Family

elvagreen123

The Size of Success

eddieandhattieThough this picture is very small, I wanted to lead this post with it because in more ways than one it signifies success. From left to right are my mom Norma, my father Eddie, actress Louise Beavers, Louise Beavers’ father, Academy Award Winner Hattie McDaniel, and unfortunately I have not identified the woman on the far right. This photo was taken about 1939.  Eddie, Ms. Beavers and Ms. McDaniel were role models of success in the entertainment business, especially in the African-American community. My mom had begun to achieve success as an opera singer. My daughter, Melony (a success in more eyes than just mine), loves this picture.

I have realized over the past few days that success for me is finishing the book about my father’s life.  Relatively speaking, it’s a small thing. Thousands of people have written books. But today I actually felt successful. I had the motivation and the ability to search out information and put it down on paper. My skills with a laptop grew along with my need to use a laptop. Every person has the ability to succeed in life, whether it be on a grand scale or on a less than grand scale.

I have learned that success is achieved with the help of others. I never thought that I would receive as much help as I have during this process. From the beginning of my research for my book, through the writing, the proofing, until today, I have received support and encouragement from people I have met along the way.

Of course, it’s not finished yet. I am working on a Book Cover design (with help). And I have to get a picture taken of myself for marketing purposes (which means I need a new outfit, a manicure, hahaha). By the way, the title of the book is: Eddie Green – The Rise of an Early African-American Entertainment Pioneer.

I started my very first blog post back in 2014 with this sentence:  Best-selling author, Dean Koontz said, “I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.” I wanted this blog to help others determine the skills or abilities they possessed. I hoped to be able to help determine what motivates each individual person, and what it means to succeed in life. Hey, if I can do it………..

Thanks, for stopping by.

 

 

 

elvagreen123

APPRECIATION IS THE KEY

3rd set with new pictures 168
my father and mother 1945

The book I have written (yay!) on my father, Eddie Green includes a chapter donated specifically to my mom, Norma Anne Amato Green Beasley Washington. As this blog is basically about inspiring folks through the life story of my father’s success in the early 1900s in the entertainment industry I haven’t written a lot about my mom. For instance, Norma is not just “my” mom. As a Beasley she had four more children, Lance, Brad, Donna and Brian. Lancie-pants is no longer with us. Mom died in 2010. She was 87. If Eddie had lived until 2010 he would have been 119 years old. Yea, he was a lot older than Norma when they married.

When I was about ten or twelve, Mom told me that Eddie had written a song titled, A Good Man Is Hard To Find. She also told me that he said he had written it for her.  I always thought that was really sweet, until I grew up and found out that the song was written in 1917 and Mom wasn’t even born until 1923. I guess Mom knew that Eddie hadn’t really written that song for her as they didn’t meet until 1939 or so, but the fact that he told her it was written for her shows us that how we want to be treated as significant others never really changes.

Lately, it seems to me that a lot of comments have been placed on a certain social media site regarding how men need to learn how to treat their women. Appreciation is a big deal. Well, these types of issues were relevant back in 1917 also. Only in Eddie’s case it was about how  women need to treat their men. Eddie’s song was a major hit and was recorded many times by well-known and little-known artists, check out Bessie Smith’s version.

Thanks, for stopping by.

Elva D. Green

 

 

 

elvagreen123

I HAVE A PUBLISHER!

signontheottedline

When questioned about his recipe for success, my father Eddie Green said the best recipe that he has for success, is to find what you like to do and do it the best you know how.

I decided to write a biography of my father. Once I got into the process of researching this gentleman who died when I was three years old, I found that I liked doing the research. I have the patience needed for this type of project, of course, I have an interest in the subject, and as time went on the information I discovered gave me the impetus to keep searching. I was amazed at how much my father had accomplished in his lifetime that I never knew about. I began to like what I was doing. The book writing idea began back in about 1998, but the serious work began in 2010. I like it and I have done it the best I know how. This week I am signing a contract with a publisher. The very publisher I had planned to contact when I was ready (meaning when I got over being afraid of certain rejection).

I have a PUBLISHER. The cover photo is on my previous post and the title is: Eddie Green – The Rise of an Early 1900s African-American Pioneer.

