QuarterNotes - SPRING 2025

Plank Road Folk Music Society

Spring - April 2025 www.plankroad.org

In This Issue

Our 40th Anniversary . . . Celebration Party on June 14!!

John Allan . . . long-time member and mandolin pro.

Western music . . . the rise of the "singing cowboys."

Heritage Matinee Series . . . opens at Two Way Street.

Music Trivia . . . Answers to previous quiz and NEW quiz.

Remembering . . . Garth Hudson, Jesse Colin Young, Roberta Flack, Sam Moore and Marianne Faithfull.

Plank Road Events

Please join us for our in-person get togethers — co-sponsored with Two Way Street Coffee House.

Sing-Around

1st & 3rd Saturday. | 2-4 pm

Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader.

Country & Western Sing-Around

4th Saturday. | 2-4 pm

Sing along with your favorite C&W songs. Songbooks provided.

Song Circle -- BYOS!

2nd Tuesday. | 7-9 pm

Bring Your Own Song! A monthly opportunity for folks to perform original or cover songs for each other, within a song circle. NOTE: Song Circle will be on 2nd Thursday during June, July & August.

Plank Road String Band Practice

2nd Sat. | 2:00-4:00 pm

First Church of Lombard

630-620-0688

An old-time string band practice for intermediate/advanced players, from September to April.

Be sure to check the Plank Road and Two Way Street websites and Facebook pages for details about each event.

President's Message

Spring 2025

Winter is over (I hope) and I wonder what I did on those cold days before I joined Plank Road in 2007. I had been retired for 3 years and liked the golf season and following my favorite sport teams (Bears, White Sox, Notre Dame, etc.), but there was a void that needed to be filled. I heard about Plank Road, joined in the Fall, and have never looked back. I hope everyone of you has the same warm feeling about our organization as I do.

We are planning a special event on June 14 to celebrate our 40 years of folk music. Check out the article below, and watch for additional party details! Hint, it will be a day of interactive music and a nice concert in the evening.

Over the past six months or so our string band has hosted 5 barn dances, which keep growing in popularity. It is an ideal activity for people of all ages to participate. The music is lively; our callers are experienced and work with all levels of dancers to be sure everyone is included and having a good time. If you have not attended one, I recommend your trying it out when our new season starts again in the Fall.

Also, we are working with our friends and partners at Two Way Street to present 4 music workshops per year, and we just had our first. We are proud to able to offer these special events to our members.

Bob O'Hanlon

President

Welcome New Members!

We're pleased to announce these folks who recently joined Plank Road Folk Music Society . . .

Sue Condit
Jan Gahala

Thanks for your support . . . it's all about the music and the camaraderie!

Plank Road's 40th Anniversary!

It’s a celebration not to be missed!

And we’re doing it in a big way . . .

Plank Road is planning a special afternoon and evening at the Two Way Street Coffee House (1047 Curtiss St. in Downers Grove), on June 14. Plank Road members, guests and anyone interested in folk, classic country, and old time music can spend the afternoon singing and playing.

And it gets better! After the sing-arounds and jams, enjoy a casual evening meal, followed by a concert with Mark Dvorak and Marianne Mohrhusen. What better way to wrap up the party?

It began four decades ago — and today Plank Road is one of Chicagoland’s preeminent folk organizations . . .

Plank Road has over 70 events annually, including our Saturday sing-arounds, monthly song-circles and string band gigs — plus participation in festivals, workshops, barn dances and more. Not to mention a membership of over 100 people, with new members joining every year!

Anniversary Concert with Mark Dvorak!

Mark was a founder of the Plank Road Folk Music Society back in 1985, and has continued to be a strong supporter.

Bob O’Hanlon adds, “Everyone should have a great time playing and singing in the afternoon. And having Mark top it off with a concert in the evening will make our 40th Anniversary a great event.”

Supporting the homeless and hungry

We’re also pleased to announce our partnership with Music & Potlucks, a volunteer community organization supporting local social services. Plank Road will be contributing a percentage of ticket sales to Music & Potlucks.

Purchase your tickets in advance!

Good news . . . you can reserve your tickets online in advance through Music & Potlucks.

We strongly encourage you to reserve in advance so we can plan how much food we need to order.

