My husband Jim Sawyer worked with Leo in the LA studios in 1965. He helped launch his music career as a trombonist. He heard him play in Glendale Symphony and liked his playing so since he was orchestrating for MGM he talked Maurice Jarre into letting him play in Dr Zhivago when he was just 20. Jim exchanged Christmas cards with Faye for many years. I was born in Winston Salem and married Jim in 1994 after moving to California. We will go visit his grave next time we are in NC. We were there just a few weeks ago but were in Asheville. Thank you for this interesting article!
Maybe you're thinking of Ava Gardner. She was an actress born near Smithfield, NC. She was married at one point to Frank Sinatra and later to Mickey Rooney
A great piece. I knew about Aunt Bee, but not about him! Am I wrong, but isn’t Zsa Zsa Gabor also connected to NC? Somewhere in the eastern part of the state?
It was actually Ava Gardner - buried in Smithfield, just off of I-95. I knew years ago I'd stopped at a rest station or something similar and seen a memorial or reference to a 50s/60s actress, but I couldn't remember. And somehow in those intervening years, the name had changed. Glad to have that sorted! Keep up the excellent work - it's one of my favourite Substacks.
My husband Jim Sawyer worked with Leo in the LA studios in 1965. He helped launch his music career as a trombonist. He heard him play in Glendale Symphony and liked his playing so since he was orchestrating for MGM he talked Maurice Jarre into letting him play in Dr Zhivago when he was just 20. Jim exchanged Christmas cards with Faye for many years. I was born in Winston Salem and married Jim in 1994 after moving to California. We will go visit his grave next time we are in NC. We were there just a few weeks ago but were in Asheville. Thank you for this interesting article!
!!!
Lots of great movie music from the Golden Age of Hollywood is being forgotten. I find that sad.
Love it dude. Great rabbit hole as always!
Maybe you're thinking of Ava Gardner. She was an actress born near Smithfield, NC. She was married at one point to Frank Sinatra and later to Mickey Rooney
*That's* it.
A great piece. I knew about Aunt Bee, but not about him! Am I wrong, but isn’t Zsa Zsa Gabor also connected to NC? Somewhere in the eastern part of the state?
Not that I know of? Only thing that feels sort of rural about the Gabors is that Eva was on Green Acres.
It was actually Ava Gardner - buried in Smithfield, just off of I-95. I knew years ago I'd stopped at a rest station or something similar and seen a memorial or reference to a 50s/60s actress, but I couldn't remember. And somehow in those intervening years, the name had changed. Glad to have that sorted! Keep up the excellent work - it's one of my favourite Substacks.