WHAT A FABULOUS NIGHT CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF NANCY WILSON

 

I am a major Nancy Wilson fan. Last night at the beautiful Lincoln Theater did not disappoint. 

 

Nancy attended West High School.

 

I went to public school one year (my Irish heritage mother called it protestant school) when my new Catholic parish school was being built. In my class was Nancy’s brother, Tony Wilson. I was a fish out of water at the school (as I explain in my memoir ROYAL ROOTS). I was the oddly dressed “Catholic School Girl.” I sat at my desk differently- hands folded on the desk, ramrod straight in my seat. The other girls had va va voom patterned hose and capezio sexy shoes (tops of toes enticingly exposed. I had white anklets and penny loafers. The other girls had cat eye makeup. I had rosacea which flamed to a broil when I was embarrassed, which was hourly. 

 

Tony Wilson, and his best buddy Danny Farley, befriended me despite my being backward, more on the Shirley Temple side rather than Brigette Bardot, and clearly raised under a cabbage leaf. Tony was so sweet. 

 

Nancy is deceased and Tony died way too young (meningitis). Some of the Wilson family were in attendance last night. I did not have an opportunity to thank the family for Tony’s kind wings of friendship. As the fabulous singers and Jazz Arts Club band swung in the stars of Wilson’s songbook, I smiled toward heaven.