To order your tickets, go to musicandpotlucks.org/upcoming-events . . .

Then scroll down to “Plank Road 40th Anniversary Party” and click on “Buy Tickets.” It’s that easy! Major credit cards accepted.

Plank Road Members (and guests): $10 each — includes all events throughout the afternoon and evening, including dinner and Mark Dvorak concert. NOTE: $10 is for the evening portion of events.

Non-members: $20 — Includes dinner and Mark Dvorak concert. Non-members may also attend afternoon events.

Sing-arounds and jams — Folk, Country/Western, plus Old-Time String Band — open to everyone.

Plenty of room for socializing and refreshments throughout the afternoon.

Casual evening dinner for everyone!

Special 40th Anniversary merchandise and giveaways.

Tributes to Plank Road founders and more!

And the grand finale . . . Mark Dvorak in concert.

As we get closer to the event, visit plankroad.org or our Facebook page for additional details. Plank Road members will also receive email updates.

John Allan

“I’m saddened to share the news that our dear PRFMS friend and fellow string band member, John Allan, passed away. We will deeply miss his wonderful mandolin playing and, most of all, his kind, positive spirit.”

- Jen Shilt

Longtime Plank Road member, John Allan, passed away February 27. He “was a natural” playing the banjo and mandolin, according to his family. As a Plank Road String Band regular, John’s mandolin was an essential component of the band’s Old-Time music.

John’s visitation was held March 3 and 4 in Wheaton, and was attended by many, including a number of his Plank Road friends.

From his obituary:

John J. Allan, 84, of Winfield, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on February 27. He grew up in Pennsylvania with his brother and three sisters. After high school, he served two years in the Navy and then relocated to Chicago where he met his future wife, Dorothy.

John and Dorothy moved to the Western suburbs and raised their family. He retired in 2004 — and enjoyed retirement to the fullest. As a lifelong guitar player, John was a natural when he picked up the banjo and mandolin, and he played with several Old Time music bands.

He made health and happiness a priority, hitting the gym regularly and creating innumerable memories with his daughters and grandchildren. John made wonderful friends everywhere he went. He was dearly loved by many and will be missed by all.

Local Venues

Two Way Street Coffee House — Friday Night Concert Series.

Doors open at 7:30pm and concerts start at 8pm. You can also view concerts online — more information on Two Way Street Coffee House or Facebook.

Maple Street Concerts.

Enjoy live concerts at Maple Street Chapel in downtown Lombard. Please check the Maple Street website for concert listings.

Other venues . . .

- Acoustic Renaissance Concerts

- Old Town School Of Folk Music

- Tobias Music Concerts

Check venue websites to confirm.

5-String Banjo Workshop kicks

off 5th Saturdays

On March 28, the first 5th Saturday Workshop of the year was held at Two Street Coffee House with Ken Perlman, a pioneer of the 5-string banjo style known as melodic clawhammer. Ken led two workshops, one for beginners, followed by a more advanced session.

Ken is considered one of the top clawhammer players in the world. He has toured extensively, taught at festivals and music camps around the world, and has written many banjo and guitar instruction books.

More Workshops to come!

The new season of 5th Saturday Workshops follows the successful sessions introduced last year. Five Saturdays in a month don’t happen often — but when they do, Two Way Street, in partnership with Plank Road, co-sponsor the workshops under the able direction of Joel Simpson and Jennifer Ashley.

Upcoming 5th Saturday Workshops:

May 31 - Bluegrass Guitar Workshops with Chris Walz
August 30 - Vocal Workshop with Bobcat Opossum
November 29 - Ukulele Workshop with Lil Rev

Joel Simpson and the Chancey Brothers

St. Patrtick’s Day is actually a “season” lasting for several weeks — and Joel Simpson had a very busy March. As a guitarist with the Chancey Brothers Irish band, he performed in numerous venues in the Chicago area, including the Irish American Heritage Center, WDCB.org, and of course, a number Irish bars.

The Chancey’s are an acoustic blend of Irish folk, rock and country music. Featuring guitars, vocals, mandolins, fiddles, flute and whistle, they perform regularly throughout Chicagoland and the Midwest.

Western Music – a brief history

By Andy Malkewicz

At the beginning of John Huston's "Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" he has a quote:

"This may not be the way the west was, but it's the way it should have been."

