| Shel Dorf introduced me to Josephine Baker. My stepdaughter, Glenella Douglas, got to meet her too. |
Shel took me and my stepdaughter to the Ahmanson
Theatre to see the great Josephine Baker. Jo Baker
and Shel were friends. She was right up there with
the greatest showmen I've ever seen. At one point,
Ms. Baker invited the audience to come onstage for
a dance contest. Shel urged Glenella--who was
about ten at the time--to go up--and she won the
dance contest. Josephine Baker gave her an
autographed photo and a poster after the show.
Shel said, "Hi, Jo. Remember me?
Shel? From Detroit?" And she gave him a big hug
and they talked a bit and asked after each other.
Theatre to see the great Josephine Baker. Jo Baker
and Shel were friends. She was right up there with
the greatest showmen I've ever seen. At one point,
Ms. Baker invited the audience to come onstage for
a dance contest. Shel urged Glenella--who was
about ten at the time--to go up--and she won the
dance contest. Josephine Baker gave her an
autographed photo and a poster after the show.
Shel said, "Hi, Jo. Remember me?
Shel? From Detroit?" And she gave him a big hug
and they talked a bit and asked after each other.
How could Shel top that? Well, he and my mother showed up separately, unannounced, one day in 1987
to discover me out in the back yard fighting with nature. He called "Patrick" and snapped a photo as I
turned and looked in the wrong direction. Then my mom dropped in. Shel and my mom knew each other.
Shel said, "Let me get a picture of you." This is the last photo ever taken of my mom, Gurdi Culliton. She
got taken out in a house fire two weeks later.
to discover me out in the back yard fighting with nature. He called "Patrick" and snapped a photo as I
turned and looked in the wrong direction. Then my mom dropped in. Shel and my mom knew each other.
Shel said, "Let me get a picture of you." This is the last photo ever taken of my mom, Gurdi Culliton. She
got taken out in a house fire two weeks later.
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