Pia Zadora

Pia Zadora encountered frequent scorn from reviewers during the first half of the 1980s because of lead parts in poorly received films, yet she earned greater acclaim once she concentrated on singing. Having begun as a juvenile performer, she repeatedly drew fire from cinema critics who claimed her screen opportunities stemmed directly from her marriage to wealthy financier Meshulam Riklis, a charge that even prompted scrutiny of her 1982 Golden Globe victory. Although her debut full-length album Pia did not appear until 1982, Zadora had already made her first recorded appearance nearly twenty years before, performing “Hooray for Santa Claus” as a child on the 1964 soundtrack for Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. In 1983 the track “The Clapping Song” from that LP reached number 36 on the Billboard singles chart. A substantial portion of her strongest mature recordings consisted of interpretations of classic big-band and pop standards. After she shared bills with veteran vocalist Frank Sinatra during the early 1980s, his style markedly shaped her subsequent choices of repertoire. The 1985 release Pia & Phil therefore featured her accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. She also worked with Jermaine Jackson in pursuit of a contemporary sound, while R&B production team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis helmed the 1988 album When the Lights Go Out, issued exclusively in the U.K. That project was succeeded in 1989 by Pia Z., the release that reintroduced Zadora to American listeners.