Back in the 1840's there were novels about the west by James Fenimore Cooper, and later, 10¢ novels about Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok, etc. At the time, the west was a way to better times and a better life. Many settled to a life of farming or ranching, and then had to move further west, or return to the east.

The ranch hands were real cowboys, who really sang — around campfires to pass the time; on night watch to calm the herd; etc. Soon the songs were printed in newspapers, stockmen journals, and books (John Lomax, etc). Among the earliest were "Whoopie Ti Yi Yo" (also called "Dogies Lament" or "Git Along Little Dogies") heard by Lomax from an old gypsy woman in Fort Worth TX.

"Red River Valley" originated as a vaudeville stage song called "Bright Mohawk Valley"; and "Home On the Range" by Lomax from a black saloonkeeper in San Antonio TX in 1908. After Lomax published "Home On the Range," many composers came forward claiming credit for the song. The song was a favorite of Admiral Richard Byrd, President Franklin Roosevelt, and more.

When radio and TV came on the scene, new songwriters were adding to the cowboy repertoire. Singer Tex Owens wrote "Cattle Call" in the 11th floor studio of Kansas City MO's Pickwick Hotel while waiting to go on the air. Around 20 years later, Eddy Arnold had a major western hit with the song, and it became his theme song.

Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis is usually given credit for writing "You Are My Sunshine," BUT, it probably originated with a radio band, the Rice Brothers, who recall getting the words from an anonymous fan. "Ghost Riders In the Sky" was written by Arizona park ranger Stan Jones, who later wrote themes for western films.

Singing cowboys . . .

In the 1930's singing cowboys started showing up. Early ones couldn't sing. In 1934, Orvon Gordon Gene Autry was signed to the film "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." Bob Nolan of the Sons of the Pioneers wrote the song in 1932.

"Back In the Saddle" was written by a cowboy named Roy Whitney. Gene Autry heard the song, and used it for the theme song on his radio show, Melody Ranch. In 1934, one of the most popular of the singing cowboy groups, the Sons of the Pioneers, was formed. It consisted of Tim Spencer, cowboy, songwriter, poet, Bob Nolan, and singer Leonard Slye, who changed his name to Roy Rogers.

Bob Nolan, born in Canada, and raised in Tucson AZ, spent his teen-age years writing poetry. One of his early poems was about illusion and reality, which later became one of the best-known western songs, "Cool Water."

After Gene Autry, Roy Rogers was the second most popular. Rogers took western music to pop when he sang "Don't fence Me In." The song was originally penned by Bob Fletcher, and cleaned up by Cole Porter. Roy’s wife Dale Evans wrote "Happy Trails" which they later used as the theme for their TV show.

As time went on, western/cowboy, C&W, pop, and even R&B fused, and we got such hits as "Rawhide” by Frankie Laine; "Wayward Wind” by Gogi Grant, Frank Ifield and Tex Ritter; "High Noon” by Frankie Laine; "El Paso” and "Big Iron” by Marty Robbins; "Mariah” covered by many; "Mule Train” by Frankie Laine; "The Rebel” by Johnny Cash — and so on, as all music continues to evolve.

Heritage Matinee Series opens at Two Way Street

Two Way Street Coffee House has introduced the Heritage Matinee Series, a new concert series taking place on select Sunday afternoons in 2025.

Each concert features Mark Dvorak and Ashley & Simpson, joined by local artists for a matinee concert. There is no admission to the concerts, but free-will donations are collected at each concert to help support Two Way Street’s operation and programming.

Joel Simpson had this to say after the first session:

“The support from our community of folk artists has been truly inspiring, and we couldn’t have asked for a better launch to this new endeavor. The attendance was fantastic, and donations were generous during our very first matinee. Moments like these remind us how vital and vibrant our folk community is — and how much joy it brings to everyone involved.”

The first concert was held April 6 featuring Mark Dvorak & Marianne Mohrhusen, Ashley & Simpson, and guest performers Wattle & Daub, and Sons of the Prairie, a here-to-fore unknown trio, otherwise known as Bill Lemos, Jim Gilroy and Bob O'Hanlon..

