Dearly Departed Newsletter – 05/03/2020
Hello from Hollywood, the land of glitz and glamour… but with none of the glitz or glamour. It’s mostly just zombies lumbering around. That scene in Zombieland in front of the Chinese Theater? Yep. You might think I’m kidding. I’m not. Zombies.
To keep myself busy while still maintaining social distancing (Ugh. Sick of that phrase yet?) I have been uploading some of the videos I made.
First, I visited the site of the St. Francis Dam Disaster just north of Los Angeles. The dam disaster is considered one of the worst civil engineering disasters in American history. When the dam failed on March 12, 1928, a confirmed 431 people lost their lives, but there were probably hundreds more. Bodies were washing up in Mexico. The man in charge of the project was William Mulholland (as in Mulholland Drive). He’s the guy responsible for bringing water to Los Angeles, but it didn’t go well at first. His career ended as a steaming turd with that damn DAM disaster. On that happy note, here’s the video which has some pretty cool Then & Now photographs.
A few years ago I had the honor of interviewing Tammy Baiter who was nearly killed in front of Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the night before his funeral. It’s a fascinating story of a drunk driver who plowed into mourners just outside the gates where Elvis’s earthly remains were on display. Two girls were killed and poor Tammy was dragged for several yards before dislodging from the vehicle. It’s a horrific, fascinating story. Aren’t those the best. You can hear the interview here.
Recently I did a live chat on YouTube and had a great time talking to people and answering questions. I had a lot of fun and I think it went well. If you are interested – my YouTube channel is below and if you Subscribe you’ll be notified when I go “LIVE”. Thanks to everyone who tuned in and commented. I appreciate the support.
I also ventured over to Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills. If you live in Los Angeles, you know that being buried in certain cemeteries is essential to maintain your “in” status. Hollywood Hills is one such cemetery. Yes, there is a hierarchy even in death. I cruise around (BY MYSELF) and show you several famous grave sites but the one I really wanted to highlight is where Lucille Ball used to be. You read that right. Used to be. You see, Lucy herself made plans to be cremated and interred next to her mother, who was already there. Lucy’s wishes were followed … for a while. You see, her kids opened a tourist attraction in New York, so Lucy’s and Grandma DeDe’s graves were opened, they were exhumed and moved to become part of the tourist attraction. That, y’know, the kids make money on. As you do. So, here’s the story and tour.
One thing that really is sad about this video is that you’ll see some sites set up for upcoming funerals. There are just a few chairs for each service and the chairs are several feet apart. So you can’t even mourn your loved ones with your other loved ones. Which is the point of a funeral.
Everyone here hopes you’re doing well and safe (seriously). We can’t wait to see you again! Whenever the hell that is.
Love,
Scott and the Dearly Departed Team
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Hi Scott, I just wanted to say I remember visiting your site many times when I was just a kid, and Im happy to see that you’re still around…kind of like running into an old friend on accident…in the middle of the night…in my bed. Insomnia sucks. Stay safe keep up the good work!