About Me
"WHEN VENUS AND JUPITER MADE LOVE" WRITTEN BY ROSA LEE BROOKS (c)91- (c)2003"LET ME TAKE YOU IN THE WAY BACK MACHINE,THIS WILL BE A JOURNEY".I GREW UP RIGHT HERE IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES.I CAN STILL REMEMBER WHEN I WAS 2 OR 3 YEARS OF AGE, HOW MUCH I LOVED TO SING. I WOULD SING EVERY SONG THAT CAME ON THE RADIO . I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY THERE WAS D JAYS JOE ADAMS AND HUNTER HANCOCK. THEY PLAYED ALL THE GREAT AND EARLY PIONEERS OF THE DAY,LIKE MAHALIA JACKSON,SISTER ROSETTA THORPE,CLARA WARD SINGERS,BILLY HOLLIDAY,ESTER PHILLIPS,IVORY JOE HUNTER,LOUIS JORDAN,JOE LIGGENS AND THE HONEYDRIPPERS ,BIG JOE TURNER "SHAKE ,RATTLE AND ROLL"( THE TRUE ORIGIN OF ROCK&ROLL MUSIC) ,LIONEL HAMPTON , COUNT BASIE,DUKE ELLINGTON AND CAB CALLOWAY.AT AROUND AGE 4 1/2 I REMEMBER WINNING A CONTEST AT CHURCH FOR SINGING "YES JESUS LOVES ME". I CAN STILL REMEMBER THE ENERGY I FELT AND ALL THE APPLAUSE AND AMENS THAT WERE SPOKEN. I KNEW FROM THAT DAY FORWARD , I WANTED TO BE A SINGER. MY FAMILY SUPPORTED MY EVERY STEP AS I PERSUED WHAT I LOVED. MUSIC,MUSIC,MUSIC.IN SCHOOL I JOINED EVERY CHORUS AND GLEE CLUB I COULD JOIN,ALWAYS PARTICIPATING IN PLAYS AND MUSICALS. AT AROUND AGE 9, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AROSE. I WAS GIVEN A MUSIC SCHOLORSHIP TO ATTEND AND STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA....MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS MUSIC PROFESSOR SAW SOMETHING IN ME , I HAD THIS GIFT AND ABILITY TO PICK UP ANY INSTRUMENT AND JUST PLAY IT AUTOMATICALY... IT WAS REALIZED THAT I WAS A CHILD PRODIGY. THE PRUNING AND LESSONS BEGAN TO MY DELIGHT. I BEGAN MY STUDIES AT EUBANKS SCHOOL OF MUSIC. ALSO AT PROFESSER SIMS SCHOOL OF MUSIC.I LIVED IN A NIEGHBORHOOD THAT HAD ALL THE GREATEST ICONS AND LEGENDS OF TODAY CULTIVATING. MS. LENA HORNE LIVED ON PARK FRONT WALK. THE ROW OF HOMES JUST FEET FROM THE PARK. SHE LIVED IN A TRUBADOR STYLE HOME, WHERE WE WERE PRIVELEGED TO HEAR HER LOVELY VOICE AS SHE WOULD REHEARSE IN HER HOME.A YOUNG BARRY WHITE AND I WERE FRIENDS AND PLAYMATES AT SCHOOL. WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AT SOUTH PARK IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT WAS SINGING ALL AROUND...THERE WAS MS.ETTA JAMES,WHO IS MY HEAVIEST INFLUENCE AND RICHARD BERRY, SINGING THEM SONGS "WORK WITH ME ANNIE", ANNIE HAD A BABY ", ROLL WITH ME HENRY" ,AND THE HIT SONGS RICHARD BERRY MADE "LOUIE,LOUIE",AND "PRETTY GIRLS"..RUTH BROWN,"MAMA HE TREATS YOUR DAUGHTER MEAN" AND LAVERNE BAKER "JIM DANDY TO THE RESCUE" WERE ALSO VERY INFLUENTAL ,THAT WAS ROCK AND ROLL.I WAS THERE IN THE HOOD WHERE ALL THIS CREATIVITY WAS GOING ON...AT YET ANOTHER HOUSE ON THE BLOCK THERE WERE REHEARSALS OF THE GROUPS, THE COASTERS ,THE PLATTERS,THE FLAIRS. I WAS TRUELY BLESSED TO SEE AND HEAR THE GENIUS AT WORK...LATER WE MOVED TO A STREET AND THE FAMOUS 5-4 BALLROOM WAS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.I COULD SIT ON MY FRONT PORCH AT NIGHT ON THE WEEKENDS AND HEAR JAMES BROWN AND THE FAMOUS FLAMES WITH JIMMY NOLAN ON