Celebrity Poems & Memoirs

INTRODUCTION

When I was growing up I had 2 loves, the movies and writing poetry.  I was raised in the Bronx, New York, by my grandmother a loving wonderful woman.  Her passion was reading the Bible for an hour every day and church on Sunday.  Her favorite pastime was going to the movies and I went along with her, as far back as I can remember.

When I started Junior High School, I made friends with a girl in my homeroom class.  We had a lot in common.  She loved movies as much as I did and belonged to a girls club named “The All Star Fan Club.”  Of course, I joined.  We met on Saturdays and wrote letters to our favorite stars asking for an autographed photo.

Then every Sunday we went downtown to the Paramount, Capital or Strand Theater, to see the movie and our favorite stars appearing in the stage show.  Naturally, we went back stage to get our autograph books signed.  The five of us always dressed alike, in a U.S. Navy peacoat, navy blue skirt, white blouse, white corduroy boots and a white sailor hat.  This ritual went on through High School.

Of course I grew up, but still maintained my love for my favorite stars!  Overwhelmed by the marvelous performances of these wonderful people.  I really appreciated their talents and looked forward to seeing every movie they made.

Unsure of what I wanted as a career after graduation, my grandmother always told me, “Let God direct your life. He will show you what to do. Ask and you shall receive.”

I went to IBM school and got a job with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.  And still as always, writing my poems and keeping my daily journal up to date.  Then--the strangest thing happened to me!

One Saturday afternoon at home, while reading a poem I had just written, I heard a voice whispering, “Put that to music.”  Startled I looked around.  No one was there. I said to myself, aloud, “Music, I can’t read music much less write music.”  And just kept writing.  Again the voice, “Buy a tape recorder.”  By now, you must be saying to yourself, this is weird!  Yes it was, but I was compelled to do this.

My Mom was in the kitchen setting the table for dinner.  I rushed in and said,

“Mom, I want to go to the store and buy a tape recorder.”  Her eyes flew open.

“A tape recorder, why?”  The words just flew out of my mouth.

“Don’t ask, I’ll explain in the car, let’s go now.”  She obliged.

Later that evening, after my Mom retired for the night.  I went downstairs to the finished basement with my recorder, and folder of poems. We had a recreation room, living room area, full kitchen and bathroom down there.  I set up the tape recorder on the coffee table, plugged in the microphone and held it in one hand, with a copy of my poem in the other.

I started to recite my poem, but I sang it and kept going.  Unbelievable!  That night I composed 5 songs, words and music!  I prayed, “Lord, show me what to do with this.”

A few weeks later, I was sitting at the dining room table scanning through the entertainment section of the newspaper, and saw an ad, “Miss Peggy Lee at Basin Street East”, a famous nightclub in New York.  I turned the page, and the page flipped back.  I turned it again and it flipped back, I turned it again and it flipped back. Suddenly compelled, I called out to my Mom.

“We are going to see Peggy Lee at Basin Street East tonight, the 11:00 PM show.”

When we arrived at Basin St. East, I was happy to see a friend of mine, Carlos Roig who was maitre’d there.  He gave us a ringside table.

It was a night I will never forget!  Peggy Lee was terrific. I was mesmerized, then suddenly the strangest thing happened.