On average I missed a week of school a month. School couldn’t capture my creative spirit or interest. When I got out of the house in the morning and trot myself to school, a new girl began walking with me. She was from England and I was captured by her accent. I parroted her because I wanted all things British. She was happy to have my company to explore where her Father and Mother had taken the family. He was a chemistry professor at the University of Rochester on sabbatical in the US.
I became more social in school in my senior year as well as at the local radio station WBBF. After working I would take myself with a box of doughnuts to the office of the station and somehow get to be talking to the announcers. One guy adopted me, Nick Nickson. He was somewhere between an Uncle and a father figure. Being the fatherless girl I was expressing myself to reflect the past times when I ran around my fathers rifle range. Everyone became my family. We had no extended family in Rochester. I only now am really reflecting on how I moved through my life and interactions with men, looking for a Father figure . I was genuinely friendly and sweet, looking back. The Radio station took me in as some ilbregotten mascot and I latched onto the attention that my mother wasn’t able to give because she had to work in a time when women didn’t work outside the home.
At that time, in my senior year, I was 18 years old and I was able to drink. My personality seemed to be preparing itself for self expressions. The radio provided me with knowledge first hand of when there would be a show of Rock and Roll stars. I only know that once again everything music and dancing was what I wanted to surround myself with. I lived it and talked about it and somehow I was going to be famous and live in the world of Stardom and Rock and Roll, the Beatles were to be my focus.
My best friend and I got tickets to the Gene Pitney Shower of stars. I don’t know if they were comps but we went. We dressed up in white gloves and shirts and navy skirts, looking like ushers. In the auditorium we went up to the side entrance and slid our way backstage. I was leading my friend and being quiet and as professional as teenage girls can be. We walked with confidence into the Backstage dressing rooms. By the time anyone noticed us and questioned us, Nick Nickson was there and gave his approval that we were alright.
The excitement began as we just stood and watched. I never asked for autographs. I wanted to consider myself a star and an equal with them, even though I wasn’t even close. Off the center of the dressing rooms where various supplies are were set up, like coffee and snacks. Individual dressing rooms on the side housed Gary and the Pacemakers, Dione Warwich, Gene Pitney of course as well as a few others I can’t remember. Dione would come out in her white terry bathrobe and then go right back in. My friend Margoret and I would stand quietly and take in all the activity. I don’t even remember watching the show, only hearing the music in the background. Did hear about a group joining the show in Pittsburg, the Hullabaloo’s.