Upcoming Heritage Matinee Series:

June 29 – Mark Dvorak, Ashley & Simpson, The Woodshop Boys, Jack Kennedy

October 5 – Mark Dvorak, Ashley & Simpson, George Mattson, Lisa P. Medina

All shows begin at 3pm,

and doors open 2:30pm.

Remembering . . .

Garth Hudson

The last surviving original member of the Band, Garth Hudson, died January 21 in Woodstock, NY. He was 87.

Born in Ontario, Hudson was the multifaceted musician of the Band that mixed rock, R&B and a unique American sound. He’s been called “A one-man band within The Band.”

Hudson, along with future members of the Band, started out backing rockabilly Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. They later split from Hawkins and met Bob Dylan, who was transitioning from acoustic folk to rock. The quintet — Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm and Rick Danko — toured behind Dylan in 1965 and '66.

In 1967, the group relocated to a house in upstate New York, which they dubbed “Big Pink.” In the basement, they recorded over 100 songs with Dylan, later released as The Basement Tapes, and fleshed out the material for what would become the Band's debut album, Music from Big Pink.

Hudson played almost anything — keyboard, saxophone, accordion, synthesizers, trumpet, French horn, violin — in endless styles that could at various times be at home in a conservatory, a church, a carnival or a roadhouse. But it was his way of playing the Lowrey organ and the clavinet as lead instruments that gave the Band's music its signature church-y, post-psychedelic sound, particularly on tracks like "Chest Fever" and "Up On Cripple Creek."

Hudson was the one who set up and maintained the recording equipment. He arranged the music on the group’s albums and painstakingly tweaked and honed its recordings. He added brass, woodwinds and eclectic flourishes that accentuated the group’s homespun authenticity, a quality that set it apart from the rock of its era.

Hudson’s dark beard and inscrutable expressions made him look somewhere between a dour lumberjack and an Old Testament prophet, giving him the appearance of a “serious craftsman” lost in his music, rather than a crowd-pleasing rock star.

Jesse Colin Young

The singer who urged us to 'Get together,' Jesse Colin Young, died March 16 at age 83.

As leader of the Youngbloods, his “sincere tenor vocals,” and the chorus — “Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now” — led to one of the most enduring anthems of the peace-and-love era.

“Get Together” was a Top Five hit in 1969, and although Young didn’t write the song, he composed many other key pieces, including the brooding “Darkness, Darkness,” which reflected the terror he imagined American soldiers were experiencing in Vietnam; “Sunlight,” an ode to passionate love; and “Ride the Wind,” a jazzy paean to freedom.

Young drew from many genres, including folk, jug band music, psychedelia, R&B and jazz. The Youngbloods’ songs proved popular on FM stations of the era and inspired covers by major artists, including the Folkswingers, the Kingston Trio and Jefferson Airplane. “Get Together” later appeared on the Forest Gump soundtrack.

Young was born Perry Miller, but eventually chose his Western-sounding stage name in the early 1960s by melding the names of outlaws Jesse James and Cole Younger, as well as Formula One designer and engineer Colin Chapman.

He attended college, eventually transferring to New York University where he became entranced by the Greenwich Village folk scene. He joined several other musicians and formed the Youngbloods — which soon became the house band at the Café Au Go Go in the Village.

After leaving the Youngbloods, he went on to pursue a solo career that lasted more than five decades.

“Love of the natural world is as much a theme in my music as romantic love,” he once said. “I get more out of walking over the ridgetop in Marin County and looking out at the national seashore than any drugs I ever did.”

Marianne Faithfull

Singer, songwriter and Rolling Stones muse, Marianne Faithfull, died January 30, at age 78.

Raised in North London, the daughter of an Austrian aristocrat and a British intelligence officer, Faithfull started her career as a folk singer in the early ’60s. She was discovered at a Rolling Stones party as the age of 17 — and was offered the song “As Tears Go By,” a composition co-penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

It was her biggest hit, but Faithfull admitted she really didn't grasp the meaning of the tune until decades after making it a chart topper. “It’s a strange song to get a 17-year-old to sing,” she once said.

In early 1967, she made headlines for being at the scene of a drug bust at Richards’ house, dressed only in a fur rug. She and Jagger became one of the most glamorous and notorious couples of “Swinging London,” with Faithfull once declaring, “If LSD wasn’t meant to happen, it wouldn’t have been invented.”