GUITAR,BIG MAMA THORNTON "YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUNDOG",IKE AND TINA TURNER,BILLY ECSTINE,AURTHUR PRYSOCK,CAL TJADER,WILLIE BOBO,MONGO SANTA MARIA TO NAME A FEW....THERE WAS ENTERTAINMENT PERMEATING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY,WE WERE RICH WITH THE GIFTS OF MUSIC AND TALENT.I WAS EMERSED,DIPPED ON BOTH SIDES IN IT, BAPTIZED IF YOU WILL. I ALWAYS HAD THE GUITAR AROUND ME. I LOVED THE SOUND IT MADE, THE RICHNESS IN THE CHORDS. MY DAD BROUGHT MY BROTHER JAMES A GUITAR WHEN HE WAS AROUND 12 YEARS OF AGE.MY DAD PLAYED AND HE BEGAN TEACHING JAMES HOW TO PLAY.... DAD KNEW ALL THE BLUES PIONEERS BACK THEN, THERE WAS T-BONE WALKER,GUITAR SLIM,LIGHTININ HOPKINS,MA'RAINEY,SAM RAINEY, LOWELL FULSON. THEY WERE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF DAD'S AND SOMETIMES THEY WOULD COME TO OUR HOUSE AND JAM WITH DAD AND BROTHER.I WANTED TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR BUT I WAS ON THE PIANO LEARNING TO READ AND PLAY. AND MY BROTHER JAMES AND I PLAYED TOGETHER WE CREATED MANY SONGS. AT ABOUT AGE 15 , I BECAME A PROTEGE' OF MR. JOHNNY "GUITAR " WATSON R.I.P. JOHNNY TOOK ME ON MY VERY FIRST SINGING DEBUT. WE WERE AT A PLACE CALLED JOHNSONS RANCH IN PERRIS CALIFORNIA.BACK THEN ,THERE WAS A BLUES I LOVED TO SING BY MS.AREATHA FRANKLIN CALLED "YESTERDAY I SANG A LOVE SONG,"TODAY I SING THE BLUES". I REMEMBER RECIEVING THE WARMEST RECEPTION WHEN I FINISHED THE SONG. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY,THAT GAL CAN SING THE BLUES...... I REALLY GREW FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.AT AGE 18 OR 19 MY GUITAR PLAYING BROTHER INTRODUCED ME TO WILLIE HUTCH R.I.P.. WILLIE AND I BECAME GOOD FRIENDS AND HE USED TO COME TO MY HOUSE WITH HIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR. THERE WE WOULD PLAY AND SING AND CREATE SONGS.IT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME IN MY LIFE,GETTING TO EXSPAND MUSICALLY.AROUND THIS TIME I JOINED AN ALL GIRL GROUP CALLED THE RIBBONS. THE LEADER OF THE GROUP WAS MS.EVELYN DOTY.WE HAD 2 CHART HITS OUT CALLED "I AIN'T GONNA KISS YOU NO MORE " AND "AFTER LAST NIGHT". AT FIRST IT WAS REALLY A LOT OF FUN.I HAD THE CHANCE TO TRAVEL ,DO ENGAGEMENTS AROUND TOWN NORTH HOLLYWOOD,THE VALLEY AT THE LAZY X AND PALAMINO CLUBS ETC. I MET MORE GREAT AND TALENTED PEOPLE,THE FAMOUS ROGER MILLER,GLEN CAMPBELL,PIANIST AL KRAMER DRUMMER DEWEY MARTIN.. I DO BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART,ALL THIS WAS IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAY I WOULD MEET AND MAKE MUSIC WITH THE LEGENDARY JAMES MARSHALL /JIMI HENDRIX AFTER 3 OR 4 MONTHS PAT PATRIDGE AND I LEFT THE RIBBONS.IT WAS DUE TO THE CONTROLLING OVER BEARING LEADER OF THE GROUP.WE BECAME A SINGING DUO AND STARTED DOING CLUBS TOGETHER, WE EVEN CUT A RECORD OR 2."BIG CITY GUY"..WAS THE NAME OF THE SINGLE WE DID TOGETHER.... THE CALIFORNIA CLUB HAD BECOME A FUN HANGOUT FOR US .ALL THE LOCAL TALENT SUCH AS GUITARIST DAVID T WALKER,BUZZ COOPER AND THE KINFOLKS BAND ,THAT WAS BEFORE THEY BECAME CHARLES WRIGHT AND THE WATTS 