Archive of posts filed under the celebrity category.
inktober52: direction
DCS: jeanne carmen
Teen-age Jeanne Carmen left rural Arkansas for New York City with dreams of becoming a star. She worked as a burlesque dancer and posed for pin-up pictures in the 1950s. She was also an expert trick-shot golfer. Jeanne and her manager would tour country clubs and hustle unsuspecting members, betting on whether or not this …
inktober52: spot
DCS: betty wright
Betty Wright started singing as a child. She performed with her family gospel vocal group, Echoes of Joy, before switching to rhythm & blues. She was spotted by a Miami record label owner who signed 12 year-old Betty to a contract. She released a few songs that gained local recognition. In 1972, Betty released her …
DCS: slim galliard
Slim Galliard’s early life is sketchy, as he offered different origin stories to different people. He did, however, serve in World War II as a bomber pilot, briefly interrupting his successful music career. He insisted that he worked as a hat maker in Greece and a hearse driver turned rum-runner in Detroit, but these are …
inktober52: tiger
DCS: pearl bailey
Oh boy! Did I love Pearl Bailey! She was a terrific singer and actress with a delightful personality. Pearl was deservedly honored with a number of awards during her lifetime, including a special Tony Award, a Daytime Emmy, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1976 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which she …
DCS: peter tosh
Abandoned by his parents and shuffled around from family member to family member, Winston McIntosh never lost his sense of determination. Living in the Trenchtown section of Kingston, Jamaica, teenage Winston was fascinated by a street musician. He watched the man play his guitar for endless hours every day. Winston concentrated on the man’s intricate …