LuRain Penny,
many years a songwriter and live performer.
*
A childhood complicated by abandonment and poverty,
she survived The Great Depression.
During the WWII, she knew a sense of purpose in community.
She loved the 1940’s
Everything fell apart at the Peace.
*
She drifted the Country,
singing in small road-side taverns and dead dive bars.
Sometime during the 60’s, last seen in San Francisco, she disappeared.
No trace of her for almost 20 years.
When she finally turned up,
she’d lost her name and most past.
*
A little Theatre troupe needing a singer took her on.
One by one, the audiences wooed her.
Her confidence grew as did her performances.
The thespians got themselves to NYC.
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By 1988,
LuRain Penny was the longest cabaret act at that time in the City.
A Comeback from Nowhere.
Winner of the MAC Award for best show.
The NY Times called her ‘feisty’ and Backstage – “genius”.
She had played all the clubs; Top of the Gate to the Bottom Line.
She opened for Ray Charles, Dr. Billy Taylor, and Taj Mahal, among others.
The troupe took over a small building of its own on the West Coast.
Miss Penny’s name up in lights.
*
Her health, was never robust.
The physical effort of performing nightly wore her down.
She suffered a “tiny stroke”.
For the last ten years, she’s been sidelined from live work.
Only an avid interest in all things technologic, sustained her through this period.
She considers her recovery ‘a schooling’; because she’s learned so much.
*
Now into her “Second Coming”,
LuRain performed in a university club in Vegas last April.
Her many active projects include podcasting, launching a videoblog this Fall,
and continuing to dictate her autobiography,
MAINTENANCE DRINKER IN THE NEW AGE,
here on WordPress.
;~?
She thanks you for your interest.
Stay tuned.
-lp(c)08-
Speak your mind!
OH, I am a fan for sure.
Don’t know where you are but I’ve got the camera if you want to do Youtube. Seriously.
Eva
This site mesmerizes and confuses me. It’s seductive while spooky, beautiful and slightly sad. This place may just become an addiction. I’m a little scared but I can’t stop looking.
LuRain,
It’s not where I creep that scares me, it’s that there are so many seductive places here to creep to that I fear might not be able to find (or want to find) my way home.
Question: Why is it that you say that you’re mad about the present state of world affairs, yet you (I assume it’s you though it’s written in the 3rd person) write that you loved the 1940s and everything fell apart at the Peace? Is it because you were young and having fun during the 40s or is it because the crazy crap we’re in now is worse than even all of the crazy crap then? I understand if this is something you may not wish to discuss.
It would by my honor if you were to link to my site. May I link to your site?
Remember The Plan? We gotta do something old friend. At least let’s go down singin’ and swingin’…
My regards Miss Penny!
The weather at us good, as yet, snow will be the next month, probably.
I receive a lot of pleasure on Your sites.
You have very big sense of humour!
And a good team.
With love
Alexandr