And just in case here is another picture of Eddie:(Hopefully, WordPress places it here)

duffy'stavernPerino

Eddie is the little short dude standing next to Mr. Ed Gardner, his boss in the Duffy’s Tavern 1945 movie. I have to point out here, that Eddie and Ed became good friends and I have had the pleasure of being in contact with Ed Gardner’s son.

This week I am addressing the proofreading “those wonderful people out there” did for me, and beginning my photo scanning.

I am now in a new phase of my book writing project and I will continue to post about it here because, after all, this is why I bought this, my very first laptop. I wanted this blog to be an inspiration to others. I believe it has been judging by my friendly followers. So, stay tuned for more good news!

And Thanks! For stopping by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

elvagreen123

PICTURE THIS ON A BOOK COVER

329
EDDIE GREEN

This is the picture I want to use on the cover of the biography I have written about my father.  This is the only picture that I own. Norma, my mother, gave me this picture in 1980, I think, as a birthday present.  It was the only picture she had. Eddie died in 1950 and over the years, the other pictures that she had were lost. Some in a house fire in the 70s. I saw the pictures, when I was a little girl.  There was a picture of Eddie and Frank Sinatra on a stage, there was a picture of me in my bassinet with Eddie and Mom standing over me, and there was a picture of Norma’s mother, Sinclaire, with her hair piled up on top of her head and staring stone faced at the camera.  Sinclaire had on a floor length, white dress with buttons all the way up to her chin. An old photo from the 1920s or 1930s. I was shocked when mom gave me this picture of Eddie. She loved this picture.

In the past almost six years that I have been doing the research on the book, I have discovered other pictures of Eddie. Eddie as a customer in a 1929 Vitaphone fifteen-minute movie, Eddie as Ko-ko, the High Executioner in the Hot Mikado on Broadway in 1939, Eddie as a boxer in his own movie One Round Jones, Eddie with Louis Armstrong preparing for their radio program in 1937, Eddie chatting with George Burns, Eddie on an advertisement for the Community Chest during the war years, Eddie and Mom with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. at my christening.

None of these pictures belong to me. In order to use them in my book, I need to get permission from the copyright holders and pay a fee based on how many books I hope to sell, unless the pictures are in the public domain. Or a family member objects. It’s been so awesome discovering these pictures that I want to put them all in the book.  I am in the process of scanning the ones I can use, however, so that is a good thing.  The publisher may have a say-so on the book cover, but I think they will like Eddie’s “entrepreneurial, star quality” headshot.

Speaking of the publisher.  I have been in communication with a publisher.  Yes!  Soon I will have the pleasure of discussing the publishing side of this venture.  I haven’t exactly started jumping up and down yet, but I am so glad I started this journey. And I am not finished.  I am in the midst of what has become a serious learning process, that of going over my proofreader’s suggestions.

I think that there are many of us who have family members they would like to write about, be they movie stars or stay at home moms, or Uncle Jim, you know, the one who always makes you laugh.  I know there are people out here who are looking for good, uplifting stories. Share yours.

 

Thank you so much, for stopping by.

elvagreen123

Totally Inspirational

meandedward
Me and My Grandson, Edward

A little over a year ago, I posted my first blog with these words:

Dean Koontz once said, “I really believe that everyone has a talent, ability or skill that he can mine to support himself and to succeed in life.”

I found this quote while doing research for a book I will eventually complete.  I began my research in about 1998 because my then small grandson’s favorite word seemed to be “I can’t.” Usually in regard to why he did not finish his homework. His homework was always too hard. I came up with the bright idea to enlighten him on what a person can accomplish, by telling him about, and by writing a book for him, about my father, his grandfather, Edward (Eddie) Green, who was a black man born in poverty in 1896 and who rose to prominence despite many obstacles.  

 

Today, as you can see from the above picture, my grandson is no longer small, and I have completed the book. I have to say that my bright idea has also been good for me, in that I have gained a bigger and better understanding myself, of just how hard Eddie had to work to get where he got. For instance, in the above paragraph I have 1896 as Eddie’s birthdate, well, just last year I discovered that Eddie was really born in 1891 (SS application), so I guess he figured the age thing was a factor in getting ahead. Especially in entertainment, which is where Eddie’s talents took him. We all have this ability in one way or another.

