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I am no fan of halls of fame, especially the incredibly biased, incredibly derisive and incredibly dismissive Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I refuse to join in with the “who deserves to be inducted” debate. That said, Connie Francis is one of the best-selling music artists in history, with estimated sales of over 100 million records. In 1960, she became the first woman in history to reach Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her recording of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.”  Yet induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has eluded her. In the Hall’s 42 years of existence, Connie Francis had never even been nominated for induction.

Connie passed away this week at the age of 87. She enjoyed a career filled with international fame. She suffered a number of tragedies, including a harrowing rape in a New York hotel room.

In May 2025, Connie’s 1962 recording of “Pretty Little Baby” went viral based on its use in a TikTok video. Although pleased, Connie asked those close to her what “viral” meant.

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Discovered as a student at Indiana University, Pamela Jean Bryant was selected as “Miss April,” the centerfold for that month’s issue of Playboy in 1978. Like many before and after her, she was able to use her modeling experience (and willingness to appear nude) to embark on a career in acting. Pamela Jean landed small roles in a number of films including Looker, Don’t Answer the Phone, Private Lessons and the notorious H.O.T.S., in which she played one of the four leads. Pamela enjoyed continued success in television, with guest roles on The Incredible Hulk, 240-Robert, The Love Boat, Magnum P.I, The Dukes of Hazzard and many others.

Later, she turned to painting as her career after Hollywood stopped calling.

In December 2010, Pamela suffered a massive asthma attack that proved fatal. She was 51.

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Robert Chesebrough began his career as a chemist refining and clarifying sperm whale oil. With the development of coal oil and when petroleum was discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Robert’s job suddenly became obsolete. Robert packed his bags for Titusville to see if he could use the new material for something else. He spoke with some of the workers in the drilling field and was introduced to a substance known as “rod wax.” The workers explained that “rod wax” was a jelly-like substance that built up on the pumping equipment. The substance was a nuisance for the workers, as it had to be cleaned off regularly, thus slowing down production. Although the workers complained about “rod wax,” the did say that if someone suffered a cut or burn on the job, an liberal application of “rod wax” seemed to lessen the pain and speed up the healing process. Robert was intrigued.

Robert began collecting the unwanted “rod wax” in jars. In June 1872, Robert was awarded patent number US127568A for the process of manufacturing “rod wax,” which he renamed “petroleum jelly.” Robert began selling the product under the name “Vaseline.”

With firm beliefs in his product, Robert founded the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company and began demonstrating his Vaseline all over the East coast. Before a bewildered crowd, Robert would burn his skin with a flame (or sometimes acid) and quickly cover the fresh wound with a layer of Vaseline. Crowds were amazed and Vaseline was selling over 1400 jars per day. Stores that stocked the product couldn’t keep it on the shelves. Robert often gave out free samples of Vaseline, one of the first times the practice was employed to sell and promote a product.

Robert claimed that he ate a spoonful of Vaseline everyday. He contracted a case of pleurisy (an inflammation of the lungs similar to pneumonia) in his 90s and had his nurse cover him from head to toe in Vaseline. He recovered.

Robert passed away in 1933 at the age of 96. He stood by the magical healing properties of Vaseline his entire life.

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