knocks when I was just 5 and not thinking much else of her until hearing of her death. I've just watched a lot of videos and am amazed at what a talent she was. I think the only fault the parents had was thinking they were giving their daughter a chance to make a life for herself that they wouldn't be able to give her. The manager however, scared me, never mind a 10 yr old away from home.
Such a shame!
It could have just been the manager's normal demeanor but she did seem a little cold. Perhaps she's on the defensive because she's received bad press or maybe she feels guilty. I felt unsettled by her. Hi from Oz. 👇💜🙃
I'm sorry but this is another tragic case of a young child star having no sense of a "normal" childhood. How many other child stars have had serious issues, Michael Jackson, River Phoenix, Karen Carpenter....the list is endless...too sad!
mj west these people never liked there family, they wanted to be brought up with love. That's what they were searching for.
Jack wild..
What a lovely father, sister, and cousin.
iraqidolphin ❤️🙏🏻❤️😇
She made Neil Sedakas "Going Nowhere" her own swansong. The way she sang it, you can see it had deep meaning for her. I only wish she defeated her illness. Let's hope she is somewhere happy now.
I feel so sad after watching this documentary and wish Lena could have been cured and was still around today. God bless you and rest in peace, Lena. Dawn xx
For the miniscule bit I feel it is worth! I offer my sympathy and no judgements, to EVERYONE who loved her, tried to do their best for her at anytime in her life, and still live missing her each day.
I remember Lena winning Opportunity Knocks. We all envied her! She is the same age as me, so we sort of identified with her. I remember at the time, wondering how she could bear to leave home to live with strangers - no fame is worth that. The family was misguided. God help them in their obvious pain now. That manager - comes across as a cold fish. Rest in Peace Lena x
Thanks for uploading this documentary, I've been glued to every second and watched all 6 parts. Her name just came in to my mind a few days ago and I thought I'd check out YT to see if I could find anything with her on it and to my surprise there's loads. I was a bit younger then her, but remember Lena as a child star in the 70's, first on Opportunity Knocks, then she was everywhere. Such a talent and beautiful girl and lady. I did actually have a crush on her growing up. It was so sad when anorexia took hold of her life and you could see it as she aged when she was on TV. I'd think what is happening to her, she's got very thin. Of course back then, not so much was known about the disease as it is today. I wish she had been able to get through it and control those demons within her and we would have had her singing talent to enjoy even today. I reckon she would have been like another Shirley Bassey. After all, she nearly always sang big powerful songs, often used in musicals. I don't know why the manager woman took Lena away from her family and made her live with her. Why she didn't arrange for her parents or one of her parents to stay with Lena in hotels, or even a flat in London, I don't know. That sort of arrangement wouldn't be allowed these days, that's for sure. She could have been smacking Lena, or mentally or physically abusing her, which could have lead to her anorexia. Has that woman ever taken in any other child stars, or was Lena the only one. When Lena was young, her parents clearly didn't even know what shows she was going to be on or anything. Didn't the manager even phone them to say Lena will be on this tonight, or we're going off to film this today and her father seems a great guy too. I would definately want to give him a man hug and buy him a drink if I met him. And her sister must have missed having her around. There were no mobile phones then, which would have let them stay in touch all day like today. Such a tragic loss, RIP Lena.
I feel sad about her , though she made everyone happy in her first years . Thanks to every one who tried to help her , thanks to her family and friends .
i wish lena was still here and still singing.
I remember Lena from "Wonderama" back in the seventies--I used to imitate her around the house to the point that I got nicknamed Lena and still get called that today by my siblings. To be honest I hadn't thought of her since then but my brother came across these videos and sent me the link. When I was eight I thought Lena had the best life ever. Just goes to show ... RIP, Lena, and put another nickel in the nickelodeon ...
I stood on the kitchen table at 10 years old and imitated her singing my heart out the song "Mama his making eyes at me". My audience was my Gran, my Mom and Aunt and a cousin. What a sad documentary relaying her tragic end. So sad.
