Our Very Own Dianne

Dianne, we mentioned this earlier and I know you don't want to "toot" your own horn, so here it is.

I've read that you were a Mrs. Arizona, so you must be a very beautiful woman. You are a professional singer and taking acting lessons. You have also made nationally televised commercials. Which ones? I also see that you are scheduled as a guest speaker at the University of Arizona.

So please, can you address some of these topics?

Well, allrighty then!

Being Mrs Arizona and some loose change will get you a phone call. Actually, it opened up doors for me to model and do tv commercials. It's also what my publisher wanted to use on the book cover to show any woman can be a victim of abuse.

Let me think about the commercials...Molson Beer, TCBY, Lear Eye Clinic, and then I did what they call generic commercials. This means any doctor, office whatever can buy the commercial and put their name in it. I did commercials I never saw. It was fun but I had an agent that liked to hang onto my money for the most time she could without being legally in the wrong. That got tiring.

I'm taking acting lessons and having a ball. I love it, I have a passion for it. It's so exciting to me. I'm going to continue with the lessons after I move.

I spoke last year at ASU. I've done a lot of speaking and interviews in my time but have gotten away from it. I feel like I'm being led in a different direction but will always be of help to battered women.

That's so sweet of you to ask me about this.

See she's not just a pretty face...If you haven't read the riveting account of her own abuse in her book, "Whose face Is In The Mirror" you should. It blew me away...

Thank you I will Chatty and thank you Dianne!

Do you think these acting lessons could lead to a part in a movie?

What led you to compete as Mrs. Arizona?

You are amazing!!!!!How do you find the time to do all this or are you always "on the run?" Keeps you young and in shape though, I'm sure!

I don't have the ambition to be an actor. I've always wanted to take classes and thought, why not? My instructor has moved me up to the advanced class because he says I'm a natural. Actually, I think I'm a big ham.

I was told that Minneapolis has a huge community theater so I might venture into that after I've put a lot of classes under my belt.

I make time to do what I love. I blow the rest of the stuff off.

How I ran for Mrs. Arizona was because of a dream I had. In the dream I was competing and won and really happy. Didn't even know anything about the pageant. It's a miracle story in itself. Something that was meant to be regardless of me.

Thanks Chatty. Appreciate it deeply.

Dianne, that's awesome!
And I'd love to read your book.

I did Army Community Theater in the past, in different states and in Germany, while first hubby was in the military; it was so much fun. After I came back to Hawaii, I worked for TV and radio stations.
Next month I will be working with friends on something new...starting a local entertainment TV program on which I will host a segment. Gonna be so exciting!
Keep us posted on what you will be doing

Dianne, I have a friend who does the local dinner theatres. What fun, and boy are those shows good! I admire you for following your dreams at midlife. You go girl.

Have you met Marilyn Kentz through NABBW? Check her out on the associates page. Her site is www.fearless-aging.com.

She does a stage show called Boomer Babes. She's also an author. Very much into midlife issuses in a fun way. I bet you'd like her.

Do you think it would create a problem if I told them the play had to end by 9:00 PM so I could go home and go to bed?

I did community theater years ago in AZ. It was "Kismit or Kismet...see how involved I was, I can't remember how to spell it. I got to play the hussy wife of the king or emperor. Type casting no doubt. It was fun.

Wow Diamond. I'm seriously impressed. That answers the question about make up in another thread. That is really exciting!

My screenplay is still waiting for me. Patiently waiting. This acting bug thing took over and I've shoved everything to the side...except the move. Hey! My office is cleaned out. That was a major undertaking.

Okay now dish Dianne: Someone in another thread said that if they were not mistaken, you had dated Troy Donahue.

If true, tell us about it and how that first date came to be.

I used to be very involved in community theater. In fact, that's how my husband and I met. We got out of it when we had our kids and never got back. But we have wonderful memories of all the shows we worked on, both on and back stage.

I want the dish on Troy Donahue, too, Dianne!

I'm sitting here waiting for a man to return who is test driving my hot rod truck. Yep, selling her. I hate to haggle on price but I'm not going to let him bring me down.

