Lucia Pamela
Encyclopedia
Lucia Pamela was an American musician
, bandleader, and eccentric
. She is remembered today largely for an album and coloring book
concerning an imaginary trip to the moon
.
Pamela studied at the "Beethoven Conservatory of Music and Voice" in Germany
. She joined Flo Ziegfeld
's "Broadway Follies
" after her return to America
. She was voted Miss St. Louis in 1926.
She was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not
for memorizing a record 10,000 songs. She led the all-girl orchestra and Odeon Theatre house band the Musical Pirates, said by some to be the first all-female orchestra, and hosted radio programs including The Encouragement Hour, Kansas City, and Gal About Town, Fresno.
She produced only one album, Into Outer Space With Lucia Pamela (circa 1969, Gulfstream and later on L'Peg), whose songs are mostly about an imaginary trip to the moon. The song "Flip Flop Fly" was featured on the radio by Bob and Ray
in 1973, but the album was all but forgotten before being reissued in 1992 (record label: Arf! Arf!, recorded from a vinyl source and produced by Irwin Chusid
) to greater acclaim.
She also produced a cartoon coloring book, Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela in the Year 2000. In 1994, the pop group Stereolab
recorded a tribute to her, "International Colouring Contest", on their album Mars Audiac Quintet
; the intro of the song includes a voice sample of Pamela herself ([]).
She died in 2002, age 98, in Los Angeles
.
Later that year, Tony Kushner
wrote a short play about Lucia Pamela called "Flip Flop Fly." The play imagines Pamela meeting Queen Geraldine of Albania (who also died in 2002) on the moon.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, bandleader, and eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
. She is remembered today largely for an album and coloring book
Coloring book
A coloring book is a type of book containing line art for a reader to add color using crayons, colored pencils, marker pens, paint or other artistic media...
concerning an imaginary trip to the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
Pamela studied at the "Beethoven Conservatory of Music and Voice" in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She joined Flo Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
's "Broadway Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
" after her return to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was voted Miss St. Louis in 1926.
She was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
for memorizing a record 10,000 songs. She led the all-girl orchestra and Odeon Theatre house band the Musical Pirates, said by some to be the first all-female orchestra, and hosted radio programs including The Encouragement Hour, Kansas City, and Gal About Town, Fresno.
She produced only one album, Into Outer Space With Lucia Pamela (circa 1969, Gulfstream and later on L'Peg), whose songs are mostly about an imaginary trip to the moon. The song "Flip Flop Fly" was featured on the radio by Bob and Ray
Bob and Ray
Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as...
in 1973, but the album was all but forgotten before being reissued in 1992 (record label: Arf! Arf!, recorded from a vinyl source and produced by Irwin Chusid
Irwin Chusid
Irwin Chusid is a journalist, music historian, radio personality and self-described "landmark preservationist." His stated mission has been to "find things on the scrapheap of history that I know don't belong there and salvage them." Those "things" have included such previously overlooked but...
) to greater acclaim.
She also produced a cartoon coloring book, Into Outer Space with Lucia Pamela in the Year 2000. In 1994, the pop group Stereolab
Stereolab
Stereolab are an alternative music band formed in 1990 in London, England. The band originally comprised songwriting team Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier , both of whom remained at the helm across many lineup changes...
recorded a tribute to her, "International Colouring Contest", on their album Mars Audiac Quintet
Mars Audiac Quintet
Mars Audiac Quintet is an album by the band Stereolab, released in August 1994. Initial releases of the CD came with bonus two-track disk, the double vinyl album came with a 7'...
; the intro of the song includes a voice sample of Pamela herself ([]).
She died in 2002, age 98, in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Later that year, Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert "Tony" Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film, Munich.-Life and career:Kushner was born...
wrote a short play about Lucia Pamela called "Flip Flop Fly." The play imagines Pamela meeting Queen Geraldine of Albania (who also died in 2002) on the moon.
External links
- "Moon Lady: The long, wondrous life of Lucia Pamela"Riverfront TimesRiverfront TimesThe Riverfront Times is a weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri that consists of local politics, music, arts and dining news in the print edition and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its website...
- Biographic documentary made by Danielle Lemaire, a friend of Pamela's
- IntoOuterSpace.com: All Hail Lucia Pamela!
- New York Times obituary
- "Flip Flop Fly" by Tony Kushner