This was very sad indeed, I remember seeing her as a kid myself, what a terrible waste of a beautiful person.
Lena was such a beautiful and talented young woman. It is very sad that she didn't survive her disease. Thank you for posting this documentary.
thank u 4 posting this, i remember Lena so vividly, from when she won opportunity knocks, but did not know how the poor woman suffered...may she rest in peace with all the love and care she deserves
A terribly sad story of this beautiful yet tortured soul . Her father, sister and cousins are so full of love for her they must still be hurting.
People and doctors and shrinks listened. She used to explain it to me, that it was like being the only one in an aeroplane, and looking out of the window at the grey world outside. Only problem is, that no matter how much you tried to reason, that is all she knew or could comprehend. I feel that she was explaining the ravages of show business, where she just became a performing shell, but inside, she was the loveliest person you could ever meet.
I remember watching her too when I was about 5. Having just watched all 6 parts of the documentary, I never realised just what a great singer she was for her age.
And what a tragic end she had.
A sad story but very informative....thanks for posting.
I remember Lena and again this a very sad ending to a great talent! rest in peace lena.
Minnie G ❤️🙏🏻
OH yes I think the relatives in London should have had full guardianship of Lena, and the manager should have only had part in arranging and setting up her concert dates and interviews, NOT taking her in, that Lady was just horrible.. she clearly did not know anything about children... it's just so sad that this dear soul and beautiful talent had to die this way...
RIP Lena. My whole family was so happy for you when you won oks.....and devastated when you passed away so young.
So very sad rest in peace Lena heaven has gained a beautiful singing 👼 ❤️
Exactly. I think he loves her very very much, but he just wasn't sure what to do, and even today, many parents still go through the same thing, it must be terribly difficult to see both his beloved wife and daughter suffering and be the rock they depend on.. but not being able to do much.. and I'm sure he suffered alot through this. I think her family is very loving especially the aunt/uncle who took her in so much, they are awesome!!
len was an amazing singer so sad she died young thank you lena for your god given gift
I am not qualified to determine whether Lena needed neurosurgery or not, but I simply cannot imagine a physician agreeing to do major surgery on someone who was THAT malnourished. Of course someone that ill was going to develop complications from the surgery. However, I also read a while ago that Lena was threatening suicide if the surgery was not performed, so who knows what the "right" thing to do would have been at that point? All I can really hope is that she has finally found peace.
Dorothy Salomon is to blâme ! Poor girl she took her away from home And used her voice as a wallet ! I think Léna just had enough of her that kind of life And lost her self. Too bad she woke up Too late .PS:sorry for the ortographe i'm french
Have you actually listened to what has been said! It’s more than any of us can imagine, it’s an inbuilt depression and inherited from her mum. Mum suffered, became an alcoholic and committed suicide. Poor Lena couldn’t be helped and no one is to blame.
Lena reminds me so much of Princess Diana in her demeanor.
kkid28 Yes, I can see how you would think that but I believe Lena's fragility and gentleness was real as where Diana's was learned/manufactured. I always got the sense, when listening to Diana speak in interviews, I was being manipulated.
That poor family..all they went through.
I had a record when I was 13 of Lena I use to sing with it all the time. I wish I still had it. I’m sad that she has passed at such a young age.
it seems pretty obvious that she did have anorexia, and it was the long term effects of starving her body that resulted in brain damage (ie brain cells die when you are that starved and you cant get them back), leaving her with the feeling of 'the static'.
Def I agree
I never heard of Lena until recently. She was an amazing singer. I'm glad her music still lives on.
Her agent Dorothy seemed to not care about Lena at all. Dorothy states that Lena never complained at all. What? How could she? Maybe Dorothey didn't let her.
God rest Lena's Soul.
