Lola Falana

Lola Falana Bio

Loletha Elayne Falana, known professionally as Lola Falana, is an American singer, dancer, and actress who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. Born on September 11, 1942, in Camden, New Jersey, she built a versatile career across Broadway, film, and television, becoming one of the most celebrated performers of her era. She earned acclaim for her work in both Italy and the United States, became a top Las Vegas headliner, and was widely nicknamed the “Black Venus” during the height of her fame. After a long hiatus caused by health issues, Falana continued to influence audiences as a performer and philanthropist.

Falana is recognized for her film roles in A Man Called Adam (1966) and The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970), and for her lead performance in the Broadway musical Doctor Jazz (1975). She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress, and she won a 1975 Theater World Award. She later dedicated much of her life to faith-based work through The Lambs of God Ministry.

Early Life and Background

Lola Falana was born in Camden, New Jersey, and was the third of six children. Her father, Bennett Falana, was a welder of Afro-Cuban heritage who had left Cuba to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Her mother, Cleo Falana, was a seamstress of African-American background. The family later included two more siblings, and in 1952 they relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Falana spent most of her formative years.

By the age of three, Falana was dancing, and by five she was singing in her church choir. While attending junior high school, she began performing in nightclubs, always escorted by her mother. Her growing passion for music and dance eventually led her to leave Germantown High School in Philadelphia a few months before graduating, against her parents’ wishes, and to move to New York City to pursue a professional career.

Path to Celebrity Stardom

Falana’s first professional dancing opportunity came at age 16, when Dinah Washington invited her to open a nightclub performance in Philadelphia. Washington, often called the Queen of Blues, became an early influence on Falana’s career. Falana continued dancing in chorus lines in Atlantic City, New Jersey, until she was discovered by Sammy Davis Jr., who gave her a featured role in his 1964 Broadway musical Golden Boy.

Following her Broadway success, Falana launched her music career in 1964, releasing her first single, “My Baby,” on Mercury Records in 1965 and later recording for Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label. In 1966, Davis cast her in her first film, A Man Called Adam, alongside Ossie Davis and Cicely Tyson. That same year, she became a major star in Italy, appearing in three Italian films, including the Spaghetti Western Lola Colt, and performing on the Italian television show Sabato sera. During this period, she became known as the “Black Venus” and was mentored closely by Sammy Davis Jr.

Lola Falana Career

Early Career (1961–1969)

Falana launched her professional career in 1961 and quickly built a reputation as a versatile performer. Her early work included club appearances, chorus line dancing in Atlantic City, and her 1964 Broadway debut in Golden Boy. Her 1965 single “My Baby” marked her entry into the recording industry, and her first film, A Man Called Adam, arrived in 1966. By the end of the 1960s, she had also become a familiar face on Italian television and in Italian cinema.

In 1969, Falana ended her close working relationship with Sammy Davis Jr., choosing to establish her own identity as a performer. She told TV Guide that she wanted to be known for more than being “the little dancer with Sammy Davis Jr.,” a decision that set the stage for her American film breakthrough the following year.

Breakthrough (1970–1975)

In 1970, Falana made her American film debut in The Liberation of L.B. Jones, earning a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress. That same year, she posed for Playboy and became the first black woman to model for the Fabergé “Tigress” perfume campaign. In 1972, she joined the cast of The New Bill Cosby Show as the first supporting player hired by Bill Cosby, debuting on September 11, 1972, her 30th birthday.

Throughout the mid-1970s, Falana made guest appearances on popular programs such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Muppet Show, Laugh-In, and The Flip Wilson Show, while also headlining her own television specials. Her 1975 disco single “There’s A Man Out There Somewhere” reached #67 on the Billboard R&B chart. That year, she returned to Broadway as the lead of the musical Doctor Jazz, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and winning the 1975 Theater World Award.

Las Vegas Stardom and Later Work

With encouragement from Sammy Davis Jr., Falana brought her act to Las Vegas and became one of the city’s biggest draws. By the late 1970s, she was widely regarded as the “Queen of Las Vegas,” playing to sold-out crowds at The Sands, The Riviera, and the MGM Grand. The Aladdin eventually offered her $100,000 per week to perform, making her the highest paid female performer in Las Vegas at the time. She also took on the role of Charity Blake on the CBS soap opera Capitol.

Notable Works and Milestones

Falana’s signature works include her Broadway performances in Golden Boy and Doctor Jazz, her films A Man Called Adam and The Liberation of L.B. Jones, and her Las Vegas headlining act. Her career milestones include her Golden Globe nomination in 1970, her 1975 Tony Award nomination and Theater World Award win, and her record-breaking Las Vegas engagement. In 1995, she recorded “Don’t Cry, Mary” with Catholic artist Joseph Lee Hooker, and her last known musical performance took place in 1997 at Wayne Newton’s theater in Branson, Missouri.

Lola Falana Award Nominations

Lola Falana received notable recognition from major industry awards during the 1970s. In 1970, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in The Liberation of L.B. Jones. In 1975, she earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her lead role in the Broadway production of Doctor Jazz.

Lola Falana Awards Won

Lola Falana won the 1975 Theater World Award in recognition of her outstanding Broadway debut performance in the musical Doctor Jazz. The award highlighted her impact as a leading performer on the New York stage during that year.

Lola Falana Family

Lola Falana was born to Bennett Falana, a welder of Afro-Cuban heritage who had served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Cleo Falana, a seamstress. She was the third of six children, and the family relocated from Camden, New Jersey, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1952.

Personal Life

Between 1965 and 1968, Falana had a well-documented affair with her mentor Sammy Davis Jr., a relationship that became public after Davis confessed it to his then-wife May Britt and contributed to their divorce. In 1970, Falana married Feliciano “Butch” Tavares Jr., one of five brothers of the R&B and soul group Tavares; the couple divorced in 1975. Falana resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she lives a quiet life and leads The Lambs of God Ministry, an apostolate she founded to support orphaned children in Sub-Saharan Africa.