The hits dried up for Faithfull in the late ’60s, but she continued to be a pop/rock presence. However, drug addiction ended up consuming much of what should have been her prime years. By the 1970s she washomeless in London's SoHo.

"For me, being a junkie was an admirable life,” she wrote in her autobiography. "It was total anonymity, something I hadn’t known since I was 17. As a street addict in London, I had no telephone, no address." She would also battle anorexia, hepatitis, and breast cancer.

Faithfull made a comeback in 1979, with the new wave and disco-influenced album Broken English.

Roberta Flack

Singer Roberta Flack, who broke through as one of the most important singers of the 1970s and beyond, died February 24 at the age of 88.

Born in North Carolina, she was musically gifted from a young age. She won a scholarship to Howard University at just 15, with plans to pursue a classical music career.

"My real ambition was to be a concert pianist, and to play Schumann and Bach and Chopin — the romantics,” she said. “Those were my guys." But her teachers discouraged her from trying to break into the mostly white world of classical music in the late 1950s.

Upon graduating, Flack taught at schools in North Carolina and Washington, D.C., and began performing in clubs, both as a pianist for other vocalists and as a singer herself. She released her debut album in 1969, but credited her appearance on a Bill Cosby Special in 1970 as "the biggest break of my career"

When Clint Eastwood used her version of folksinger Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in his 1971 movie Play Misty For Me, Flack's popularity soared.

A string of albums followed, including duets with Donny Hathaway, making her one of the decade's most popular singers. She earned eight Grammy nominations and four wins — and remains the only solo artist to win Record of the Year two years in a row for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and "Killing Me Softly With His Song."

Her work combined elements of folk, soul, rock, pop, jazz, classical, Latin and more. She continued releasing albums through the early 2000s, performing around the world. "My main interest is in telling my story through a song — tell the truth with clarity and honesty so the listener can feel their story."

Sam Moore

Sam Moore, of Sam & Dave fame, died January 10, at age 89. In their 20-year career, the duo of Moore, and Dave Prater recorded memorable soul and R&B records, including their biggest hit, “Soul Man” in 1967, topping the R&B chart and reaching #2 on the Pop chart.

Known for its funky driving beat, powerful horns and vocal interplay between Moore’s high tenor voice and Prater’s gritty baritone, made “Soul Man” a soul classic. The song won a Grammy in 1968, and achieved further immortality in 1978 when the version by the Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) reached the charts.

Other hits included “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” “I Thank You,” and “When Something’s Wrong With My Baby.”

Moore grew up in Florida, describing his father as a “street hustler” and was mostly raised by his mother. When she remarried, Sam took the surname of this stepfather, Charlie Moore.

At their Memphis-based Stax label, Sam & Dave’s in-house band was Booker T & the MGs, along with the horn section, the Mar-Keys. That combination created a “tough and muscular sound,” distinct from the smoother, more pop-orientated records coming out of Motown in Detroit.

In later years, Moore and his wife founded music education programs at two elementary schools he had attended. But Moore was no angel. He fathered his first child when he was 16, later estimating he had as many as 20 children, most of whom he had never met. While he was still at school, he was shot in the leg by the enraged husband of one of his girlfriends. Later he battled addiction, and he and Prater split up in 1970 and again in 1981.

Sam & Dave were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

With a little help from our friends . . .

George Mattson Trio

gmtrio.com

Mark Dvorak

markdvorak.com

Cathy Jones

cathy@jonesfamilymusic.com

WDCB Folk Festival

Tobias Music

www.tobiasmusic.com

Music Trivia

Andy's Music Trivia Quiz

Welcome to another exciting round of Music Trivia! Fred Spanuello was perfect except for #6, “Sh-Boom” being the answer.

Answers to January Quiz:

Q1. What early movie combines genres of western, music and science fiction. (HINT: It Stars Gene Autry)

A1. “Phantom Empire” (1935) was Gene Autry’s 1st starring role in a 12 part serial film about a singing cowboy radio show from Radio Ranch, situated over an ancient subterranean empire that is rich in radium. Greedy surface speculators undermine Gene & friends' daily broadcasts. Gene has to save the day by averting war between the populous surface people, and the advanced underground civilization. I watched 7 parts, and couldn’t watch anymore --- too much Gene.

