Pia Zadora
Encyclopedia
Pia Zadora is an American
actress and singer
. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
(1964), she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly
, she won a Golden Globe Award
as New Star of the Year.
When her film career failed to take off, she became a singer of popular standards and made several successful albums backed by a symphonic orchestra; as a singer she earned a measure of respect from critics who had previously written her off as an actress.
. Her mother, Saturnina "Nina" (née
Zadorowski), was a theatrical wardrobe
supervisor for Broadway
productions, the Metropolitan Opera
, and the New York City Opera
, and her father, Alphonse Schipani, a violin
ist. She is of Polish maternal and Italian paternal descent. She adapted part of her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Zadora appeared as a child actress with Tallulah Bankhead
in Midgie Purvis. She attended elementary and middle school in Forest Hills, New York, at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, the same parochial school as Ray Romano
and David Caruso
. She played the youngest sister (Bielke) in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof
(1964–1966).
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
, as Girmar, a young Martian
girl (the movie became notorious years later on the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000
). She also sang Hooray for Santy Claus in that movie. Her career made little headway until she met Meshulam Riklis, 30 years her senior, in 1972, while touring with a musical production. The couple married on 18 September 1977 (and divorced 29 March 1995). Not long after her marriage, she made her breakthrough as the Dubonnet
Girl, appearing in print and television commercials for the apéritif
. Her husband was a shareholder in Dubonnet's American distributor.
Zadora starred with Stacy Keach
and Orson Welles
in the 1982 film
Butterfly
, with a plot around father-daughter incest
, and featuring Zadora singing "It’s Wrong For Me To Love You". She won that year's Golden Globe Award
as "Best New Star of the Year", amid charges that her husband had bought the award with a promotional campaign. Zadora's image filled billboards on Sunset Boulevard
. Not all critics were enamored of her performance; however, she was also awarded "Razzies" as "Worst New Star" and "Worst Actress" in the 1982 Golden Raspberry Awards
.
Zadora next starred in the 1982 film
Fake-Out (aka Nevada Heat), a women in prison B-movie
comedy co-starring Telly Savalas
, and in the 1983 film
adaptation of a Harold Robbins
novel, The Lonely Lady
, playing an aspiring screenwriter
who achieves success after surviving sexual assault
. She was awarded another Razzie as Worst Actress of 1983. On the basis of her multiple awards, the Golden Raspberry Awards later named her Worst New Star of the Decade (1980–1989).
In 1985 Zadora starred as the object of an extraterrestrial
's affections in the musical-comedy Voyage of the Rock Aliens
. In addition to showing off her comedic side, the film showcased her musical talents and featured half of the songs from her 1984 album Let's Dance Tonight.
In 1988, she played a beatnik
in John Waters
' Hairspray.
for the song "Rock It Out". Her cover of the Shirley Ellis
hit "The Clapping Song
", reached the U.S. Top 40 in 1983
, and she had a hit duet with Jermaine Jackson
titled "When the Rain Begins to Fall
" in 1984
from the movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens
. A minor hit in the US, the song reached #1 in some European countries. She released Pia & Phil, an album of standards with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
in 1985, and recorded a follow up entitled I Am What I Am shortly after.
In 1988, she worked with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
on an album entitled When the Lights Go Out. The single "Dance Out of My Head" wasn't a hit despite the top producers and club remixes by Shep Pettibone
and Ben Liebrand
. The album was only released in Europe. In 1989 she recorded the album Pia Z
with producer Narada Michael Walden
; it was not a hit. The single "Heartbeat of Love" included club remixes by Robert Civillés and David Cole of C&C Music Factory. A further album of standards entitled Pia Today! was recorded and received a limited promotional release.
Later in 1994, Zadora played a small role in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, in the final act in a comedy sketch as she sang at the Oscars. In this segment, she performed the Steve Allen
-penned "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" during a parody of an Academy Awards musical number.
A compilation, The Platinum Collection, was released around this time and sold via infomercials in the US. It included repackaged versions of Pia & Phil, I Am What I Am, and Pia Today! A further CD of standards Only for Romantics was also recorded, but is very scarce and only promotional copies are available.
. In 2012, she will be performing her show with the Desert Symphony Orchestra at the McCallum Theatre
in Palm Desert, California
.