When I began this blog I said I wanted to inspire people. I thought I would post poetry from time to time. Totally got away from that idea, because sharing my father’s ups and downs became paramount. Unfortunately, though I have gotten to the point in my posting that I have to slow down on what I share about Eddie or there will be no point to writing the book.  My posts so far have touched on instances in Eddie’s life up until 1945 and he died in 1950. I will continue posting on Eddie and my book writing adventure, but today I am going to post a poem written by my brother, Brian.

Brian’s many talents include writing poetry. I asked Brian early on to write a poem for me, but he wanted to write on a religious theme. I told him that this was not a religious blog, that it was about inspiring people. Haha, don’t laugh. Anyhow, I have realized during my research that people are inspired in many different ways, through many different pathways. Brian is a  funny guy (we have different fathers, but his father was the “life of the party” kind of comedian), Brian has a passion for writing poetry. Give him a word and you’ve got a poem. He loves to read and will pull out his pocket bible, or his latest historical article, in a minute. Today, before he got interested in the Super Bowl, I asked him to give me a poem over the phone, and I got one. Interesting that today  just happens to be a Sunday.

UNTITLED

It’s so good to know that even in the midst of our experience in this mortal life, Thank you Jesus is our reply, cause everything’s going to be alright!

So many things going on in our lives, can’t wait to fret something in a hurry! Remember the Lord said, Calm down, do not worry!

I wrote this to say my message is all about him; all the loving ways he is, we can do nothing without him.

Poem by:  Brian Beasley

Thanks, for stopping by.

elvagreen123

Surrounded By Flowers

mildredandeddie1939but1946poster

So this is my father, in a photo at a studio, surrounded by beautiful women. I have recently purchased a copy of the original photo, minus all the text. I even know now who took the picture way back in 1940. I didn’t know, until about a year ago, that these photos still existed. That they had been donated to a library here in California. The fact that at least one of the ladies is still with us, (Millicent, in the black dress), was a wonderful piece of knowledge I have also recently received. New knowledge and acquisitions have necessitated a few minor revisions to my book, but it’s all good.  Looking at this particular picture reminds me of what my mom, Norma, once told me-that Eddie enjoyed being around pretty women.  Like being surrounded by flowers.

Something I have discovered in the last five years about my father, is that Eddie enjoyed getting married, too. I learned that Norma, my mom, was his fourth wife.  I always knew Eddie had been married once before mom, and that I had a half sister from that earlier union, but the fact that Eddie had two more wives was news to me.  I only found out through my census searches.

Eddie married for the first time in 1909, to a lady born about the same time he was born, and in 1910 he and his wife had a daughter.  By 1930, Eddie’s first wife and their daughter were living in Philadelphia, and Eddie was married to his second wife, a twenty-nine year old nightclub dancer, and living in Manhattan. This second marriage only lasted two years.  By 1932, Eddie married wife number three, a twenty-two year old Trenton, New Jersey lady.  They lived in Harlem on 138th Street. This marriage was the first marriage Eddie discussed in a newspaper interview saying his wife would stay home and listen to his radio broadcasts and then tell him how he sounded. Eddie said that sometimes with him “his voice gets too high.” This third marriage lasted through 1940 or so while Eddie was in his first movie making venture.

By 1944, Eddie moved to Los Angeles, alone.  One of Eddie’s friends was Louise Beavers (an actress who appeared in the movie Imitation of Life). Eddie boarded with Louise in her house in the “Sugar Hill” district of Los Angeles, until he found and bought his own house, announcing that “he was just waiting for the right lovely to come along.”  Enter wife number four, my mom, Norma, twenty-two years old.  Mom was Eddie’s last wife, as he died in 1950.  Mom was young and beautiful, and she had a lot of young and beautiful girlfriends who were always hanging around the house, because, she said, their house was the place to be.  Eddie was a lucky man, a gentleman and a Star.

Thank you, for stopping by.

