Michael Rockefeller was the youngest child of New York Governor (and eventual Vice-President) Nelson Rockefeller. Michael was a graduate of Harvard University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in history and economics. After a brief stint in the US Army, Michael joined an expedition from Harvard’s Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to study the Dani tribe of western New Guinea. The leader of the exploration was documentary film maker Robert Gardner. Michael served as sound recorder for the film in production. However, Michael and a friend left the group to head south. They sought to explore another tribe, the Asmati. Upon completion of the Dani documentary, Michael Rockefeller returned to southern New Guinea to pursue his studies of the Asmati people.

In November 1961, Michael and anthropologist René Wassing were three miles from shore when their 40-foot canoe capsized. Their native guides swam for help but never returned. Michael and his colleague drifted until Michael could no longer be patient. The pair swam the estimated twelve miles to shore where René was rescued. Michael, however, had disappeared.

Investigation and speculation concluded that Michael was attacked, killed and eaten by a local tribe of Asmati people. Cannibalism was still practiced by the trube in 1961. It is believed this was an act of revenge, as Dutch troops had recently slaughtered some Asmati tribal leaders.

Michael Rockefeller was 23 years old.

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12 year-old Rosemary Yuro began singing as a novelty in her parents’ Italian restaurant. Soon, much to her parents’ opposition, she was getting booked into local clubs in Los Angeles. One night, she caught the eye of talent scout Sonny Knight, who decided to help the young singer on a path to stardom.

First, she changed her name to “Timi,” using a shortened version of her middle name “Timothy.” After more bookings in larger rooms, Timi was signed to Liberty Records, where she recorded the heartfelt ballad “Hurt,” which was a hit for gospel-soul singer Roy Hamilton a few years earlier. Timi’s version shot up the Billboard charts, landing at Number 4 in 1961. Timi was given the nickname “The Little Girl with the Big Voice” and is considered one of the first singers in the “blue-eyed soul” genre.

Timi’s follow-up, “What’s a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You?),” also charted and she was recognized with a Grammy nomination for “Best New Artist” in 1962. She subsequently lost to Peter Nero. Her next single, “The Love of a Boy,” an early composition by Burt Bacharach, reached Number 44. However, she turned down another Bacharach song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” when it was offered. At live performances and on television appearances, Timi surprised audiences. Her deep, smoky vocal style conjured images of a seasoned Black woman or even a man. She received audible gasps when she was revealed as a petite white young lady.

As the 1960s progressed, Timi began to branch out in her musical selections. She released an album of blues and country standards, followed by a collection of soulful reworkings of popular American standards. She toured Europe, where she drew much praise, especially in England. She appeared on many popular British television shows adding to her admiration. She made numerous appearances at the notorious Kray Brothers’ London clubs, as she was a personal favorite of Reggie Kray. Timi continued to tour Europe until 1969, when she left the music business behind in favor of marriage.

Timi mounted a comeback in 1981. She released albums — including a re-recording of her hit “Hurt” — and performed in The Netherlands to moderate success. When her brief and fleeting popularity declined, Timi returned to the United States and released her final album, Timi Yuro Sings Willie Nelson, which was produced by Willie Nelson himself.

In the late 1990s, Timi was diagnosed with throat cancer. She exited the spotlight and passed away in 2004 at the age of 63. Timi was cited as an influence on singers as diverse as Elvis Presley, Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux.

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe invented rock and roll.

“What?” you’re probably saying to yourself. “Wait just a second! Little Richard invented rock and roll!” Or maybe you’re saying “Elvis Presley invented rock and roll!” Or perhaps you know that Chuck Berry invented rock and roll. (Maybe you’re saying nothing and just wishing I would get on with this story already!) All of these responses are fine, but none of those performers invented rock and roll. I’m taking about Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She is the true creator of the musical genre that we now call “rock and roll.” How come you’ve never heard of Sister Rosetta, as she was affectionately called? Well, because she was a woman, she was black and she was a lesbian — so, as expected, she was unfairly crushed by history and misinformation.

Sister Rosetta began playing guitar as a child, accompanying her mother musically and vocally on the gospel tunes she learned in church. She began to experiment and started infusing Delta blues and New Orleans jazz into the traditional spirituals. She introduced a unique distorted sound on  her guitar,. Although a female guitarist was a rarity at the time, Rosetta was favorably received by audiences and began recording in 1938. 1938!!! Her first record, “Rock Me,” was a sly reference to the term “rock & roll,” which was a euphemism among the African-American community for sexual intercourse. She released three more “rock & roll” selections and joined up with the Cotton Club Revue, teaming with Duke Ellington, The Dixie Hummingbirds and, later, the all-white Jordannaires, presenting a mixed-race performance that was unheard of at the time. In her technique, you can hear the obvious influence from which both Jimi Hendrix and Prince drew. Rosetta remained popular for years until the fickle public (just as fickle as today’s public) moved on to the next sound. But, Sister Rosetta’s spirit weaved its way through rock and roll right up to the present. She was acknowledged as a favorite singer of Johnny Cash and Aretha Franklin. The great Chuck Berry once confessed that his entire career was one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe impersonation.

Rosetta passed away in 1973. Her grave remained unmarked for years, just like the acknowledgment of her contribution to the birth of rock and roll.

So now you know.

Portions of this story appeared in a slightly different form on my other blog, It’s Been a Slice.

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The daughter of a US Congressman from Oklahoma, Doralyn Cartwright attended Stephens College in Missouri and later American Academy in New York with her sights set on a career in acting. At 30, she made her film debut in the Western Black Patch, alongside her husband, actor/writer Joe Gordon. Joe was a prolific character actor, playing mostly lunkheaded bad guys. In addition to his acting, he was a writer who provided scripts for dozens of TV series including Bonanza, Cheyenne and Adam-12.

After shortening her name to the more accessible “Lynn,” she was cast in a number of B-movies including the notorious Queen of Outer Space with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Wasp Woman with Susan Cabot. Lynn later found work in small roles in teenage sex romps and risqué comedies. She appeared as a teacher in the film Seniors, an early vehicle for Dennis Quaid and the final film for Alan Reed, the original voice of “Fred Flintstone.” In 1987, she was featured in Seniors director Rod Amateau’s big-screen mess The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, panned as one of the worst movies of all time. Afterwards, she concentrated on her work with a small theatre company in Los Angeles.

In 1992, she took the role of an older “Dottie Hinson” in bookended scenes in Penny Marshall‘s love letter to women’s baseball, A League of Their Own. She was cast because of her startling resemblance to the film’s star Geena Davis. Some people mistook Lynn to actually be Geena Davis in prosthetic makeup.

Lynn was diagnosed with dementia in her later years. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 76, after suffering a fractured hip.

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