Rita Pavone was born in Turin, Italy on August 23, 1945.
In 1962 she participated in, and won, the first Festival degli Sconosciuti
("Festival of the Unknown"), a song competition for amateur artists.
Her self-titled 1963 album, led by the hit single "La partita di
pallone" ("The Soccer Game") made her a national star at 17, and
international attention soon followed. "La partita di pallone" sold
over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Her recording of Cuore
("Heart") also sold a million copies in 1963 and spent nine weeks at
number one in Italy.
Pavone made her first appearance on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’
on May 17, 1964, and she became a frequent musical guest there until 1970. In
the summer of 1964, she had chart success in North America with a single
"Remember Me", sung in English, backed with "Just Once
More". The song reached number 26 in the United States and number 16 in
Canada. In the United States, she sang alongside Diana Ross and The Supremes,
Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Jones, Duke Ellington, and Paul Anka. She also sang at
Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Rita Pavone starred in six movies during the 1960s: “Clementine
Cherie” (1963), “Rita the American Girl” (1965), “Rita La Zanzara” (1966), “Non
Stuzzicate la Zanzara” (1967), “Little Rita nel West” (1968), and “La
Feldmarescialla” (1968). Although her movie career targeted a teen audience and
lacked great artistic value, today her films have found a cult niche.
Pavone and her husband Teddy Reno now live in Ticino,
Switzerland. Their elder son Alessandro is a radio-show host, and their younger
son Giorgio is a rock singer.
PAVONE, Rita (aka Little Rita) [8/23/1945, Turin,
Piedmont, Italy - ] – songwriter,
singer, actress, married to actor, songwriter, singer Teddy Reno (Ferruccio
Merk-Ricordi) [1926- ] (1968- ) mother of Alessandro Merk-Ricordi
[1969- ], Giorgio Merk-Ricordi.
Litte Rita of the West – 1967 [sings: “Little Rita”, “Na
che te ne fa”, “Tu sei come”, “Per
un colpo di
pistole”, “Un sceriffo che si rispetti”, “Rita sei tutti noi” (co),
“Piruliruli”
(co)
Once Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West – 1973 [sings: “?”
as Little Rita]