103 STREET RHYTHM BAND,IKE AND TINA TURNER, ORGANIST JIMMY HAMMOND,JOHNNY OTIS,NINA SIMONE TO NAME A FEW WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE. ON THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS LITTLE RICHARD AND HIS 28 MAN REVUE WERE IN TOWN PERFORMING AT THE CALIFORNIA CLUB.I MISSED THAT SHOW.BUT ON DECEMBER 31 NEW YEARS EVE 1963/64 I DECIDED TO GO OUT FOR THE NEW YEAR TO SEE IKE AND TINA TURNERS REVUE.THEY WERE PERFORMING AT THE CALIFORNIA CLUB THAT NIGHT. WHILE SITTING AT MY TABLE WITH MY DUO PARTNER PAT ENJOYING THE SHOW,WE WERE SEATED UP FRONT AS I RECALL. I KEPTED FEELING SOMETHING PULLING ON ME, IT WAS TELLING ME TO TURN AROUND,TURN AROUND.WHEN I TURNED AROUND THERE WAS THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN STARING AT ME ,I BEGAN TO STARE BACK AT HIM.WE WERE ON LOCK, FROZEN IN TIME ...WE STARED SO LONG UNTIL I FELT EMBARACED .(HE LOOKED LIKE HE DID ON THE "CRY OF LOVE")SO I TURNED BACK AROUND TO WATCH THE REST OF THE SHOW . I REMEMBER,TINA WAS GETTING DOWN WITH A GOLDEN FRINGE DRESS SHIMMERING AND IKE WAS STROKIN THEM STRANGES ON THE GUITAR. WHILE THE IKETTES WERE DOING THIER THING WITH THE BACKGROUND VOCALS"DARLIN YOUR STARTIN TO GET NEXT TO ME""ITS GONNA WORK OUT FINE " WAS THE TUNE I RECALL. I HAD KINDA FORGOTTEN ABOUT HIM FOR A WHILE.THEN I GOT UP TO HEAD FOR THE LADIES LOUNGE.THATS WHEN THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN STOOD UP,AND REACHED OUT HIS HAND TO ME AND TOOK ME BY THE HAND .HE INVITED ME TO COME AND JOIN HIM AT HIS TABLE.SO WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE LOUNGE,I JOINED HIM. HE WAS IN THE RED LEATHER BOOTH,I SAT AND THEN HE SAT NEXT TO ME.HE ASK ME WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DRINK,THEN HE HAILED THE WAITRESS AND ORDERED OUR DRINKS.HE SAID HIS NAME WAS JAMES MARSHALL,BUT I COULD CALL HIM JIMMY,BUT I LIKED JAMES MARSHALL BETTER SO THATS WHAT I CHOSE TO CALL HIM.I SAID IM ROSA LEE,HE IMMEDIATLY CALLED ME A FOXEY LADY. THIS WAS A TERM OF ENDEARMENT BROTHERS USED FOR LADYS BACK IN THE DAY.HE HAILED THE CAMERA MAN OVER TO TAKE OUR PICTURE. HE WAS WEARING A WHITE DRESS SHIRT, BLACK SLACKS AND BLACK SPANISH BOOTS,I WAS WEARING A TURQUIOSE KNEE LENGTH TUNIC TOP WITH BLACK STIRRUP SLACKS AND BLACK SPANISH BOOTS.I WOULD LATER SEND THAT PICTURE TO JIMI WHEN HE WAS LIVING IN HARLEM (PERHAPS SOMEONE MAY OWN IT ?).AT MIDNIGHT WE COUNTED DOWN TO THE NEW YEAR 1964, HE KISSED ME, UMMM!!!. WE WATCHED THE REST OF THE SHOW AND BY THEN GLEN YOUNGBLOOD HAD APPEARED AS DID MY DUO PARTNER PAT. JIMI INTRODUCED GLEN TO PAT.THEY JOINED US AT THE TABLE WHERE WE WERE ALL TOGETHER UNTIL THE END OF THE SHOW. AT THE TIME I HAD A 1959 CHEVY IMPALA CONVERTIBLE,MISTY BLUE IN COLOR,WITH A WHITE RAG TOP.WE WALKED OUT OF THE CLUB AND JUST ACROSS THE STREET WAS MY PARKED CAR. I RECALL JIMI'S COMMENT,"NICE CAR". WE ALL GOT IN ,PAT AND GLEN IN BACK,JIMI IN THE FRONT SEAT NEXT TO ME. WE HEADED TOWARDS HOLLYWOOD,WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A BITE TO EAT. THERE WAS A RESTURANT ON SUNSET AND LA BREA CALLED TINY NAYLORS .WE