 

 

elvagreen123

Progress-two of my viewpoints

momwithfur

This is my father, Eddie Green and my mom, Norma, in about 1945-46.  Progress had been made in Eddie’s life, as you can see by looking at that coat around mom’s shoulders.  As I have mentioned before on this blog, Eddie did not start out with a lot of money.  As a matter of fact, when Eddie left home at nine years of age he didn’t have any money.  But he must of had a plan (excuse my English).  Because he wound up quite well-known in the entertainment industry, and at one time, had a lot of money. When Eddie left home, He intended to progress.

Home in 1891 (when Eddie was born) was Baltimore.  According to an old report from the  Johns Hopkins Hospital, which was in the area where Eddie lived: Typhoid fever was then very prevalent in Baltimore, especially in the city’s outlying areas. Drinking water was obtained from public pumps connected to shallow wells, now mostly contaminated by the myriad of privies and cesspools located in backyards. Mortality from typhoid fever in the city during the years 1888-1892 averaged around 229 cases per year, disproportionately affecting poor Blacks.  Things were not much better until after a 1904 fire that devastated a large portion of the city.  After the fire, progress began in regard to the sewer issues.

By 1917, Eddie had progressed in regard to recognition when he wrote his first song: “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” Words & Music by Eddie Green, which was recorded over the years by various artists, including Brenda Lee in 1967.

As a Black man making his way through the early 1900s, Eddie’s progress was steady, benefiting himself, those with whom he worked, his family and those who came after him.  His progress was a good thing.

I read somewhere the other day  that in some ways progress may not always seem good.  For instance, when I was little, I loved to play Tiddly-winks: images (15)

I mean I loved it. All by myself. Take one big disc, press down on a smaller disc and launch the smaller disc into a cup, wow! Today kids do not play Tiddly-winks, not even babies play Tiddly-winks, unless it’s computerized:  images (5)

Or take cars, we started out with what we now think of as funny looking, A Model-T:  images9LPUJHQE

Thanks to progress, we now have all sorts of car models.  We have electric cars and self-driving cars: 18th-Century-Math-to-Solve-Traffic-Jams-2

My point is, progress is about persevering and moving forward. I applaud my father for doing so, but, man, I really think little kids are missing something if they never play Tiddly-winks.

Thanks, for stopping by.

Typhoid Fever and Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, 1891

Photo courtesy: New York Public Library

elvagreen123

My Brother Was Right!

jay-z-holiday-charity (2)
Jay-z holiday charity*

Happy Holidays to everyone!! My brother, Brad Beasley, has told me from the day I started writing a biography on my father, Eddie Green, that Eddie was just like Jay-Z, who is a hard-working man who has made a name for himself as a rapper and as an entrepreneur, and who is married to a gorgeous, talented woman. I put off mention of any similarities, cause I couldn’t figure out how to write a relevant post.  At last I have found what I needed!  A picture of Jay-Z and friends at a holiday charity.

This provided a link that I could work with, because, not only was my father, Eddie, also a hard-working man who made a name for himself as a songwriter, actor and as an entrepreneur, and who was married to a gorgeous, talented woman (my mother), Eddie was also involved in holiday charity work.  Thanks to the research I have done, I just happened to have a newspaper article that covered Eddie’s act of charity on Christmas of 1940.  Following is the article.

As per the New York Age, Saturday, December 21, 1940:  Eddie Green to Play Host to 250 Poor Christmas Eve.

importfromphonejuly 132

“Eddie Green will play host to 250 of New York City’s poor on Christmas eve morning. Along with Arthur Oliver, manager, and about a dozen of the girl employees of Eddie Green’s Bar-Bee-Q, they will assemble at the Eighth avenue link of this popular chain of restaurants where they will pack and hand out Christmas baskets containing roasting chicken and all of the fixings that go to make up a good dinner. Tickets for these baskets have been distributed among quite a few responsible persons who in turn are giving them to families that they know to be needy.”

Then and now these two gentlemen had and have the spirit of Christmas. Decades apart, yet similar in outlook. Role models.

I wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you so much for stopping by!

*Jay-Z holiday picture courtesy http://www.fuse.tv and Google Advanced Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

elvagreen123

I’m So Excited

th (6)I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it!

