biography

Donna Loren Born Donna Zukor on March 7, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, pretty Donna Loren started her music career while still a child. At the age of 8, Loren sang a jingle for an ice cream commercial. Soon afterward, she began making TV appearances on such shows as Playhouse 90 and The Mickey Mouse Club. She was also a regular performer on a country and western radio show. Although Loren began making recordings in the mid-1950s, she would have to wait until 1963 to find fame as a singer, when she was signed as the "Dr. Pepper Girl." Loren did radio spots and appeared in TV commercials and print ads for the soft drink company until 1968. Capitol Records signed Donna Loren to a recording contract in 1964, a deal which resulted in several singles and the release of Loren's Beach Blanket Bingo album. Loren later recorded for other labels, including Warner Bros. While her career was going very well, in 1968 Loren married and started a family, and in the process she walked away from performing.

Donna Loren

The success of Donna Loren's singing career led her to make several films and numerous television appearances. She appeared in four beach party films (Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pajama Party (1964), and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), as well as another American International release, Sergeant Deadhead (1965). In fact, Loren was one of the very few actual teenagers in AIP's beach party flicks. Much of Donna Loren's TV work was on the ABC network, where she appeared on such popular shows as Shindig, Batman, and The Milton Berle Show both as a singer and actress.


the films of donna loren

Muscle Beach Party (1964)

Donna Loren and Dick Dale

Donna Loren and Dick Dale in a still from Muscle Beach Party (thanks to Alan Gordon)

Bikini Beach (1964)

Donna Loren

Promotional still from AIP's Bikini Beach

Pajama Party (1964)

Donna LorenDonna Loren and Annette FunicelloDonna Loren, Jody McCrea, Harvey Lembeck, and Candy Johnson

From AIP's fourth beach party entry Pajama Party. LEFT: Loren sings That's the Way It's Done Among the Young as Candy Johnson frugs. CENTER: With Annette Funicello. RIGHT: Promotional photo with Jody McCrea, Harvey Lembeck, and Candy Johnson

Shindig! (1964-1966 ABC TV Series)

Donna LorenJimmy O'Neill and Donna Loren

LEFT: Loren was a series regular on ABC's Shindig!. RIGHT: With Shindig! host Jimmy O'Neill

Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Donna LorenDonna Loren

Donna Loren sings It Only Hurts When I Cry in these stills from AIP's Beach Blanket Bingo

Batman (1966-1968 ABC TV Series)

Donna LorenDonna Loren and Burt Ward

LEFT: Donna Loren as Suzie in a March 1966 episode of ABC-TV's Batman. RIGHT: With Burt Ward

The Milton Berle Show (1966-1967 ABC TV Series)

Milton Berle and Donna LorenDonna Loren

LEFT: With Milton Berle in The Milton Berle Show. RIGHT: Publicity still

donna loren today

After Loren's first marriage ended, in the 1980s she attempted to revive her music career, but this time she returned to her country music roots rather than pop. However, Loren eventually abandoned her singing in favor of fashion design at which she has become very successful. Check out the links section below to find out more about Loren's designs.

filmography

FILM
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) with Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, Annette Funicello, and Jody McCrea, and John Ashley
Sergeant Deadhead (1965) with Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, John Ashley, Eve Arden, Cesar Romero, Harvey Lembeck, Buster Keaton, and Pat Buttram
Pajama Party (1964) with Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Buster Keaton, Jesse White, Elsa Lanchester, and Dorothy Lamour
Bikini Beach (1964) with Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Martha Hyer, John Ashley, Keenan Wynn, and Don Rickles
Muscle Beach Party (1964) with Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Jody McCrea, Peter Lupus, John Ashley, Luciana Paluzzi, Peter Lorre, and Don Rickles

TELEVISION SERIES
The Milton Berle Show, 1966-1967, series regular
Shindig, 1964-1966, series regular
Dr. Kildare, 1961-1966 NBC TV series. Loren was a semi-regular during the final season

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., episode Love and Goulash, originally aired March 29, 1968
The Danny Thomas Hour, episode Two for Penny, originally aired March 11, 1968
The Mothers-in-Law, episode Herb's Little Helper, originally aired February 11, 1968
The Monkees, episode Everywhere A Shiek, Shiek, originally aired September 25, 1967
Batman, episode The Joker Goes to School, originally aired March 2, 1966
Batman, episode He Meets his Match, The Grisly Ghoul, originally aired March 3, 1966
Hollywood Squares
Dr. Pepper commercials, aired 1964-1968

donna loren links

The Official Donna Loren Website
This site highlights Donna Loren's performing career and offers many photos, old and new, of Loren. A great site, and a must-see for Donna Loren fans!

donna loren television appearances

Watch Donna Loren sing Shakin' All Over (1965)
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This page premiered August 15, 1999.
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