It seems that Lena was a sweet "people pleaser" who didn't like to say no. Or perhaps she really did want to work + work til she dropped but it should not have been that poor child's decision. The allotted carer of a minor should be making better choices for her. Sad. Hi from Oz. 👇💜😔
Honestly listen to yourself. You saw the woman for a few minutes- because she wasn’t weeping and wailing and choking back tears, to you you she doesn’t care! The canker Lena go with her- mum couldn’t as she had mental health problems (later killed her self). The woman was Lena’s agent and Lena was very happy with her (according to a biography) as all she wanted to do was sing an perform. As a child the number of days she could work was limited by law. Lena had inherited mental health problems- no one to blame on the demons in her head. You could question why wait until she was three stone to find treatment
this is such a sad story... i only just found out about her today since we're studying this case in psychology.. im glad i got to find out about her,, it's a shame she's gone though. she's so beautiful and talented!
RIP Lena!!
heart-breaking
This is such a sad, sad story. It seems to me that everyone did try to help Lena but Anorexia is such a complicated illness and I think no-one could really get to the root of it to save her, including Lena herself. I really think, like many child stars, she missed out on having a normal childhood and was too afraid/polite to say she wasn't always happy with her life. Food was the only thing she felt she had control over and in the end it killed her. What a terrible waste. RIP Lena. - Dawn xx
Poor luv such a brilliant talent RIP luv.
Heartbreaking , Rest in peace
Even if she didn't have the operation she would have still died later on down the line due to her illness x
Beautiful Lena RIP. She once came into the shoe store I worked at. Sadly she was very very skinny but so kind and polite, gentle. Her family seem very loving and giving. As for Dorothy..... I hope the money she made took great care of her dogs and horses. Very sad.
That agent very clearly didnt give a damn about lena. Her story breaks my heart. That poor girl. She was such a lovely kind soul destroyed by showbiz. Rest in peace dear Lena. You will never know how how many lives you touched with your gift.
Please listen to what’s being said. Of course she cared. Before she died Lena had asked her if she could make a comeback. Don’t judge someone after seeing her for a few minutes
so so sad..
the heart bleeds-- such a shame for someone who's quite talented
Dorothy helped to kill her,what an evil cold woman.
I agree she exploited Lena.
Google the Wrath of Solomon for information about the crook that was Phil Solomon.
@@willewinky I’ve just read it. They sound ruthless. Who in their right mind would put a healthy little girl on a strict diet. They sowed the seeds of self doubt in Lena’s mind. I’m absolutely convinced that Lena would not have had those problems if they had just let her be herself. Disgusting.
i just came across these postings of lena zavaroni. i remember her ... but she was an adult by the time i heard of her. ty for posting these videos. i thought oh wow & then oh my what & it angered me whoever agreed to the surgery was not right. no brain surgeon needed ... lena needed love & reassurance, the real her not the talent she had but to help her get those yrs away from her family must have been taxing in more ways than one & on tv too.
Sadly, like MJ she lost her childhood. She spent time away from her parents and family and worked until she didn't have her own identity, she was just a talented money making machine... that must be hard to come to terms with has a child. It's tragic not only how her life ended, but what seems so amazing to someone else can be the ruination of that person. Maybe if she'd been introduced to stardom later in life, she would have handled it better. RIP Lena. I hope the 'static' is now a rainbow.
Incredibly sad and very moving.
Such a talented young woman but such a sad life.
Bless her.So so sad.❤️❤️🙏🏻
What a horribly sad story. I remember the news of her death being on TV - it was the first time I had heard of anorexia.
It seems to me the person whose motives and methods should be questioned was Lena's agent, Dorothy Solomon. She seemed to be emotionless about the awful disease Lena had.
I feel so sorry for her father and for her aunt and uncle; they tried so hard to help her.
Heartbreaking.
I think I'm going to cry...
You are absolutely right. I felt that vibe too. She didn't care and that's a shame.