 

Hi, there!  I have been working diligently on the biography of my father, Eddie Green, for the past couple of weeks, because I am so close to finishing and I want to get the manuscript sent out for proofreading before I send it to a publisher. One year ago I bought my first laptop and started this project. AND THEN, last week, out of the blue, I received a message from a lady whose 90-plus year old Grandmother, whose name is Millicent, had been in one of the movies my father directed, produced and starred in, “What Goes Up.” The movie was made in Fort Lee, New Jersey in 1939.

Evidently, Millicent had for years been telling  the younger members of her family about those days, but no one really listened until one family member decided to investigate. She went on line and found my blog (yay!) after typing in Eddie’s name, and now I get to add a bit more information to my book, and I get to share a little of Millicent’s story (she played a chorus girl in the movie) with my readers. This is exactly the type of thing I wanted to happen, though I wasn’t sure it would.

Millicent is the shorter woman in the front in the black dress.  I have had a copy of this photo for a long time, but had no idea who these women were. Now I know one of them.  Millicent and I live in different cities and have never met, but, boy, am I glad her relative found me.  (Laugh Jamboree was a Toddy Pictures production, though the movies, Dress Rehearsal, What Goes Up and Comes Midnight, were Eddie’s.)

Through her granddaughter, Millicent has provided me with more insight into Eddie as an entertainer and as a movie producer than she will ever know.  For instance, she says that Eddie was “all business”.  Well, in a Baltimore Newspaper article from around the same time that Millicent knew Eddie, the headline reads: ” As a Comedian, He’s Very Funny, As a Business Man, He’s Very Sensible and Comedy is a Business.” The article goes on to say “The fact that Eddie is so funny on the screen, stage and radio is due to the highly intelligent and efficient manner in which he conducts his work.”

The other thing about this contact with Millicent, is that, had my mother, Norma, still been alive today, she would have been 92 years old. For those that don’t know Eddie married my mom when he was 54 and mom was 22. So Millicent was a cast member in Eddie’s movie, about the same time Eddie first met my mom.  I love Millicent, I don’t know her, but that’s ok. I have a few more tidbits to share (Millicent was a beauty contest winner), but I will save them for another post.

Being able  to look back and “experience” the past through my book and this blog, brings me so much joy.  I mean, just because its 2015 does not mean past times are inconsequential. Past times, older people,  are extremely important to who we have become today, and well worth the attention, in my opinion.

Thank you, Sharon.

And, thank you, for stopping by.

Lyrics for “I’m So Excited” courtesy of The Pointer Sisters

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

elvagreen123

A Symbol of Abundance

untitled (29)

The horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers or nuts. The horn originates from classical antiquity, it has continued as a symbol in Western art, and it is particularly associated with the Thanksgiving holiday in North America and with harvest, prosperity and spiritual abundance.

This time last year, I had just started my blog.  I was a bit discouraged about the world situation at the time, as I still am today, however, this year I am experiencing more hope.  I have finished 90% of a goal that I set for myself, and I have stuck with this blog for a whole year.

My first post, Can’t is Not in My Vocabulary, explained how I came up with the bright idea to enlighten my grandson, in book form, on what a person can accomplish, by telling him about his grandfather, Eddie Green, a Black man born in poverty in 1891,  who rose to prominence despite many obstacles, and, I discussed how I would use my posts as a way to chronicle the writing of the biography about my father.

While doing the research for my book and verifying information for my posts, I discovered way more than I expected, not just about my father’s rise, but also about what motivates people, and about determination and how much work actually goes into achieving one’s goals, and how that work can be extremely rewarding. What I hoped to impart to my grandson, morphed into a desire to share inspiration to any person who feels they “can’t”. I want the experience of reading my posts to be as uplifting and inspirational as possible to those who could use a boost.

In America, Thanksgiving is traditionally a celebration of the blessings of the year. I am celebrating the achievement of my goal. I am celebrating the friendships I have acquired over this past year. I am celebrating the fact that people “follow” me. Yee haw! I am celebrating the fact that I am still just as gung ho about the research and the writing, as I was when I began this project.

I have a vague memory of my mom putting out her yearly Horn of Plenty for the Thanksgiving season, way back when I was a child, and it seems to me that, though I could not articulate this, I knew then that her well-used bamboo horn signified a never-ending source of good things. May you experience an abundance of thanksgiving.