Biography
Born Esther Zaied on 13 June 1941 in Zafed, Israel, Esther Ofarim joined forces with Avraham Reichstadt, who entered the world on 5 October 1937 in the same town and passed away in Munich on 4 May 2018. The married couple first captured widespread attention across Israel in the first half of the 1960s. Esther, aiming squarely at audiences beyond her native region, stood in for Switzerland at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest; simultaneously the pair broadened their reach throughout Europe by staging live shows and cutting records in multiple languages. Their initial German success arrived in 1966 via the single ‘Noch Einen Tanz’, followed the next year by a stronger showing with their interpretation of the Bee Gees composition ‘Morning Of My Life’. A guest spot on the popular British programme The Eamonn Andrews Show, where Esther and Abi performed a playful romantic duet, sparked immediate demand that propelled the track to instant hit status. Written by Mason Williams, ‘Cinderella Rockefella’ held the UK number-one position for three weeks in the opening months of 1968, and the act defied expectations of being mere one-hit wonders by landing another Top 20 entry with ‘One More Dance’. Once the couple’s marriage ended, their professional alliance dissolved as well. In the ensuing years Esther Ofarim continued a restrained path as a solo performer.
Singles
