Lena Zavaroni, who shot to fame aged nine after winning Opportunity Knocks, died aged just 35 after battling anorexia and undergoing brain surgery. The singer, who became a national treasure in the 1970s, developed pneumonia following the procedure and passed away.
Rise to stardom
Lena rocketed to stardom during the 1970s after triumphing on Opportunity Knocks, Britain's premier talent competition at the time. Her abilities were discovered by a music producer holidaying on the Isle of Bute, off Scotland's coast, where Lena lived with her family.
Upon hearing her extraordinary voice, showbusiness agent Philip Solomon was flown to the remote island to present Lena with a management deal, which her devoted father Victor initially declined. Speaking in a BBC documentary, he recalled: "I asked him 'Do you mind if I get a lawyer?'. 'No, No, No, he said. This doesn't need a lawyer."
Following Solomon's angry departure, Victor consulted a relative, who suggested the agent could propel Lena to stardom, prompting her father to change his mind and sign the agreement.
Global fame and early signs of illness
Lena was whisked away to London to pursue fame, and after delivering a show-stopping rendition of Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me, she claimed victory and won the nation's hearts in her pinafore dress, white knee socks and hair ribbons. She soon toured the United States, rubbing shoulders with superstars like Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli, and even made an appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
The gifted vocalist found herself touring globally, from Japan to Europe, spending significant amounts of time away from her parents and family. When not on tour, Lena lived with her managers Philip and Dorothy Solomon in London.
However, during a rare visit home, Victor quickly noticed that something was amiss with his daughter. He told the BBC: "She came home when she was coming up to Scotland for a couple of weeks and I noticed she was very, very, thin. I took her to the doctor's and he says to me 'Your daughter's got anorexia nervosa'. I never heard the word anorexia for sure. It wasn't a known thing. It wasn't a known illness."
Battle with anorexia and final years
The doctor advised the family they needed to be with their daughter, leading the entire Zavaroni clan to move south of the border to be closer to the young star. However, the illness had already taken a firm hold on Lena. Victor said: "She was losing more weight and I was trying to make her eat night after night after night, but it was seemingly getting worse. I went everywhere for help, specialists, psychiatrists, hypnotherapists, psychoanalysts, it was all trial and error and it just wasn't working - even with the doctors she was seeing."
Before long, Lena had become so unwell she was forced to stop performing altogether. She managed one last public performance after travelling back to her hometown of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute for a special Songs of Praise appearance. During the show, she said: "There is always hope at any time of life, and I think you've just got to think that, whether you feel it or not."
Then, in 1999, Lena made a devastating choice in her quest for recovery and to return to her greatest passion - singing. She chose to undergo brain surgery in the hope it would deliver the cure that had remained frustratingly out of reach. Victor said: "I honestly think when I went to see her, she was starting to eat, I honestly do, but I'll never know."
Heartbreakingly, Lena developed pneumonia following the procedure and passed away aged just 35. Reflecting on her extraordinary voice and her achievements at such a tender age, Victor said: "She was in a world of her own singing, there's a lot of feeling in that."