What a moving documentary - I remember Lena Zavaroni from the 70s and she had a fantastic voice. As I watched that I felt so sorry for her - fame isn't always what it's cracked up to be!
heart breaking :(
I remember lens. On the talent show. My neighbours would get me to sing all the songs that lens sang over and over again. And I loved it. I didn't get my chance to sing for the public when I was 16yrs old with a friends band. I had to leave home because of what was happening to me so by the age of 17 is was married and had a baby many years went buy just singing here and there until I started up a country music band in my 30's. I felt so sorry for lens what a waste of a talent, I don't think it would have happened to her if she had lived with her parents. They took away her identity, she didn't need to be moulded into what the agents wanted she was perfect the way she was. But you can be sure she's still singing to the Angels.
thanks for putting this up
i dont think u can put any blame on anyone - not even lena herself... im sure she did not want this for herself, but its just what happened to her in her life
her aunt and uncle were very insightful to what she was going through
RIP
Once again the world of Show Business takes the life of a lovely person.She would probabley be alive today if she had not gone into it.
This is my first time of hearing about Lena as well and she had a beautiful voice, but such a sad way to die.
its usually a life long battle to find peace in loving yourself not as others want you to be but to accept yourself the good the bad & the ugly. love yourselfs & others even if they have talent/gift don't forget the spirit & soul of the person/human being!
I am so out of touch because I don't subscribe to television, I never knew until now that lovely Lena was gone! But how I wish I could have spent time with Lena and talked with her about what Lena calls static!
i was deeply saddened to hear of another young person struggle with anorexia & self image the age 13 is the most crucial for young teens. sad also partents sacrifice children to go & live with strangers! i can't imagine doing that yet lots do send away kids to bording schools & such. r.i.p lena ... you are a beautiful person in & out & sorry that you were so lonely. may the angels & G-d himself comfort you & hold you tight as you so much needed the love that you so missed as a child.
A tragic and sad story of a beautiful talented girl. Her manager/agent just seems like a cold, heartless person who was only interested in how many shows and appearances she could get Lena to do. It was all about the money for her not about the welfare of a young girl who she enticed away from her parents. I`m sure there is more disturbing stuff connected to her, she just comes across as sinister in every way ! Her cousins on the other hand were the polar opposite and gave her sanctuary. RIP Lena, no more hurt x
beautiful song bird Lena.
She would have been one of Britain's Greatest Diva's........RIP Lena
He can’t blame his self they tried everything available to them it was her choice crying out for help to put herself through that operation I hope her life helps others severe depression is impossible to live with not many understand I don’t even think doctors fully understand yet but with videos like this maybe it will help someone else thanks for sharing and at least she had a loving family and her pain is over ❤
Such a sad story.....
I know what she meant. Not as as an adult so much now, but I know what she spoke of.
I never once heard her father saying he regretted letting Zena go away with a strange woman (her agent) at the age of just 10 years old from all her family, friends and school to go and search for fame! She could have waited until she was at least 16 to persue her career and would more likely have been better prepared. I just can't imagine any responsible parent letting a little girl go away like that to mix with who knows who 😞 something really damaged her along the way to make her feel like that. She left home a happy healthy little girl. So sad 😔
Don't forget it was the 70s. Hindsight is 20/20. We know so much more now about the disease than we did then.
I think shes in the best place now, RIP Lena
Every Parent should Watch these Videos, Tragic
Her poor father. To lose his wife and daughter to mental illness. Life is cruel at times.
I remember seeing her performance on Opportunity Knocks,the next day at scholl thats all we talked about. She was a talented singer, it was so sad to see that she was unable to overcome Anorexia,and died so young. She really did pay the price of fame
wonderful series(1-6) this is so sad.
True, I agree with what you say, especially with something like ED's, back then anorexia was barely even heard of..
Lena and her sister look so alike! Sob, I miss her voice =(
Had a Girlfriend who died from it, very frustrating to deal with. She never got enough help, and could never cope with it.
I remember vividly the first time she appeared on Opportunity Knocks. I was a year older than Lena and my father was stationed in England. I grabbed up any news of her I could as the years passed. I could never have imagined the hell she would endure. I also agree, her agent seemed never to be a mother to her. In a sense, both of her "mothers" let her down. Very sad.
