14 year-old Hugh Masekela was inspired to pick up a trumpet after seeing Kirk Douglas in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn. He sought out someone to teach him to play with the help and guidance of his friend, Johannesburg Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Soon, Hugh was writing music that was reflective of his …
ZZ Top is one of the few bands in rock & roll history to feature the same personnel lineup for its 52 years of existence. Founded in 1969 by Frank Beard, Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top, the “Little Ol’ Band from Texas” as they are affectionately known, enjoyed a lengthy career, filled with …
Cass Daley was a born entertainer. She sang on street corners as a child. Later, while working as a hat-check girl in a local club, Cass was given the opportunity to sing between shifts. She performed in vaudeville in the 1930s, eventually taking a featured role in the Ziegfeld Follies as a singer and comedienne. …
The son of two Hollywood show business personalities — father Robert Sr, who produced films for Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and mother Templeton Fox, a singer and actress — Bob Welch had performing in his blood. Bob took up the clarinet as a youngster, switching to the guitar in his teens. He expressed and …
Dakota Skye — the former Lauren Scott — was veteran of more than 300 pornographic films by the time she was 25. In 2015, she was nominated for Adult Video News’ (the porn industry’s version of “The Oscars”) Best New Starlet award. She was honored with several other titles — prestigious within the porn industry …
A descendant of Hewahewa, the high priest of King Kamehameha I and his successor Kamehameha II, Eddie Aikau took up surfing at a young age. He dropped out of high school and took a job at the Dole pineapple cannery in O’ahu. With his first paycheck, he bought his own surfboard. At 22, he was …
Philadelphia-born Jim Bailey honed his singing voice at the city’s Conservatory of Music. As a teen, he appeared regularly on The Horn and Hardart Children’s Hour, a variety show broadcast in Philadelphia and New York showcasing child performers. The show was a springboard for such future talents as Frankie Avalon, Rose Marie, Bernadette Peters, Rosemary …
Tallulah Bankhead often broke ranks with her staunch Southern political family. Her liberal views and advocacy for civil liberties cause grief for her US Senator grandfather and Congressman father. But, Tallulah often marched to the beat of her own drummer. She was a successful stage actress, known for her husky voice, unusual good looks and …
Stephen Donaldson was a troubled kid. He had regular run-ins with police, mostly due to his confrontational behavior. He was an outspoken advocate for bisexual rights in a time where homosexuality was classified as a crime. He campaigned and wrote about homosexuals being unjustly, inhumanely and savagely discriminated against by large segments of American society. …
Elise Cowen was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. A quiet girl, she found personal solace in writing poetry, using the works of Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and Dylan Thomas as inspiration. While working as an office typist, Elise was introduced to beat poet Allen Ginsburg. The two began a …
