You'll ride my rainbow in the sky

Monday, and my mind turns again to tacky music. So here, for your delectation, is none other than the lovely Pia Zadora!

Pia Zadora - Dance Out of My Head

Pia was a child actress and half-arsed singer when, at the age of 17 she married 49-year-old billionaire Meshulam Riklis, who launched her as the "face" of Dubonnet (one of his companies). She continued to be supported by him in film and TV roles (including a cameo in John Waters' original Hairspray), had minimal success in the music biz, duetting with Jermaine Jackson on When the Rain Begins to Fall in 1983, and became most noted for archetypal 80s chugging dance numbers.

Less tacky, however, was her eventual move into singing showbiz standards, even recording an album with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We have a copy of one of those albums I Am What I Am, and actually despite her name being synonymous with kitsch, it isn't bad at all...