They called her “the most beautiful woman to ever d-e.” On May 1st, 1947, Evelyn McHale stepped off the Empire State Building and landed on a parked limousine, without a single drop of blood or a broken bone in sight.

Her legs were delicately crossed. Her gloved hands clutched her pearls. Her expression? Peaceful. Serene. Almost like she was asleep. A young photography student just happened to be nearby. He snapped a photo before police arrived, and captured what would become one of the most haunting images of the 20th century.

Time Magazine published it. Andy Warhol reimagined it. And decades later, people are still captivated by the chilling perfection of that moment. No horror. No chaos. Just a quiet, impossible stillness… frozen in time. They never saw it coming. But the world would never forget it.

 

 

 

How did Ritchie Valens change music history before his 18th birthday?

Ritchie Valens was just a teenager when he broke barriers as one of the first Mexican-American rock stars. Born Richard Valenzuela in Los Angeles, he grew up listening to mariachi and flamenco alongside early rock and roll. By age 16, he was playing gigs and writing songs that blended cultural roots with the high-energy sounds of 1950s youth.

His breakout came in 1958 with the single “Come On, Let’s Go,” followed quickly by “Donna,” a sweet ballad written for his high school girlfriend. But it was “La Bamba,” a reimagining of a traditional Mexican folk song, that changed the game — blending Latin rhythm and rock spirit in a way no one had done before.

Valens' music was fresh, joyful, and boundary-pushing, but his career was heartbreakingly brief. In February 1959, just eight months after releasing his first single, Ritchie died in a plane crash alongside Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper — an event later dubbed “The Day the Music Died.”

Though his life was short, Ritchie Valens became a symbol of cultural pride and a pioneer of Chicano rock. He paved the way for countless Latin artists in mainstream music and is often cited as a true original who blended identity and innovation.

Ritchie may have only recorded a handful of songs, but each one carried a spark that still burns decades later. He proved that even a teenager could make history — and change the sound of America. #fblifesty

 

Few things are as calming as walking on an Autumn day while leaves fall and swirl around you.

A quiet moment spent in the company of your own thoughts enjoying a coffee on an Autumn day is bliss. 

Stand still, and consider the wonder of Autumn, and her dancing leaves.

All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it. 

 

Clifton Webb (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966)

He was known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty. In the theatrical world he was known for his appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, notably Blithe Spirit, as well as career on Broadway in a number of very successful musical revues. Webb's mainstay was the Broadway theater. Between 1913 and 1947, he appeared in 23 Broadway shows, starting with major supporting roles and quickly progressing to leads. He introduced Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" and George and Ira Gershwin's "I've Got a Crush on You" in Treasure Girl (1928); Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz's "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan" in The Little Show (1929) and "Louisiana Hayride" in Flying Colors (1932); and Irving Berlin's "Not for All the Rice in China" in As Thousands Cheer (1933). One of his stage sketches, performed with co-star Fred Allen, was filmed by Vitaphone as a short subject titled The Still Alarm (1930). Allen's experiences while working with Webb appear in Allen's memoirs. Webb was in his mid-fifties when actor/director Otto Preminger chose him over the objections of 20th Century Fox chief Darryl F. Zanuck to play the elegant but evil radio columnist Waldo Lydecker, who is obsessed with Gene Tierney's character in the 1944 film noir Laura. His performance won him wide acclaim, and despite Zanuck's original objection, Webb was signed to a long-term contract with Fox. Two years later he was reunited with Tierney in another highly praised role as the elitist Elliott Templeton in The Razor's Edge (1946).

He received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for both. Webb also received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1949 for Sitting Pretty, the first in a three-film series of comedic "Mr. Belvedere" features with Webb portraying a snide and omniscient babysitter. Because of health problems, Webb spent the last five years of his life as a recluse at his home in Beverly Hills, California, eventually succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 76. He is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, alongside his mother.

 

Can a voice change the course of music forever? Billie Holiday did.

Born Eleanora Fagan in 1915, Billie Holiday transformed jazz and pop singing with a style inspired by instrumentalists, bending phrasing and tempo in ways that were entirely her own. She co-wrote only a few songs, but classics like God Bless the Child, Don’t Explain, Fine and Mellow, and Lady Sings the Blues remain timeless.

Her haunting performances of Strange Fruit, Easy Living, and Good Morning Heartache revealed a depth of emotion that few could match. Yet her life offstage was turbulent, marked by addiction and arrests for drug possession. By the late 1950s, her health declined, and in 1959, she passed away from pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis.

Even in her struggles, Billie’s voice continues to resonate, influencing generations of singers and leaving an indelible mark on the world of music. She is buried at Saint Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx, NY.

#BillieHoliday, #JazzLegend, #GodBlessTheChild, #LadySingsTheBlues, #ClassicJazz, #MusicHistory, #InfluentialArtists

 

Vincent Eugene Craddock, known as Gene Vincent (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971)

Vincent was a musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Vincent dropped out of school in 1952, at the age of seventeen, and enlisted in the United States Navy. As he was under the age of enlistment, his parents signed the forms allowing him to enter the Navy. He completed boot camp and joined the fleet as a crewman aboard the fleet oiler USS Chukawan, with a two-week training period in the repair ship USS Amphion, before returning to the Chukawan. He never saw combat but completed a Korean War deployment. He sailed home from Korean waters aboard the battleship USS Wisconsin but was not part of the ship's company. He planed a career in the Navy, however, a motorcycle accident (and the lingering pain) forced him to be discharged. Craddock became involved in the local music scene in Norfolk. He changed his name to Gene Vincent and formed a rockabilly band, Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.

On April 16, 1960, while on tour in the UK, Vincent, Eddie Cochran and the songwriter Sharon Sheeley were involved in a high-speed traffic accident in a private-hire taxi in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Vincent broke his ribs and collarbone and further damaged his weakened leg. Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Cochran, who had been thrown from the vehicle, suffered serious brain injuries and died the next day. Vincent returned to the United States after the accident. Vincent toured the UK again in 1963 with the Outlaws, featuring future Deep Purple guitar player Ritchie Blackmore, as a backing band. Vincent's alcohol problems marred the tour, resulting in problems both on stage and with the band and management. Vincent's attempts to re-establish his American career in folk rock and country rock proved unsuccessful; he is remembered today for recordings of the 1950s and early 1960s released by Capitol Records. In the early sixties, he also put out tracks on EMI's Columbia label, including a cover of Arthur Alexander's "Where Have You Been All My Life?" A backing band called the Shouts joined him.

Vincent died at the age of 36 on October 12, 1971, from a ruptured stomach ulcer, while visiting his father in California. He is interred at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, CA.

 

Sometimes life may appear boring, I like peaceful. There's a difference.

Distance is the answer.

Some days, I sit, and I remember. . .

Autumn, the best, and most beautiful season of the year.

Early Autumn at Pepple Creek