When Breezy's Melody Marts (daddy's record shops) opened, the singers that recorded on those old 78's were Sinatra, Vic Damone, etc. and then.....something happened that changed our lives forever!
A man named Elvis Presley hit the industry and revolutionized the record business. Then 45's entered "stage-right", along with ROCK 'N ROLL and our shops were filled with my friends from school, where I worked for a quarter an hour, but loved visiting with my friends, and listened to records constantly!
This boy Elvis was good for our family business. Yes sir! It was here in Abilene, that I played drums in the school orchestra and marching band (how funny!) and studied piano.
My senior year of high school, as all in our family really wanted careers in music, Daddy and Mommy decided we should move back to California, as it offered many more opportunities for us all, and besides...we all just missed and longed for the Pacific Ocean! It was just always "HOME" to me. I loved my friends in Texas, but the weather was horrifying (right in central-west Texas--the DUST BOWL--Tornado Alley) and violent weather and I just DON'T MIX.
[steve] I was sixteen in 1962 when we moved back here to California. I met Steve Martin, on my first day of school and we eventually teamed up for a comedy act.
After graduation Daddy arranged an audition with a Mr. Jay Rubinhoff, the conductor of the Hollywood Bowl at the time, and his advice was: "She has a lovely, wonderful voice (I had studied now seriously since age 12--one day in church I sounded like a little girl, then the next Sunday I opened my mouth to sing and out came a WOMAN'S voice--A MOST SHOCKING EXPERIENCE I SHALL NEVER FORGET!).... BUT....said Mr. Rubinoff, there is NO place for a soprano these days--this boy Elvis Presley and rock and roll have changed everything. My advice is to do something else. You'll never WORK as a soprano."
I actually spent a few days "resenting" this Elvis Presley for changing everything. "If he hadn't come along, I might have had a chance at a wonderful career! Hmmmmm.....
My Dad reassured me that we should just forge ahead, hold steadfast to our dreams, and if I wanted it badly enough, it would be up to me. He would help me any way he could, take me as far as he could, then some day in some way, some opening would come up. He just advised me to be prepared for another source in which to earn a living, but left it up to me.
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