Zadora has also been performing and making appearances throughout 2011 at benefit galas and fundraisers. She appeared at San Francisco's Rrazz Room's 3rd annual Rrazziversary Gala Celebration and Benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
on March 17 and at the Nevada Children's Center's Great Gatsby Gala on April 3.
mansion Pickfair
in January 1988 from Los Angeles Lakers
owner Jerry Buss
for almost $7 million. They demolished most of the structure (keeping the guest houses), claiming that termites and time had made repairs difficult. The mansion, which was once home of Douglas Fairbanks
and Mary Pickford
(hence the name "Pickfair"), was razed and a new 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) mansion was built on the property. Riklis commissioned a nude oil portrait of Zadora. Visitors were greeted by the portrait.
Zadora remained there until late 2005 or early 2006 when she sold the mansion to Korean businessman Corry Hong for $17,650,000.
Zadora's second husband was writer-director Jonathan Kaufer. They were married from August, 1995 to November 2001, and had one child, Jordan Maxwell Kaufer. Zadora's three children are Kady Zadora, Kristofer Barzie, and Jordan Maxwell. Kady and Kristofer are her children with Meshulam Riklis. Kady was named after Zadora's film character in Butterfly, which later inspired the call letters for station KADY-TV
/Oxnard, California
after Riklis acquired it in 1988.
Zadora has been married to Michael Jeffries, a detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
, since 2005 and currently resides in Las Vegas. Zadora and Jeffries met after Zadora contacted the Las Vegas Police to report a stalking incident.
She is a contributor to both Republican
and Democratic
political candidates.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is a 1964 science fiction film that regularly appears on lists of the worst films ever made. It is regularly featured in the "bottom 100" list on the Internet Movie Database, and was also featured in an episode of the 1986 syndicated series, the Canned Film...
(1964), she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly
Butterfly (1982 film)
Butterfly is a 1982 film directed by Matt Cimber, based on the 1947 novel The Butterfly by James M. Cain. The starring cast includes Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Ed McMahon, and Orson Welles. The original music score was composed by Ennio Morricone...
, she won a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
as New Star of the Year.
When her film career failed to take off, she became a singer of popular standards and made several successful albums backed by a symphonic orchestra; as a singer she earned a measure of respect from critics who had previously written her off as an actress.
Early life
Zadora was born Pia Alfreda Schipani in Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
. Her mother, Saturnina "Nina" (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Zadorowski), was a theatrical wardrobe
Wardrobe
A Wardrobe is a cabinet used for storing clothes.Wardrobe may also refer to:* Wardrobe , a full set of multiple clothing items* Wardrobe , part of royal administration in medieval England...
supervisor for Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions, the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, and the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, and her father, Alphonse Schipani, a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. She is of Polish maternal and Italian paternal descent. She adapted part of her mother's maiden name as her stage name. Zadora appeared as a child actress with Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
in Midgie Purvis. She attended elementary and middle school in Forest Hills, New York, at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, the same parochial school as Ray Romano
Ray Romano
Raymond Albert "Ray" Romano is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, best known for his roles on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and in the Ice Age film series. He recently starred in the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age.-Early life:Romano was born in Queens, New York to Italian...
and David Caruso
David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
. She played the youngest sister (Bielke) in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
(1964–1966).
Film
Zadora's first film was in 1964's1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is a 1964 science fiction film that regularly appears on lists of the worst films ever made. It is regularly featured in the "bottom 100" list on the Internet Movie Database, and was also featured in an episode of the 1986 syndicated series, the Canned Film...
, as Girmar, a young Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
girl (the movie became notorious years later on the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
). She also sang Hooray for Santy Claus in that movie. Her career made little headway until she met Meshulam Riklis, 30 years her senior, in 1972, while touring with a musical production. The couple married on 18 September 1977 (and divorced 29 March 1995). Not long after her marriage, she made her breakthrough as the Dubonnet
Dubonnet
Dubonnet is a sweet, wine-based aperitif. It is a blend of fortified wine, herbs, and spices , with fermentation being stopped by the addition of alcohol....
Girl, appearing in print and television commercials for the apéritif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
. Her husband was a shareholder in Dubonnet's American distributor.
Zadora starred with Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
and Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
in the 1982 film
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Butterfly
Butterfly (1982 film)
Butterfly is a 1982 film directed by Matt Cimber, based on the 1947 novel The Butterfly by James M. Cain. The starring cast includes Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Ed McMahon, and Orson Welles. The original music score was composed by Ennio Morricone...
