AMY WINEHOUSE TRAGEDY "TODAY" AND REMEMBERING MY COUSIN ANISSA JONES TRAGEDY FROM "YESTERDAY"

(These are the exact paper dolls I still have in my collection)

The big news of "today" is that Amy Winehouse has passed away-most likely from the physical strain of addictions. One of the big "drug overdose" stories from "yesterday" was that of my beautiful and talented cousin Anissa Jones. She was my cousin through my father Samir Al-Tawil. His Uncle was her Grandfather in Charleston, WV. Last year, I reminisced with some school friends in Charleston who remembered some of her family that lived there.

I never met Anissa as she was in California when I was a child in the 70's but I was such a fan of hers in re-runs of "Family Affair" that I felt I knew her. I had the "Buffy" paper dolls that featured her and the wonderful bespectacled "dolly" in the blue dress. Indeed, many of my school friends and I reminisced as much about "Mrs. Beasley" as we did Anissa and her co-stars Johnny Whitaker, Kathy Garver, Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot.

There was a discussion tonight on Joy Behar about Amy Winehouse. One of the commentators was saying he felt that doing drugs added to the "vulnerability" that made her a better singer. I didn't agree with that characterization of the situation because some people are sensitive, and indeed, "vulnerable"-but not necessarily through the aid of chemical substances.

I'm a singer, a dancer, and an actress who has always been known for depth, sensitivity, and creativity-that's what I'm told anyway-but I've never even smoked marijuana. I can remember going dancing in the 1980's, having a great time, and really burning up the floor with the gang from work "after hours." Some, not all, passed around a drug they called "poppers." I remember not partaking of it-I was so busy dancing-and doing so with handsome young men who were more interested in the "drug" of "romance."

I drink wine but have never had a stomach for the abuse of it. I feel fortunate also that the "Greektown" scene of my childhood and growing into maturity years was not a "drug scene." Again, it was the passionate music and dance that stirred the senses and emotions. I was never bored-I've known great heartache in my life though. Still somehow I've gotten through it on my own and sometimes, when lucky, a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.

I've thought about Anissa on and off through the years but around last October of 2010 I became overcome with grief thinking about her "out of the blue." This "grieving period" went on for a couple of months until about January. I read up again on her life. I don't really know why. My late half sister Renee' and I had talked about her a few times before her own death in 2008 in a car crash. This particular time I thought of Anissa in October 2010, my psychic intuition seemed to be in some sort of hyper overdrive. I may never know why, or one day perhaps the reason will be revealed to me! That is usually how it goes with my intuition. (Actually, I have heard recently that another sister of mine in Los Angeles is very sick. I'm not sure when they came down with their ailment though).

In memory of Anissa Jones I'm sharing a wonderful video tribute from "YouTube" and I'm sending out love to anyone who is struggling to cleanse their body and mind of these terrible addictions. You have my best wishes and my heart in your quest.

Anissa Jones Video Tribute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpXReLR5ouQ

Anissa Jones Tribute Page:
http://www.tyler.net/tambbs/anissa.htm

JOHANNA WHITE: VERSATILE AMERICAN DANCE STAR WHOSE LIFE WAS BITTERSWEET, DEAD AT 84

Johanna White was born in WV in 1927 to James and Lee White. From an early age her home was filled with music as her father was a dancer, singer and musician, along with his brother Roscoe, in the "White Family String Band." From her father she learned Appalachian and "soft shoe" type dance, plus waltzes, polkas, and "The Charleston." As a child of the "great depression," she was enchanted with images from Hollywood and found inspiration in Shirley Temple. Formal training in tap and acrobatic began at age seven with Alma Ellison Britt in Charleston. WV. A favorite dance she did in recital was a recreation of Shirley Temple's "In Our Little Wooden Shoes." (Johanna also suspected, but was not sure about her Roma Gypsy heritage, as her father also had a repertoire of Gypsy songs from a few different regions and her Aunt was passionate about and learned a tradition of fortune telling with cards from their Grandmother. Roma male

"The Mystery of Aris San": A Brief Memory of the "Sirocco" and it's Remarkable Owner

When I was twelve or thirteen years old we were hired by Aris San to perform at his club "Sirocco" which was literally straight across town from the now defunct "Greektown 8th Avenue" district which was on West 29th St. The old Armenian Quarter was also not far from there on the East Side. My mother was already having woes with the NYC school board over the right to home school me and we were thinking of leaving town at the time. Our joint shows at the time involved "Laziko" with fire on our heads as an opening-if I'm not mistaken-we opened with that at his place. I remember my mother saying this nightclub was oft a hangout for the actor Anthony Quinn (I've since heard that Telly Savalas also frequented the place). I also remembered a musician with what seemed to almost be what they refer to now as a "Jewfro." I remember the audience was great and we were treated well by the management even though I was not fully aware what a huge

With a "Thong" in my Heart: 1980's High Cut Turkish Belly Dance Costumes

"With a thong in my heart!"....well...not really. I was a young teenager belly dancing in the 80's and 90's but for some reason this style never made it my way. Maybe because my mother Johanna was from the 1960's scene in New York and you just did not wear that "hi-cut" a costume. But, in some ways, I admit that this later trend did happen to flatter the "gams" if you had any to "show off" and gave the legs a longer appearance. One dancer that I really admire is Zinnur Karaca. She seemed to come along when this was in vogue. She's a great dancer, with or without a "hi-cut" costume belt and skirt. Zinnur Karaca Tukay Karaca

Aziza Al-Tawil's World

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