Okay, Troy. We met while I was involved with the Mrs. Arizona pageant and he, along with Edd Burns (cookie, cookie, lend me your comb) were two of the celebrity judges. We just made friends. I was separated from my husband at the time but working on getting back together.

We wrote letters to each other periodically and talked on the phone as just friends. Then, when I got my divorce a year later, we hooked up again as friends but it developed into something stronger. We had a long distance romance for about a year. We broke up and that's when I met the abuser and after that horrible marriage, Troy and I reconnected. I mention him as a friend in my book but not by name because he really helped me to stop dwelling on the negative and look at reality. He was good that way.

We had a pretty volatile relationship. We're both outspoken and can be dogmatic. We decided to just be friends.

At the time of his death, he was engaged to a lovely oriental woman. He had a thing for oriental women so why he dated me is a mystery. I will always miss our deep conversations and he was really a good friend in the end.

When you find a man you can have good, deep conversations with, it's priceless.

Dianne, what is the target move date? End of this month?

I'm speechless Dianne. Thanks for telling me about Troy Donahue.

A hot rod truck, something I've always wanted!

Yeah, me too and I had a little tear in my eye when he drove it away as the new owner. But, it's just a material thing. It would have been in storage more than out on the road so...

We're trying to get me moved by the end of this month. I have to have work done on my lovely varicose veins and want it done before I leave. Don't want to have to go through the testing again with a new doctor. My doctor is being very good about working with my time frame.

My husband just bought me an Infiniti QX56. What a ride! Black with charcoal leather seats, navigational system, camera for backing up, loaded. I love the beast! That's why I sold the rod.

I should mention that Troy was a diehard member of AA. I went to a meeting with him once in Santa Monica and it was full of the whose who of Hollywood. Just blew me away. Shows that all that fame and fortune don't stop all the problems in the world.

When I was appearing on the Grand Old Opry in Nashville back in the late 60's Buck Owens said to me; "now girl, remember getting to the top is only half the battle, staying there is the other half." He and several other entertainers in that conversation were talking about how alcohol and drugs ran rampant in those worrying about staying at the top. When trying to attain fame you're too busy and tired to drink & drug but afterwards you have time to think and get paranoid...what do you think?

Boy what a bunch of stars we are among here. I for one am impressed.

smile

I know I am too! Wow, is all I can say!!!!

Chatty, although I'm leaving this area, whenever I pass what is now the Ryman where they had the Grand Old Opry, I will think of you being there. They now have a new facility by the Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills. It's nice and the seats are comfy but the history just isn't there.

Dianne? Are you moving from Nashville? and where to? I was hoping to meet you when we go down to debut our song "Daddy"!

Sherri

Chatty, you performed at The Grand Old Opry????
This, I did not know. You have had such an interesting life.

Chatty, tell us about it and don't be shy or humble. After all an accomplishment of this magnitude can't be told without all the facts.

Chatty has led a very interesting, successful life. She should be proud.

Sherri, moving to MN the end of this month.

OK Chatty...got to spill it.

Ladybug you asked so here goes(yawn.) My so called singing career started I guess as a child in Catholic school. I have good strong pipes and sang countless solos in Church for over a 10 year period....After becoming a widow at a young age I quit the church and went to work. Years later I married a cocktail lounge owner in Chicago and he had what they call jacks along the bar and everyone did singalongs. I sang with the band a few times and he noticed how the crowd got quiet and listened always asking for more(drunks.) We later moved to the chain of lakes in upper Illinois and bought a tavern there where we had visiting bands and I would sing. One night we were in Chicago at a friends club and Fats Domino was the entertainer, I sang with him all night and we had a ball. He told me to send him a tape which I did and he gave it to someone who contacted my husband and made arrangements for me to do a demo. Buck Owens band the Buckaroo's were the back up for my demo. I made 45's and a couple of LP's. during my career. I was called the new Patsy Cline because of a certain cry in my voice. I did all her stuff and some showtunes. I was a guest for 6 times on the Opry when it was on weekly TV. I had a ball, couldn't ask for nicer kinder more helpful people. I fell in love with George Jones, he was the neatest man and best singer. Anyway that all lasted for a couple years and I was offered a recording contract with Columbia but was newly pregnant with my second son and was sick as a dog for 9 months, 24/7...Just to show you what I mean, Mark weighed in at 9 pounds 11 ounces and I was a full 18 pounds lighter the day before I delivered him, than I was when I got pregnant. Do the math. My husband and I were having soooo much trouble because he loved the success and all he could see were the dollar signs, the money he was loosing and the fame he seemed to think would be his own, go figure....I divorced him and never went back to singing. Actualy I never liked the lime light. I sang because it made him so proud and happy. I don't like attention being called to myself, never did. I loved to sing but hated the crowds. I liked making records. Now I sing in Church only for God, no solos either. Thats why writing has been so good for me, I like the solitude....Thanks Dianne for your comment and I am proud of almost all the many things I have been good at in my years upon this planet....HEY, I should write a book..!!!!