, with a plot around father-daughter incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, and featuring Zadora singing "It’s Wrong For Me To Love You". She won that year's Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
as "Best New Star of the Year", amid charges that her husband had bought the award with a promotional campaign. Zadora's image filled billboards on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. Not all critics were enamored of her performance; however, she was also awarded "Razzies" as "Worst New Star" and "Worst Actress" in the 1982 Golden Raspberry Awards
1982 Golden Raspberry Awards
The 3rd Golden Raspberry Awards were held on April 11, 1983 at an Oscar night potluck party to recognize the worst the film industry had to offer in 1982...
.
Zadora next starred in the 1982 film
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Fake-Out (aka Nevada Heat), a women in prison B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
comedy co-starring Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
, and in the 1983 film
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
adaptation of a Harold Robbins
Harold Robbins
Harold Robbins was one of the best-selling American authors of all time. During his career, he wrote over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages....
novel, The Lonely Lady
The Lonely Lady
The Lonely Lady is a 1983 American film directed by Peter Sasdy and adapted to screen by Ellen Shepard from the novel written by Harold Robbins. The original music score was composed by Charlie Calello. The cast includes Pia Zadora, Lloyd Bochner, Bibi Besch, Jared Martin, and in an early film...
, playing an aspiring screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who achieves success after surviving sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
. She was awarded another Razzie as Worst Actress of 1983. On the basis of her multiple awards, the Golden Raspberry Awards later named her Worst New Star of the Decade (1980–1989).
In 1985 Zadora starred as the object of an extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
's affections in the musical-comedy Voyage of the Rock Aliens
Voyage of the Rock Aliens
Voyage of the Rock Aliens is a 1984 film directed by James Fargo. It stars Pia Zadora and Craig Sheffer.-Plot:A guitar-shaped spaceship streaks through the skies. Aboard is robot 1359 searching the universe via a Rhemascan monitor for the source of rock and roll music that the ship's crew had heard...
. In addition to showing off her comedic side, the film showcased her musical talents and featured half of the songs from her 1984 album Let's Dance Tonight.
In 1988, she played a beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
in John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
' Hairspray.
Music
She attained success in Europe as a singer, and had several hit singles throughout the world. In 1984, she received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
for the song "Rock It Out". Her cover of the Shirley Ellis
Shirley Ellis
Shirley Ellis is an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" , "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song"...
hit "The Clapping Song
The Clapping Song
"The Clapping Song" is an American song, written by Lincoln Chase, originally arranged by Charles Callello and recorded by Shirley Ellis in 1965. The song was released shortly after Ellis had released "The Name Game"...
", reached the U.S. Top 40 in 1983
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
, and she had a hit duet with Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
titled "When the Rain Begins to Fall
When the Rain Begins to Fall
"When the Rain Begins to Fall" is a 1984 song recorded by singers Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora, and released as a single at the end of 1984. The song was performed in the movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens in which Zadora played a lead role...
" in 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
from the movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens
Voyage of the Rock Aliens
Voyage of the Rock Aliens is a 1984 film directed by James Fargo. It stars Pia Zadora and Craig Sheffer.-Plot:A guitar-shaped spaceship streaks through the skies. Aboard is robot 1359 searching the universe via a Rhemascan monitor for the source of rock and roll music that the ship's crew had heard...
. A minor hit in the US, the song reached #1 in some European countries. She released Pia & Phil, an album of standards with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
in 1985, and recorded a follow up entitled I Am What I Am shortly after.
In 1988, she worked with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
on an album entitled When the Lights Go Out. The single "Dance Out of My Head" wasn't a hit despite the top producers and club remixes by Shep Pettibone
Shep Pettibone
Robert E. Pettibone, Jr. is a record producer, remixer, songwriter and club DJ, one of the most prolific of the 1980s. His earliest work known to the public was for one of New York City's top disco/dance radio stations, WRKS 98.7 "Kiss" FM, and later as remixer/producer for the disco label Salsoul...
and Ben Liebrand
Ben Liebrand
Ben Liebrand is a dance music DJ. He has produced artists such as Forrest and MC Miker G & DJ Sven and remixed tracks by artists such as Salt N Pepa, Sting, TLC, Fun Fun, Tavares, Bill Withers, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Rick Astley, SWV and Phil Collins...
