inktober52: reflection

The Supremes were a hit-making powerhouse. In 1967, riding high on a succession of twelve Top Ten singles — 10 of which hit Number One — the trio released their first foray into the fledging genre of “psychedelia.” Smack in the middle of the so-called “Summer of Love,” Motown Records issued “Reflections” with an arrangement …

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DCS: virginia cherrill

Virginia Cherrill really didn’t want to be an actress. She even turned down an invitation to join the elite Ziegfeld Follies — an offer that came for Florenz Ziegfeld himself. But, Virginia’s friend Sue Carol, an actress-turned-agent was very persuasive. Virginia was cast as an extra in Howard Hawkes 1928 film The Air Circus, the …

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DCS: ruth brown

Rebellious Ruth Weston ran away from home at 17, opting to sing in nightclubs rather than church. She married trumpeter Jimmie Brown along the way. Blanche Calloway, sister of noted band leader Cab Calloway, arranged for Ruth to sing at a Washington DC nightclub. Popular radio DJ Willis Conover saw her act and recommended her …

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