02/11/2024
Loletha Elayne Falana, known professionally as Lola Falana, was born on September 11, 1942, in Camden, New Jersey, to parents of African-American and Afro-Cuban descent. She began performing at the age of five and later moved to Philadelphia, where she honed her skills in jazz, ballet, tap, and modern dance while also gaining valuable experience in nightclubs. Notably, she caught the eye of Sammy Davis Jr. while dancing in Atlantic City, leading to her role as the lead dancer in his 1964 Broadway musical, “Golden Boy.”
During the mid-1960s, Falana garnered widespread acclaim, releasing the hit single “My Baby” in 1965 and starring alongside Ossie Davis and Cicely Tyson in the 1966 film “A Man Called Adam.” Her international celebrity status was solidified through her work in Italian films, including her debut in the 1967 spaghetti western “Lola C**t: Face to Face With The Devil,” which propelled her to be dubbed “Black Venus” by the Italians.
In 1987, Lola Falana was afflicted by multiple sclerosis, resulting in paralysis on her left side, partial blindness, and temporary impairment of her voice and hearing. Consequently, she was compelled to cancel all scheduled Las Vegas concerts and embarked on a year-and-a-half-long journey of recovery. It was during this period that she underwent a spiritual transformation, embracing Roman Catholicism, as she attributed her restoration to faith and prayer.
Upon her full recovery, Falana made a determined return to the Las Vegas concert scene. However, in the early 1990s, she ultimately relinquished her celebrated lifestyle to wholeheartedly commit herself to the Catholic ministry.