[ January 16, 2006, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Awesome story, Chatty!
And singing for God is the best.

That is indeed awesome Chatty and thank you for telling us all about it.

You know you probably should write a book. How many of us even get to do a fraction of what you and Dianne have accomplished?

Please take a bow to my applause talented ladies!

Great story, Chatty. You did something with your singing voice, which I never did. And I'm sure there's more than one book there.

Chatty, you're da' bomb!!!

smile

Chatty.....what a life you have had. Keep up the good work!
Your sense of humor and spice still keeps me laughing.
Keep that up too!
Lynne

Chatty, I wish I could've heard you!

Chatty, that was awesome!!
I agree, singing for the Lord
tops it all.

Chatty, I love George Jones too. When I mentioned it to the gals on my website they thought I was crazy. I am...crazy over George!

You gals may not know what a biggie it is to be invited to sing at the Opry. And six times. That's beyond amazing. What a woman!

Chatty...
Wow, what an exciting life you have...so multi-talented.
Ever run into Willie Nelson? He has always been my favorite.

Geez, may I come in and rub elbows with chatty and Dianne? What fun stories. You're both so humble. You've been around here for years and I never heard some of these stories. You gals are great.

Chatty, what songs did you sing? That is so awesome! Dianne, my cousing in California, (don't ask me her name, that was too many years ago,) dated Troy Donahue at one time too. Are you my long lost cousin? lol.

Sherri

Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants!

That Troy---he got around, didn't he?

Sherri there were so many, soooo many but here are a few of my favorites...The ones with the (*) I recorder.

It Wasn't God Who made Honky Tonk Angels...
Today, Tomorrow and Forever...
Let the teardrops Fall...(*)
Just A Closer Walk with Thee...(*)
Leavin On Your Mind...(*)
Love letters In The Sand...(*)
Crazy Arms...(*)
He called Me Baby...
Does Your Heart Beat For Me...
Sweet Dreams (Of You)...(*)
Back In Babys Arms...(*)
Faded Love...(*)
Always...
You Took Him Off My Hands...(*)
I Fall To Pieces...(*)
Lovesick Blues...
Your Cheatin Heart...(*)
Walkin After Midnight...(*)
This could be a very long list but you get the idea I think....thanks for asking.

Chat, do you by chance still have any of these recordings? I would love-love-love to hear them. Some of my favorite songs.

Chatty.....me too! Would love to hear them.
My most favorite is Walkin After Midnight.
This song has a lot of wonderful memories for me!
Lynne

The ones I do have are mounted on these memorial wooden plaques and I can't take them apart. I would have to really do some digging to see if any still exhist. I had a bunch at one time but we are talking in the late 60's and early 70's...
My ex had a great collection but when he died my sister-in-law took it and wouldn't give them to me...I sang for Dotsie over the phone once just fooling around. If we ever have a get together I promise to sing something even though my voice has changed considerably since my youth and no practice...

When I move into the sky flat, I'm taking my Baby Grand with me. Now, if we have a boomer out there who plays the piano and knows these songs, I see a get-together in the future. I'll tell David he has to take an out of town trip. If no boomers here play, I'll just invite my friend, CJ who can play anything. I see a party coming on and a great one at that.

I'd sure love to hear you sing too Chatty.

It would be wonderful to meet you too Dianne.