ARRIVED,PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AND GOT OUT, AND ENTERED THE RESTURANT.WE WERE SEATED IN YET ANOTHER RED LEATHER BOOTH ,WITH A BIG BAY WINDOW TO LOOK OUT OF. IT WAS A GREAT VIEW AS I RECALL, WE ORDERED BURGERS FRIES AND COFFEE. WHILE DINNING IT FELT LIKE JIMI AND I HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER ALL OUR LIVES, IT WAS A VERY DEEP SPIRITUAL CONNECTION. I REMEMBER ALL THE JOKES JIMI AND GLEN WERE TELLING AND THE LAUGHTER ,MY FACE WAS TIGHT FROM LAUGHING. THEY HAD MANY FUNNY STORIES ABOUT THIER BOSS LITTLE RICHARD...... WHEN WE FINISHED OUR MEAL AND CONVERSATIONS ,IT HAD BEEN DECIDED THAT I WOULD GO TO BE WITH JIMI AT HIS PLACE. AT THE TIME HE WAS STAYING AT THE WILCOX HOTEL,LOCATED ON SUNSET AT WILCOX NEAR SELMA. I REMEMBER JIMI AND I GETTING OUT OF MY CAR AND ME HANDING MY KEYS TO PAT.I TOLD HER I WOULD CALL HER WHEN I WAS READY TO BE PICKED UP. JIMI AND I ENTERED THE BUILDING AS PAT AND GLEN DROVE AWAY.HE HAD A NICE ROOM WITH A SOFA AND A BED AND IT HAD A LOT OF SPACE.I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE THERE. I REMEMBER LAYING MY SCARF OVER THE THE LAMP TO MAKE THE ROOM A LITTLE MORE COZY. I SAT DOWN ON HIS BED ,LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT ALLOWED ME TO MAKE LOVE TO THIS MAN WITH NO HESITATION OR INHIBITION,THE DESIRE WAS TOO STRONG , AS JIMI BEGAN TO HELP UNDRESSED ME, HE SAID ROSE, BEAUTIFUL FLOWER,GOLDENROSE, ...JIMI UN- BOTTONED THE TOP I WAS WEARING ,THEN HE PULLED OFF THE BOOTS AND THE STIRRUP SLACKS....I REMEMBER THE WAY HIS HANDS FELT TOUCHING MY SHOULDERS AS I SLIPPED OUT OF THE TOP...THOUGH HIS HANDS WERE BIG AND VERY LONG, HIS TOUCH WAS GENTLE AND VERY TENDER . HE PULLED ME CLOSE AND KISSED ME SO PASSIONATELY UNTIL MY BODY WENT LIMP, I WAS ON FIRE ALL IN MY SOUL,.....I NEVER FELT LIKE THAT BEFORE, IT WAS SO MUCH PRESENCE BETWEEN US,...SO POWERFUL..........REALLY POWERFUL..........HEAVENLY..... HE WAS THE BOY THAT I DREAMED ABOUT,............... SOUL KISSING EXPLODING INTO EXSTACY ............OH MY GOD ..............IS WHAT I FELT,...(AND IT TURNED OUT I WAS RIGHT.)HE WAS A GOD ......SPIRITUAL,ARTFUL LOVE MAKING.... ON AND ON TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PASSION WE CLIMBED. ......AIR FANNING THE FLAME, ...TOUCHING, CARESSING ,...LOVING ,...BECOMING ONE, UNTIL ALL NEEDS WERE GONE,THAT NIGHT WHEN VENUS AND JUPITER MADE LOVE..... IT WAS DAYBREAK WHEN WE FELL ASLEEP. SLEEPING AND THEN WAKING UP TO BEGIN ANOTHER SESSION WITH JAMES MARSHALL..................(JUST A LITTLE ,SPANISH CASTLE MAGIC)..IT WAS THE BEST NEW YEARS I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE...... WAKING UP IN THE AFTERNOON..... "MY DIARY WAS BORN"................. TO BE CONTINUED................IN HER HAND A FLOWER PLAYS AWAITING THERE FOR MEIN MEMORY OF JIMI11/27 JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIXI,M THE ONE THATS GOT TO DIE, WHEN ITS TIME FOR ME TO DIE..................
SO LET ME LIVE MY LIFE,THE WAY I WANT TO..............................................LOVE YOU JIMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
