| Pia Zadora on Larry King Live She’s been called the little girl with the big voice. It was Sinatra himself who encouraged her to sing the great American standards. Ol’ Blue Eyes was right. Pia Zadora has won over fans and critics alight with her unique song stylings. Her latest album is Pia – The Platinum Collection : beautifully packaged, two-and-a-half hours of the all-time greatest American classics. Pia Zadora joins us here in Washington. This is a triple threat : this is a video, CD’s and cassettes, right? Yeah This is like a multi-production. It’s an infomercial. Infomercial is kind of like a mini-special. They’ve put together… You mean, you bought half hours of time all over? No, no. This is a new concept that record companies use to promote their artists that they feel are what they call ‘visual artists’. So it’s kind of like a mini- special. You learn a little bit about the artist in the infomercial, you see a little bit of their performance footage and then you hear somebody saying 800-2236900, or whatever it is, so… And they came to you with this idea? The record company decided they wanted to promote this 3-album set in this way, as an infomercial. And I said ,”Terrific,” and David Sams produced it and… So you see a half-hour show about Pia? It’s like, you know, when people talk about make-up at eleven o’ clock, or when they talk about anxiety attacks. You know, infomercials are in, they’re really cool. I’ve been ordering stuff all over the place. But how about the traditional where we see the two minute bit, or the minute and a half, the 800 number… I think that’s a short or a commercial. An infomercial, info, I-N-F-O, is informàtion. So it’s kink of a long thing, it’s a half hour thing. Also, it looks expensively put together. How big was this orchestra? Oh…Well, it’s footage. It’s performance footage. It was shot during my performances over… So it didn’t cost a lot to put together the tape. No, it’s like a home video. Is the album old performance or specially performed? The album is a compilation of three albums : the Pia & Phil, the Reflections-album and the I Am What I Am. So it’s like 3 in 1, 39 songs all together. That’s about as large as albums get, Pia, right? It’s two-and-a-half hours of music! Was it Frank who suggested ‘sing the pretty songs, sing the great songs’? Frank told me to do the standards. I was doing Top 40 and Frank said “You need to sing the standards.” And this was like fifteen years ago, when I was…nine (laughs), when I was his opening act and… Before you toured with him and Rickles? When I toured with him and Rickles, that was already ten years after and I had done all the films and been a naughty girl for a while. Then I went back to basics. But Frank said “You need to sing these songs, because people want to hear these songs, ‘cause they’re my people and because they’d be good for you, I have an idea they’d be good for you.” And he was right! It just took me another ten years to get back to them. But I enjoy singing them, I love singing them. They’re story-songs, they’re wonderful, they’re emotional, they’re dramatic. And now that I’m a mother I understand them. Now that I’ve been a little…that I’ve Iìved a little, I can relate to them and I really enjoy singing them! It’s a difficult spot : the female singer in this…’group’. You’re not doing rock, you’re not Whitney Houston. Yeah, it’s a very limited market. So you have to find it? You have to find it, you have to create it, you have to do a lot of live performing and you have to…just, be there when you need to be there. You also take out shows, don’t you? Broadway shows! I just did a show, called Too Short To Be a Rockette in San Diego and Florida and eventually to Broadway. So, I do Broadway and this also. Now, you don’t have to work, we all know that. You have two wonderful, little kids. Why do you do this? I love to work. I don’t work a lot-lot. I’m a lot with the kids. But it keeps me alive, it keeps me feeling good about myself, it keeps me productive. I can’t cook, you know. I have trouble finding the kitchen. How old are you now? Don’t ask. You’re someone who’s perpetually 31. Well, I’m 37. But you’ll alwaus look 31. You age well, because you don’t age. I hope you’re psychic. Now, Pia’s got a daughter. There was this benefit for Tommy Lasorda’s late son who past away last year. I was honoured to be te MC and Pia Zadora was on the bill. It was a wondeful night at Merv Griffin’s Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Pia was supposed to be the singing star, Pia had a laryngitis, so Pia sang one little song but put on her daughter. This kid is Shirley Temple! She’s an amazing kid. How old is she? She’s 8…going on 40. She’s a trooper! She never studied, she just loves it. She’s a natural. She dances, she sings. She’s like Bobby Barron. I love her. Hey, nobody wants to see mothers talking about their kids. But she’s cool, she’s a cool kid. I love her wether she sings or not. She does sing good, probably better than me. Did you sing at that age? I started when I was five. Not because I wanted to. Because I was shy and the nuns thought that… Are you gonna push this kid, like, to be… No,no,no. I want her to be a kid. She’s gonna be a kid. She can sing with me, that’s it. No competition. People have asked her. She will never audition. I’m never gonna put her in a schedule. She was offered some TV stuff. No way! I mean, why would I want? I don’t need the money. I want her to be a kid. I want her to enjoy her life. I wanna live vicariously. I