Jeanette Dubois was born in either New York or Philadelphia on August 5, 1932 or possibly 1938 or maybe even 1945… sources are not clear. It is clear, however, that she appeared with the great Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr. in Golden Boy on Broadway in 1964. In 1970, using the more exotic “Ja’Net” as her first name, she was cast in a small role in the film Diary of a Mad Housewife. The same year, she landed the part of “Loretta Allen” in the popular soap opera Love of Life, making her the first African-American regular cast member on a daytime serial. Ja’Net played the role for three years.

Prolific television producer Norman Lear saw Ja’Net in a production of the play Hot l Baltimore and cast her as feisty outspoken neighbor “Willona Woods” on the TV sitcom Good Times, a spin-off of Maude (which was itself a spin-off from All in the Family) and a vehicle for actress Esther Rolle. During the run of Good Times, Ja’Net’s character adopted a young daughter, played by future superstar Janet Jackson. In 1987, Ja’Net would play Janet’s mother again in the latter’s video for the song “Control.”

After Good Times concluded its network run, Ja’Net was featured in films for the first time in over a decade. Among her big screen appearances were roles in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka and Heart Condition. She also recorded three albums, two of which were released on her own label. Ja’Net’s singing career should come as no surprise. She co-wrote and sang the theme to another one of Norman Lear’s programs — The Jeffersons. She was awarded two Emmys for her voice-over work on the animated show The PJs. She was also recognized with a TV Land Award in 2006 as part of the ensemble cast of Good Times.

Ja’Net passed away in February 2020. Because of her disputed birth year, her actual age was unknown. After her death, Ja’Net’s family made unsubstantiated claims that her birth father was band leader Cab Calloway.

Comments

comments

Mia Zapata learned to play piano and guitar at the age of nine, influenced by Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Ray Charles, Hank Williams and Sam Cooke. In 1986, at the age of 21, Mia and three friends formed a band called The Gits. After playing around the Yellow Springs, Ohio area and the campus of Antioch College, Mia and her band relocated to Seattle to join the blossoming music scene. Mia took a job at a bar and the band released a series of well-received singles over a period of a few years. They enjoyed popularity on the local music scene and release their first full-length album, Frenching the Bully, in 1992.

Mia was a charismatic focus and a rare female voice in the male-dominated grunge and punk circles in Seattle. Never wishing to be political, Mia felt more comfortable connecting with her audience on a personal level. The Gits gained a rabid fan base among the feminist movement in Seattle, despite the rest of the band being male.

At 2 AM on July 7, 1993, Mia left the Comet Tavern in Seattle. She popped her headphones on to take the block-long walk to the studio apartment she rented. She never reached home. At 2:15 AM, she was attacked in the residential Central District of Seattle. Her assailant brutally strangled, raped and murdered Mia, leaving her body to be discovered an hour later by a woman also walking home. Mia carried no identification. A medical examiner, however, was a fan of The Gits and was able to identify the singer. Mia was 27 years old.

The Seattle music community — including members of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden — raised money to hire a private investigator. After three years, funds dried up and they were no closer to solving the crime. The investigator continued to search on her own for another five years, still turning up nothing. In 2003, a Florida fisherman named Jesus Mezquia was arrested in connection with Mia’s murder. A DNA profile for Mezquia was created from saliva found on Mia’s body. A match was reported on a DNA database after Mezquia was arrested for burglary and domestic abuse. He had a history of violence towards woman, as shown by the numerous complaints filed by his ex-girlfriends and his wife. Although he maintained his innocence, Mezquia was sentenced to 37 years in prison. An appeal brought the sentence to 36 years.

In 1994, Enter: The Conquering Chicken, The Gits’ second album — the one they were working on when Mia was murdered — was released.

Comments

comments

Scottish-born actress Adrienne Corri made her film debut at the age of 19 in the British drama The Romantic Age. Her career soon blossomed with roles in David Lean’s Dr. Zhivago, where she played Lara’s mother, and in Otto Preminger’s thriller Bunny Lake Is Missing. Adrienne also appeared in a number of low-budget horror films, including Vampire Circus for Hammer Studios.

She was featured in numerous television productions including a 1980 episode of Doctor Who, a version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night opposite Alec Guinness and the comedy The Country Wife with Helen Mirren. She also had a long and celebrated career in the British theater. It was, however, not without its controversial moments. During a staging of John Osborne’s The World of Paul Slickey — the actor/playwright’s sole attempt at a musical — the audience began to express their dislike by loudly “boo”ing the cast. Adrienne offered a middle finger the to crowd, accompanying her gesture with a loud “Go fuck yourselves,” then exited the stage.

Adrienne is best known for her role of “Mrs. Alexander,” an assault victim  at the hands of “Alex DeLarge” in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Adrienne was offered the role after two other actresses turned it down, finding it too humiliating, since it involved having to be perched — naked — on an actor’s shoulders for weeks on end while the perfectionist director decided which shot he liked the best. Adrienne had no qualms about appearing naked and she earned Kubrick’s respect by her willingness to undergo the grueling process of shooting endless takes. The visually disturbing, physically grueling scene was shot over four days and required thirty-nine takes. It finally concluded when actor Malcolm McDowell (who played the villainous lead) conceded, “I can’t hit her anymore!” After A Clockwork Orange wrapped, Adrienne remained close friends with Kubrick.

