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 hired by the municipality of Honolulu as a lifeguard, the first for the city. He was assigned a large swath of beach at Waimea Bay, on the North shore of O’ahu. Under Eddie’s watch, not a single life was lost. In addition, he saved over 500 errant swimmers. In 1971, he was named Lifeguard of the Year.

Practicing his surfing during any available spare time, Eddie entered and won the top prize at the 1977 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship. In 1978, just after his win, Eddie joined up with the Polynesian Voyaging Society for an educational expedition following route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaiian and Tahitian islands. When the journey began, the traditional double-hulled canoe sprung a leak, eventually capsizing twelve miles off the southern coast of the island of Molokaʻi. The always brave and resourceful Eddie mounted his trusty surfboard and began to paddle in the direction of the island of Lana’i. Sometime later, the drifting crew was rescued by the US Coast Guard. Eddie’s life jacket was recovered and it was surmised he had removed it to accelerate his paddling. Despite the largest air-sea search in Hawaiian history, Eddie was never found. He was 31 years old.

Surfing supply company Quicksilver began sponsoring the annual “Eddie” surfing competition in honor of Eddie Aikau. While officials were deciding whether to proceed with the contest, with the threat of large waves and rough waters, surfer Mark Foo defiantly asserted: “Eddie would go.” Soon, bumper stickers began popping up throughout the Hawaiian Islands proclaiming: “Eddie Would Go” — an all-purpose slogan commemorating Eddie Aikau’s bravery.

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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 Clooney and many others.

In the late 1960s, Jim began doing imitations various female singers (like Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Peggy Lee) and developing a nightclub act. His performances in Las Vegas and New York brought rave reviews. He soon met comedian Phyllis Diller, who coaxed him to adding her personality to his act. Jim would go on create the visual illusion of the singers he imitated, using authentic costuming and makeup. During a performance, Judy Garland joined Jim onstage to sing a duet of “Bye Bye Blackbird,” which Jim had originally rehearsed as a solo. Jim became lifelong friends with Judy Garland and she served as his mentor for the remainder of his career.

In high demand, Jim was a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Carol Burnett Show and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was befriended by Lucille Ball and was asked to be a guest on her sitcom.

In the 70s, Jim became a Las Vegas staple, even performing in “The Judy and Liza Show” at The Flamingo, alongside Judy’s daughter Liza Minnelli. He would often appear as Barbra Streisand during Streisand’s lengthy gaps in live shows.

Into the 90s, Jim worked benefits for AIDS research and had an audience with Britain’s Royal Family. In 2009, he played Judy Garland once again, this time at London’s West End for the 40th anniversary of the singer’s death.

After a long and celebrated career, Jim passed away from complications related to pneumonia in 2015 at the age of 77.

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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 no-nonsense demeanor. Her performances on the stage were critically acclaimed and, although she appeared in a number of films, she only enjoyed one bonafide hit — Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1944 claustrophobic thriller Lifeboat.

Tallulah was a frequent user of drugs — marijuana, alcohol, cocaine and pills — in addition to smoking a reported 120 cigarettes per day. In the latter part of her career, her addictions affected her roles. She skipped rehearsals and flubbed lines, resulting in a decline in interest for her acting services. She took roles that she deemed beneath her, including a low-budget horror film, a two-part arc on the campy TV series Batman and a stint on the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour that Bette Davis had opted out of due to a broken leg. Lucille Ball was very apprehensive about working with Tallulah, her reputation preceeding her. However, her performance and comic timing were on point, prompting Lucy to apologize.

In her personal life, Tallulah was “secretively open” about her bisexuality. She had speculated affairs with both famous men and women, including Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Patsy Kelly, Hattie McDaniel, Rex Whistler and Gian Carlo Menotti. Instead of “bisexual,” she preferred to use the term “ambisextrous.” She was also an avid baseball fan, specifically the New York Giants. She once said: “There have been only two geniuses in the world — Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare.”

In December 1968, Tallulah was suffering from double pneumonia, exacerbated by emphysema and malnutrition. Looking much older than her years, she passed away at the age of 66. Her last words were a request for codeine and bourbon.

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