I was contacted recently by my friend Linda Tolman, who let me know that she was visiting her friend Shirley Otto (formerly Shirley Zion) in California, and that Shirley was sending her off with this article she wrote for the Musical Echos in March of 1948, concerning seeing Jeanette in concert in Chicago and meeting with her backstage after the show. Linda and Shirley thought I might like to publish Shirley’s article here on the blog, and they were certainly correct!! The stories of people’s interactions with Jeanette are ALWAYS fascinating and wonderful — please, if you have one or know of one that you would like to have shared, get in touch with me!
I received the pdf scan of Shirley’s article from Linda, and have attached it here. You may read it by clicking on this link: Shirley Otto Article 1948
My thanks to both Linda and Shirley for thinking of me in connection with this lovely account of Jeanette in-and-after performance, which I’m sure everyone will enjoy as much as I did! ❤
Last night, I was working through yet another box of JAM Project stuff, and I put my hands on an envelope containing…………..you’ll never believe this…………….all the photos Dorothy Spangler took that night, that Shirley writes about in her article. Go back and re-read the end of the article. We have those photos! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS ANYTHING????? I am constantly gobsmacked by how neatly these pieces fit together, so much of the time. Crazy, crazy.
Jeanette onstage during the show, in the gown Shirley describes, after removing hat and gloves. Photo: Dorothy Spangler
One of several photos (this is the best one) of Jeanette, backstage, chatting with Shirley and Dorothy. Photo: Dorothy Spangler
Here is Jeanette posing with Dorothy. If you read the article, Shirley writes that Dorothy asked her to take the photo and she didn’t know how to use the camera. Dorothy’s notation on this photos is that it was double exposed because Shirley didn’t know how to use the camera…..LOL! Photo: Shirley Zion Otto
Unreal that totally by chance, we’ve been able to put these photos and this article together! How fun is this?!?!
Enjoy, everybody!
The Case for Jeanette and Nelson 