wanna have the childhood I never had through her. We go to toystores, we go to parks, we go to playgrounds. We’re kids and we love it! Doesn’t she want to? Suppose she’d say “Ma, they offered me a movie.” What would you say? She was very upset the night of Tommy Lasorda’s benefit, because she wanted to do 2 songs, and Gary wanted her to do 1, so she said, “I’m not gonna do any. I do 2 or nothing!” So Gary had to give her this big speech. She’s a spunky little kid. The little boy, not showbizz? Well, he’s our guy. He’s our straight man. He just hangs around and gives us advice. Let’s get some calls for Pia Zadora. (Caller 1)You got a lot of great, positive press and a few bits of bad press and throughout, you’ve maintained exceptional poison dignity. You’re talented and beautiful! We love you! How do handle that bad press? Thank you! Thank you so much for the compliment. You know what it is? It’s like, you have to be you, you have to be happy with yourself. And if you’re happy with yourself, you understand what is real, what comes from jealouy, what comes from just someone’s opinion. Somebody may not like you, they may not like that you are married to a wealthy man… But how about when you’re maligne kidded? The Pia Zadora-jokes! Unfair, because you can sing. I was to stupid to understand it. I don’t understand why I never crumbled under that. I just hung in there and now I’m realizing how bad it was. I was in shock, I must have been mesmoric or something. I just didn’t understand (Caller 2)I wanted to tell Pia that I saw her sho at Great Woods, with Frank Sinatra, a few years back. And it was wonderfull. And I was wondering how you keep your gorgeous figure after having two children? I excercise every day for at least an hour-and-a-half. It’s a passion! It’s like brushing my teeth. It’s a de-stresser. Is it the Don Rickles 60-minute work-out? Yeah, you take a glass of Jack Daniels, turn on the TV and…(laughs)No, it’s an important thing. It makes you feel real good and healthy. Do you watch everything you eat too? I drink a lot of water and watch my diet. What’s the house like? Did you build a new house? Yeah. What kind of house is it? It’s cool. It’s Pickfair. Oh, you bought that house. Wow! How many rooms? Oh God, I didn’t count. There are like 4 bedrooms and some other rooms. Do you ever lose the kids? We haven’t moved in yet. When do you move in? In a couple of months. (Caller 3)Hi Pia! I saw you in Atlantic City a few years ago and I’ve always wondered what you have to do to keep your voice so strong and yet so clear? Well, I have good lungs. I’m Catholic and I was baptised in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and when I was baptised, there was some boyscout convention going on. My mother told me this, I don’t know for sure. I was yelling so loud they had to stop the whole thing and the head of the convention came in and said, “This kid is gonna be an opera singer.” I did study opera as a kid. And I think it’s my theatrical training. When I was on Broadway, 15-20 years ago, we didn’t have microphones, we had to project to the back of the house and that was a technique that we learned. And still use. You’re not a soprano though? Yeah, soprano too. But I don’t use that a lot. But your voice would be called what? Altosoprano? Mmm..yeah, alto-soprano. But I’m known as a beltor. I don’t use the soprano unless I’m doin’a show. Are you gonna go back to doing any movies? Not for a while. I love this, this is good for me. Singing and doing what I’m doing. I love Broad- way, I love live performing. I’m not crazy to do a movie, no. Would you commit to a Broadway show? Yeah! In a minute! You would? And take the kids to New York? Yes! In fact, I’m planning on it. If all goes well. I’ve got a couple of things that I’m talking about. Pia comes to Broadway! I hope so! You know of course that the critics will be waiting. I know. And I can’t wait. And I’m gonna be good! Frank Rich will lurk in the wing. Listen, I did Funny Girl in LA and Sylvie Drake gave me a wonderfull review and she’s like the Frank Rich of LA. And that’s a tough role, to play Fanny in Funny Girl. You know, I’m confident! One thing you are. You’re confident in yourself. You never doubted your own ability. That’s right. (Caller 4)I have a question for Pia Zadora. I recently read that she’s in the process of renovating her new home and has ordered a crystal door at $457.000 .How do you justify that kind of expence when there is so much poverty and homelessness and hunger around? That’s a good question! I have nothing to do with the house. It’s my husbands creation. He built it actually for me. And I just went to see it a couple of weeks ago for the first time. You know, it’s his money and he does give a lot to a lot of charities and he takes care of a lot of people. And I guess if he earned it and he wants to have a crystal door, well, who’s to tell him not to. Did you ask for a $457.000 … I didn’t ask for a crystal door! No, I would’ve rather had a ring. In fact, I’m a little upset about that (laughs). He built the house for you? He built the house for me. Well, for us, but for me as something that I would always have, something that’s important. Did he want you to design it? No, it’s not my style. My style is very modern and clean. This is something he felt that I would grow into. You know, it’s very regal and you have to have a cloak and dagger when you walk in the door. It’s Pickfair! Thanks Pia. Always great seeing you. |
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