Very sad, I think they didn't know much about the Illness in those days. ,I think the medical profession knows much more about the Illness now ,but I'm not sure ,it's very sad that such a lovely little girl had to go through so much pain
Her sister is the spitting image of her ,and it's very sad for all her family ,
megaharriet its sooo right, ive lived it in myself and most part of it its from the parents, she had a lot of pressure and anorexia is not a physical disease, it is mental, everything for small that it is contributes. god bless you lena.
The only comfort is that the eternal rest she now feels has removed all the terrible conflicting turmoil that she suffered and her soul has been freed from her poor ravaged body rest in peace lena no more pain and suffering.
@MissWitchiepoo Do you think that she was told what to say? I would think that a typical child would not choose to give presents away even to charity because its normal for a child to be not mature and want to keep presents for oneself.
You know I cannot help but wonder... Lena kept talking about the static for years, and it seemed that people weren't listening to her. I believe that there was something else wrong that caused the anorexia - and people didn't understand when she tried to tell them. Unbelievably sad.
This is so sad a beautiful looking girl with an amazing talent dont think this was anyones fault just someone said something negative about how she looked and it started her on that journey of negativity and self harm.
Miss Dorothy Solomon.
@jbmatthias You are being very unfair on Lena's mum. Remember she committed suicide and was very troubled in her life. Let's leave it there.
Why was she living on her own in a flat, living close by to her Dad, why was she not living with her Dad, I really think no one gave a crap ( her Dad said that her Husband left her because its so hard living with someone with this condition ?...... what would her Dad know, she didn't live with him to start with) why was she living on state benefits ? what happened to all her cash,( she was used and abused by all) R.I.P Lena.x
l wonder if she was truly happy,
psychosurgery should be banned. How on earth can damaging the brain help people who are in extreme distress?
+Johnny Ecoman She had tried every other treatment, pills, talking, counselling, ECT....nothing worked. She threatened suicide if it was refused. Capsulotomies are absolutely end of the end of the line treatments and are very rarely authorized.
+TomthatiscalledTom The whole, "Treatment," for anorexia has a really bad record. People who are hospitalised are more likely to die than those who are not. What people like Lena need is on going, long term, supportive relastionships where they are given full choice over their food intake. Capsulotomies cause brain damage and should be banned. I do not think they should be offered. There are always other things to be offered. breggin.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=148
A relative of mine has been treated for anorexia and I would never think brain surgery would be an appropriate response for an eating disorder. Lobotomies have a terrible track record and no one denies they were a disaster, leaving 'patients' brain damaged rather than cured. What Lena opted for, in terms of surgical intervention, was something quite different and it was for her severe depression.
I believe a sister of JFK apparently had this (mis) treatment of a lobotomy due to having a learning disability and it made her even more disabled.
Psychosurgery is a very last resort and controversial. Understandably so. But in this instance, I feel it was the hope Lena and her family needed. The alternative, as her father pointed out, appeared futile. I feel deeply for them all.
She burned so brightly, and then the flame burned itself out.
Things couldn't have been worse for her.
A crippling disease ravaging her life, a failed loveless marriage, her mother had killed herself, and her career was over - with no idea about what she would do for the rest of her life.
The ages of 10 - 14 are very crucial for anyone - but she was being paraded around the world in a high money-earning career.
This kind of thing needs to stop.
@MJWarner The parents of Lena obiously loved their daughter like crazy abd would do anything to try and save her from herself but, sadly it didn't work. A very talented voiced silenced by the ugly disease called Anorexia.To Lenas parents , may your pain ease withe passage of time andmay the world learn from Lena's life and death, Bless you all, who tried to intervene and save her from herself.
it is ironic that lena recognized that her eating disorder was directly related to her failure to control her emotions.
she his related to me..
sad she reminds me of Dans Plato