Born on this day: happy 69th birthday to actress, singer, sex kitten, queen of terrible, terrible mo

Born on this day: happy 69th birthday to actress, singer, sex kitten, queen of terrible, terrible movies (like Santa Claus Conquers the MartiansandVoyage of the Rock Aliens)and beloved kitsch icon turned credible and resilient jazz chanteuse Pia Zadora (née Pia Alfreda Schipani 4 May 1953)! For John Waters aficionados, Zadora will always be “Beatnik Girl” in Hairspray(1988): “I play my bongos, listen to Odetta, and then I iron my hair. Dig?” Every time I attend the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender I endeavor to make a religious pilgrimage to see Pia’s one-woman cabaret revue in an Italian restaurant called Piero’s, where she sings jazz standards in front of a giant Warhol portrait of herself. In April 2019, my friend Kevin and I even got to hang out with her, and she was an adorable, down to earth blast! Pictured: Zadora and Andy Warhol circa 1980.