. The album was only released in Europe. In 1989 she recorded the album Pia Z
Pia Z
Pia Z is an album by Pia Zadora, released in 1989 by CBS Records and produced by Narada Michael Walden.-Track listing:# "Heartbeat of Love"# "I Wanna Be Your Woman"# "Keep Me Inside Your Love"#"You Made Me Want You"#"Slam It"# "Eternally"...
with producer Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
; it was not a hit. The single "Heartbeat of Love" included club remixes by Robert Civillés and David Cole of C&C Music Factory. A further album of standards entitled Pia Today! was recorded and received a limited promotional release.
Later in 1994, Zadora played a small role in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, in the final act in a comedy sketch as she sang at the Oscars. In this segment, she performed the Steve Allen
Steve Allen
Steve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
-penned "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" during a parody of an Academy Awards musical number.
A compilation, The Platinum Collection, was released around this time and sold via infomercials in the US. It included repackaged versions of Pia & Phil, I Am What I Am, and Pia Today! A further CD of standards Only for Romantics was also recorded, but is very scarce and only promotional copies are available.
Cabaret show: 2011 and beyond
In 2011, Zadora began a small attempt at a comeback with a cabaret show titled Pia Zadora: Back Again, And Standing Tall. In February, she performed at the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens and the Kaye Auditorium in Boca Raton. She took the show to The Rrazz Room in San Francisco on June 8 where it ran for five performances until June 12. On August 6, Zadora will be performing her show at the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, New YorkNiagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
. In 2012, she will be performing her show with the Desert Symphony Orchestra at the McCallum Theatre
McCallum Theatre
The McCallum Theatre is a 1,127-seat state-of-the-art theatre and concert venue located on the southern edge of the campus of College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California, USA....
in Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
.
Zadora has also been performing and making appearances throughout 2011 at benefit galas and fundraisers. She appeared at San Francisco's Rrazz Room's 3rd annual Rrazziversary Gala Celebration and Benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
on March 17 and at the Nevada Children's Center's Great Gatsby Gala on April 3.
Personal life
Zadora married businessman Meshulam Riklis in 1977, when she was 23 and he 54. Zadora and Riklis bought the Beverly HillsBeverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
mansion Pickfair
Pickfair
Pickfair was a 56 acre estate in the city of Beverly Hills, California designed by architect Wallace Neff for silent film actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Coined "Pickfair" by the press, it was once one of the most celebrated homes in the world...
in January 1988 from Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
owner Jerry Buss
Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...
for almost $7 million. They demolished most of the structure (keeping the guest houses), claiming that termites and time had made repairs difficult. The mansion, which was once home of Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
and Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(hence the name "Pickfair"), was razed and a new 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) mansion was built on the property. Riklis commissioned a nude oil portrait of Zadora. Visitors were greeted by the portrait.
Zadora remained there until late 2005 or early 2006 when she sold the mansion to Korean businessman Corry Hong for $17,650,000.
Zadora's second husband was writer-director Jonathan Kaufer. They were married from August, 1995 to November 2001, and had one child, Jordan Maxwell Kaufer. Zadora's three children are Kady Zadora, Kristofer Barzie, and Jordan Maxwell. Kady and Kristofer are her children with Meshulam Riklis. Kady was named after Zadora's film character in Butterfly, which later inspired the call letters for station KADY-TV
KBEH
KBEH digital channel 24.1 is an Tr3́s affiliate serving the Los Angeles television market. It is licensed to Oxnard, California, and is owned by HERO Broadcasting...
/Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
after Riklis acquired it in 1988.
Zadora has been married to Michael Jeffries, a detective with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current Sheriff of Clark County is Douglas C...
, since 2005 and currently resides in Las Vegas. Zadora and Jeffries met after Zadora contacted the Las Vegas Police to report a stalking incident.
She is a contributor to both Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
political candidates.
Filmography
- Santa Claus Conquers the MartiansSanta Claus Conquers the MartiansSanta Claus Conquers the Martians is a 1964 science fiction film that regularly appears on lists of the worst films ever made. It is regularly featured in the "bottom 100" list on the Internet Movie Database, and was also featured in an episode of the 1986 syndicated series, the Canned Film...
(1964) - ButterflyButterfly (1982 film)Butterfly is a 1982 film directed by Matt Cimber, based on the 1947 novel The Butterfly by James M. Cain. The starring cast includes Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Ed McMahon, and Orson Welles. The original music score was composed by Ennio Morricone...
