| A former child actress, Zadora became a favorite target for film reviewers who argued that her acting career was the result of being married to multimillionaire Meshulam Riklis. (Her Golden Globe award in 1982 was even investigated.) Although Zadora didn't release her first LP, "Pia," until 1982, her first recording actually appeared nearly two decades earlier. In 1964, a prepubescent Zadora sang "Hooray For Santa Claus" on the soundtrack to "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians." In 1980 Zadora released the country single "Baby It's You" to a rather lukewarm reception, it peaked at 55 on the charts. When she released "I'm In Love Again" in 1982 it peaked at 45 on the pop charts but failed to help her album sell. Disco has always been more of a forgiving audience, perhaps that's what prompted her to court that market? In 1983 she released the 12" single of "The Clapping Song." Definitely not a club smash, it did score her the best chart position to date hitting 36 on the pop charts. Still desperate to get a hit she formed an alliance with Jermaine Jackson for her 1984 release "When The Rain Begins To Fall." Finally she landed the hit she was looking for, but its success was due mostly to Jackson and less to Pia. The 12" single came in three mixes (two of which were import-only) and landed her in the top ten on the club play lists. Much of Zadora's best adult music work involved covering big band and pop standards. After Zadora toured with crooner Frank Sinatra in the early 1980's, it began to heavily influence the material she was performing. For 1985's "Pia & Phil," she was backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1988, R&B hit makers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced her album "When The Lights Go Out," but it was only distributed in the U.K. it was followed by "Pia Z." in 1989. Both were dismal commercial and artistic failures finally forcing Pia to hang up her microphone. A wonderful turn as "the beatnik chick" in John Water's "Hairspray" gave her the best 15 minutes of fame she could have hoped for. But she also gave up acting and has virtually disappeared into the night for the last decade or so. |
