Lolita

b. Ditta Zuza Einzinger, 17 January 1931, St. Poelten, Austria. Lolita Ditta was not expected to enter showbusiness by her civil servant father. She worked as a children’s nurse and then a secretary. Yet her soloing in a local church choir earned her a regular spot on Radio Linz, which prompted Lolita to take her chances as a full-time cabaret singer. Subsequent recordings for Polydor Records made her a star in German-speaking Europe. A grander destiny awaited her in 1960 when ‘Seeman’ (composed by Werner Scharfenberger and Fini Busch) managed the hitherto impossible as the first German-made single by a female artist to reach the US Hot 100 - climbing to number 5. This triumph was dampened slightly when simultaneous covers (translated as ‘Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)’ by lyricist Norman Newell) by Anne Shelton and Petula Clark stole her thunder in the UK chart. Indeed, Lolita was to enjoy no more big hits in English-speaking regions while remaining a top domestic attraction - epitomized when her detailing of a ‘Gateau a la Lolita’ recipe on Danish television was headlined in a national newspaper.