(1982) - Fake-Out aka Nevada Heat (1982)
- The Lonely LadyThe Lonely LadyThe Lonely Lady is a 1983 American film directed by Peter Sasdy and adapted to screen by Ellen Shepard from the novel written by Harold Robbins. The original music score was composed by Charlie Calello. The cast includes Pia Zadora, Lloyd Bochner, Bibi Besch, Jared Martin, and in an early film...
(1983) - Voyage of the Rock AliensVoyage of the Rock AliensVoyage of the Rock Aliens is a 1984 film directed by James Fargo. It stars Pia Zadora and Craig Sheffer.-Plot:A guitar-shaped spaceship streaks through the skies. Aboard is robot 1359 searching the universe via a Rhemascan monitor for the source of rock and roll music that the ship's crew had heard...
(1984) - Hairspray (1988)
- Troop Beverly HillsTroop Beverly HillsTroop Beverly Hills is a 1989 American comedy film. Produced by Weintraub Entertainment Group and directed by Jeff Kanew, it starred Shelley Long, Craig T...
(1989) - Feel the Motion aka Der Formel Eins Film
- Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
Television
- Pajama Tops (1984)
- Mother Goose Rock 'n' RhymeMother Goose Rock 'n' RhymeMother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is a 1990 musical TV movie that aired on the Disney Channel starring Shelley Duvall as Little Bo Peep and Dan Gilroy as Gordon Goose, the son of Mother Goose along with a star-studded supporting cast of various other actors and...
(1990) (played Little Miss MuffetLittle Miss Muffet"Little Miss Muffet" is a nursery rhyme, one of the most commonly printed in the mid-twentieth century. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20605.-Lyrics:-Alternative Lyrics:...
) - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
(1 episode, 1999; voice only)
Albums
- 1982: Pia
- 1984: Let's Dance Tonight
- 1985: Pia & Phil
- 1986: I Am What I Am
- 1988: When the Lights Go Out
- 1989: Pia ZPia ZPia Z is an album by Pia Zadora, released in 1989 by CBS Records and produced by Narada Michael Walden.-Track listing:# "Heartbeat of Love"# "I Wanna Be Your Woman"# "Keep Me Inside Your Love"#"You Made Me Want You"#"Slam It"# "Eternally"...
- 1989: Pia Today! (Promo only until it was issued as part of The Platinum Collection)
- 1993: Only for Romantics (Promo only)
- 1993: The Platinum Collection (inc. Pia & Phil, I Am What I Am, and Pia Today!)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1978 | "Come Share My Love" | — | — | — |
| 1979 | "Bedtime Stories" | — | 76 | — |
| "Tell Him"A | — | 98 | — | |
| "I Know a Good Thing When I Feel It" | — | 65 | — | |
| 1980 | "Baby It's You" | — | 55 | — |
| 1982 | "I'm in Love Again" | 45 | — | — |
| 1983 | "The Clapping Song" | 36 | — | — |
| 1984 | "When the Rain Begins to Fall When the Rain Begins to Fall "When the Rain Begins to Fall" is a 1984 song recorded by singers Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora, and released as a single at the end of 1984. The song was performed in the movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens in which Zadora played a lead role... " (with Jermaine Jackson Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director... ) |
54 | — | 68 |
| "Follow My Heartbeat"B | — | — | — | |
| "Let's Dance Tonight" | — | — | — | |
| "Little Bit of Heaven" | — | — | — | |
| "Rock It Out" | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | "Come Rain, Come Shine" | — | — | — |
| 1986 | "I Am What I Am" | — | — | — |
| 1988 | "Dance Out of My Head" | — | — | 65 |
| 1989 | "Heartbeat of Love" | — | — | — |
| "If You Were Mine" | — | — | — | |
- AB-side to "Bedtime Stories"
- BB-side to "When the Rain Begins to Fall"
Golden Raspberry Awards
- Won: Worst New Star, Butterfly (1983)
- Won: Worst Actress, Butterfly (1983)
- Won: Worst Actress, The Lonely Lady (1984)
- Won: Worst New Star of the Decade, Butterfly and The Lonely Lady (1990)
- Nominated: Worst Actress of the Decade, Butterfly and The Lonely Lady (1990)
- Nominated: Worst Actress of the Century, Voyage of the Rock Aliens, Butterfly, and The Lonely Lady (2000)