Happy 70th Birthday Lola Falana

Loletha Elayne Falana was born on September 11, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. Her father was from Cuba and often sang to Lola in Spanish. Falana left home as a teenager to seek her fortune in entertainment. She often slept in subway stations before finding work. She studied African dance, and her big break came when she appeared opposite Sammy Davis Jr. in "Golden Boy" on Broadway in 1964. She then toured Italy and won fame there in two Italian movies, including her only Euro-western “Black Tigress” (1967). She toured with the Tavares Brothers in the 1970s and married Feliciano "Butch" Tavares in 1971 but they were later divorced in 1979. In 1979 she became the highest-paid entertainer in Las Vegas, thus earning her the title "First Lady of Las Vegas". Lola was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; after a brief period of (1987) remission, her MS returned in 1996. She has recovered sufficiently from her recurrence of multiple sclerosis and was living with her to her parents' home in Philadelphia; she now makes her own home in her beloved Las Vegas. Today we celebrate Lola Falana’s 70^th birthday.