When she retired from acting, Adrienne wrote The Search for Gainsborough in 1984. The book, written in diary form, tells the story of her quest to authenticate a painting she owned that she believed to be an early work by the famed artist of the renowned portrait “The Blue Boy.”

In 2016, Adrienne died at her home in London at the age of 85.

Comments

comments

It appeared that Stanislav Bogdanovich was poised to take the world of chess by storm. The young Ukranian, a graduate of the National University of Odessa Law Academy, had already won a number of championships. He was awarded the title of International Master in 2009, and Grandmaster in 2017. His opponents described Stanislav as a fierce, but talented, competitor. He was noted for playing particularly well as a fast pace, called “blitz chess” by those in the sport. After defeating Grandmaster Mikhail Golubev, he assessed Stanislav as “perhaps the most talented player in the entire history of Odessa.”

On March 5, 2020, the father of Alexandra Vernigora (Stanislav’s girlfriend, an up-and-coming chess player herself) discovered the couple dead in Stanislav’s Moscow apartment. They were surrounded by balloons filled with nitrous oxide. Stanislav was 27 years old. Alexandra was 18.

Comments

comments

On November 20, 1973, The Who’s performance at San Francisco’s Cow Palace was briefly interrupted when Keith Moon passed out behind his drum kit. It seemed that the horse tranquilizers he had downed prior to the concert were too much for the drummer to handle. Moon was carried off by some roadies and the three remaining members — guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and vocalist Roger Daltrey — soldiered on with the show. Daltrey banged on a tambourine as a impromptu substitute for drums on “See Me Feel Me.” At the song’s conclusion, Townshend thanked the crowd for the kind reception and apologized for Moon’s episode. Then he addressed the crowd, asking “Can anybody play the drums?” He repeated the question, adding forcefully, “I mean somebody good!”

Scot Halpin, who had just moved to the area from Iowa was in the front row with his friend Mike Danese. The pair had been outside the venue for thirteen hours, hoping to score good seats for the evening’s show. Mike began to wave his arms and point to Scot. “He can play!,” Mike yelled loud enough to attract the attention of concert promoter Bill Graham. In reality. While Scot was indeed a drummer, the reality was he had not played in over year. Graham didn’t wait for that explanation. He pointedly asked Scot, “Can you do it?” Scot answered “Yes.” Graham yanked Scot onto the stage, much to the surprise of Townshend and Daltrey. Scot was shown a seat behind the massive drum kit and given a shot of brandy to calm his nerves. The crowd cheered and Townshend instructed Scot. “I’m going to lead you. I’m going to cue you.,” the lanky guitarist said.

Roger Daltrey announced “Scott!” into the microphone and Townshend launched into the opening riff of “Smokestack Lightning,” the Howlin’ Wolf blues song. Scot managed to keep up a good rhythm with Townshend and Entwistle, but stumbled a bit when the song segued into the Willie Dixon rave “Spoonful.” He began to falter on the Who original “Naked Eye,” the final song of the night. Scot was brought to the front of the stage to take bows with the rest of the band. He was ushered backstage where he was thanked and given a Who tour satin jacket… which was stolen later in the evening.

In interviews, Daltrey praised Scot’s drumming and stamina.

Scot left California in 1995, moving to Indiana. He passed away from an inoperable brain tumor in 2008. He was 54 years old.

Comments

comments

Lewis Latimer was the youngest of four children born to slaves George and Rebecca Latimer. Noted journalist and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison advocated for their continued freedom when their owners sought the couple out after the couple ran away. Garrison raised the funds to buy the Latimers’ freedom.

Seventeen-year -old Lewis Latimer took a job as an office boy at a patent firm in Boston. He learned how to use a set square, ruler and other tools in the drafting trade. His boss recognized Lewis’s talent for sketching patent drawings. By 1872, Lewis was promoted to the position of head draftsman, earning a weekly salary of twenty dollars.

Just two years later, Lewis and a colleague were issued a patent for a toilet for use on railroads. In 1876, Lewis was hired as a draftsman by Alexander Graham Bell. Under Bell’s employment, Lewis executed the necessary drawings for Bell to submit his invention — the telephone — for patent consideration.

Lewis was soon hired as a manager and draftsman by Thomas Edison’s rival Hiram Maxim. Within two years, Lewis and a colleague designed and were given patents for improvements on the Edison incandescent light bulb. Later, Edison himself hired Lewis. While employed by Edison Electric Light Company, Lewis wrote and published the book Incandescent Electric Lighting. He also supervised the installation of public electric lights throughout New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London.

Throughout his career, Lewis was issued additional patents for a process of manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, an early form of air conditioning and a locking rack for hats and coats.

Lewis passed away in December 1928 — a mostly uncredited and unsung hero.

Comments

comments