Q2. Louis Walcott played a classical violin number at the age of 16 on the TV Ameteur Hour? What is his later taken name?

A2. Louis Farrakhan

Q3. What was Patsy Cline's first #1 BBCW hit?

A3. Yet another song Patsy Cline didn't like; "I hate the damn song." The Harlan Howard, Hank Cochran song "I Fall to Pieces" went to #1 BBCW.

Q4. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words "Look at Me, I'm"

A4. Johnny Mathis in 1959, took "Misty" to #12 on BB100.

Q5. NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "I'm-a ridin on this train, I've"?

A5. "900 Miles" is in our songbook and is a traditional song, first recorded in 1924 by Fiddlin' John Carson, and MANY more since.

Q6. What black vocal group was the 1st to make the BB100 top 10, and what was the song?

A6. The Chords in 1954 rode "Sh-Boom" to #5 in 1954, before the Crew-Cuts, a white Canadian group took over with the same song.

Q7. What did Jimmy Clanton ("Venus In Blue Jeans"), Dale & Grace ("I'm Leaving It Up to You"), and Huey Piano Smith ("Don't You Just Know It") have in common?

A7. They all came from/started with Louisiana pop.

- Trivia Snippet – Mr Tambourine Man

Roger/Jim McGuinn was the only Byrds band member playing on this Dylan tune. Los Angeles session men (Wrecking Crew), Hal Blaine was the drummer, and Joe Osborne was on bass and 2 guitars which were barely audible. Band members David Crosby and Gene Clark were also on vocals with Roger. The Dylan's rough demo of this song was sent into their manager, but Columbia held back releasing the song for 4 months to avoid the new year song barrage. It worked since the song went to #1 on BB100 in 1965. Great song in our Two Way Street song book!M

NEW Trivia Quiz:

Q1. What was on the B-side of Ricky Nelson's "Travelin’ Man", and who wrote it?

Q2. What was the 1st black girl group to have a #1 BB100 hit? What was the group? What year was it? Who wrote it?

Q3. NAME THAT TUNE! - What song begins with the words "Close Your Eyes and I'll"?

Q4. NAME THAT TUNE! – What song begins with the words "When I was Young, I Used to Wait"?

Q5. "I've Told Every Little Star” was a big 1961 hit. Who sang it? Who wrote it and when? What musical was it from?

- Trivia Snippet – “(I Wanna) Love My Life Away”

“Love My Life Away” was Gene Pitney's first single to chart the BB100. It made #39 in Feb. of 1961. Not long after, he wrote hits for Ricky Nelson (“Hello Mary Lou” #9), and the Crystals (“He's a Rebel” #1). On “Love My Life Away,” he played all the instruments, and continued to play multiple instruments on some of his other hits. Pitney's label Musicor was established by a successful manager/songwriter, Aaron Schroeder, for the promotion of Gene. Gene made many hits on the label with songs from himself, Goffin/King, Bacharach/David, Randy Newman, Tiomlin/Washington, Mann/Weil, Greenfield/Miller, and the 1st US charting song by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards (“That Girl Belongs to Yesterday,” Jan. 1964 #49).

Q6. What was the inspiration for the Bacharach/David hit, "Don't Make Me Over"?

Q7. Ann Margaret (Olson) at age 16 appeared on the Amateur Hour on 12/22/1957. What beat her on that show?

- Trivia Snippet – Early Brenda Lee

Brenda's father died from a construction accident in 1953. She became the family breadwinner by working in radio and TV in Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. Red Foley's manager Dub Allbritten saw her, became her manager, signed her to Ozark Jubilee, and then got a Decca contract in 1956. She appeared on TV shows Perry Como, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan. With no big success, Dub booked her in Paris in 1959 and started a rumor she was a 32 year old midget, and then denied the story publicly. The controversy brought her renown and she was booked for tours of Europe & South America. In early 1960 "Sweet Nothins” became her 1st Top-10 hit. Also, by 1960 (age 16), she had been working half her life, and her next hit of 1960," I'm Sorry" went to #1, even though Decca held back the song for 4 months because she sounded too adult on the song of unrequited love.

If you are enjoying the trivia, please send responses to

AndyM @

pictq@yahoo.com