Rapp, Danny

Died in Quartzsite

Danny (left) and the Juniors, circa 1960.

(Daniel Joseph Rapp, 1941.05.09-1983.04.05)  Singer.

Danny Rapp's story is a cautionary tale of a career peaking far too early.  At just 15 Danny was the front man of Danny and the Juniors as they appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.  Their song, "Do the Bop", had come to Clark's attention.  He suggested that they rename it "At the Hop".  They did, and it became a worldwide hit.  They became the Best New Group of 1957.

Two more hits followed—"Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" (1958) and "Twistin' USA" (1961, the year before Chubby Checker's record).  The last of their 12 singles to make the charts was released in 1962 when their stellar career began to flame out.

Danny and the Juniors broke up and regrouped over the years with a final split in 1978. Danny formed one group, and two other band members formed another. Both groups performed under the "Danny and the Juniors" name.

Danny managed to stretch his early success into a 26 year career performing his three hits at conventions, theaters, casinos, clubs, fairs and festivals.

Rapp's last performance was in Phoenix, Arizona at the Silver Lining Lounge of The Pointe Tapatio Resort.  The Pointe was a recently opened plush resort in the North Mountains, 20 minutes north of downtown Phoenix.  It was so new that work was still going on to complete some of its 500 rooms.  Danny and his group had a month long engagement which was scheduled to end on Saturday, April 2, 1983. Danny's contract with the resort paid him $1,000 a week plus free lodging, and half-price food and drinks.

 On Friday a vice president of the Pointe Resorts met with Danny to talk with him about a couple of offstage incidents in which hotel security had intervened.  The dispute was between Danny and a female performer who had been with the band less than three months. She quit the band on the day before the meeting, complaining that she was afraid of Rapp and that he had made verbal threats.

 Immediately after the meeting Danny packed and left. The remaining members of the band did the last two performances without him. Danny drove 165 miles west of Phoenix to the tiny town of Quartzsite, just 20 miles from the California border.  He was seen drinking heavily at the Jigsaw, one of the town's two bars.

Danny checked into the Yacht Club Motel on Saturday, getting one of the new mobile homes that made up the motel. At sometime over the weekend, he purchased a .25 caliber automatic from a private individual.

Danny's body was found in his hotel room on Monday, April 5, 1983, with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right side of the head

Rawls, Lou

Lived in Scottsdale

Lou Rawls, 1977.

(Louis Allen Rawls, 1935.12.01-2006.01.06)  Singer.

Just after the twice married three-time Grammy winner helped bring in 2004 at his New Year performance in the Memphis Peabody Hotel, he moved to a small room at the hotel to wed his flight attendant girlfriend of three years, Nina Inman.  He was 70.  She was 33.  Just a year before, Rawls had been arrested and booked in jail following a public shoving match with Inman at the Albuquerque airport. 

The newlyweds moved into a 4,315 square foot home on East Preservation Way in Scottsdale.  In 2005, the couple had baby boy, with the help of in vitro fertilization--and another woman as birth mother.  They were still married at the time of his death in Los Angeles.

Reagan, Michael

Graduate of the Judson School in Paradise Valley; attended ASU.

Michael Reagan, 2002.

(John Flaugher, 1945.04.01-    )  Ultra-conservative radio talk show host.

The adopted son of Ronald Reagan and his wife Jane Wyman was sent to the private Judson School in Paradise Valley.  When he graduated in 1964, his father gave the commencement address. 

Michael went on to attend ASU on a football scholarship, but dropped out in his sophomore year.  He returned to the state in 1967 and won the national outboard motorboat racing championship at Lake Havasu.

Reagan, Ronald

Frequent Phoenix visitor

(Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1911.02.06-2004.06.02)  40th President of the United States (1981-1989), 33rd Governor of California (1967-1975), President of the Screen Actors Guild (1947-1952, 1959-1960) actor.

The Arizona Biltmore proudly proclaims that every president since Herbert Hoover has stay at the Biltmore.  During his presidency, the Reagans made many visits to the hotel--the First Lady Nancy Reagan's parents, Dr. and Mrs. Loyal Davis, lived next to the hotel at 24 Biltmore Estates--but those were far from their first visits.  

Rehnquist, William H.

Lived in Phoenix

(William Hubbs Rehnquist, 1924.10.01-2005.09.03)  Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, lawyer.

After graduating first in his law school class at Stanford University in 1952 and then completing a clerkship at the U.S. Supreme Court, William Rehinquist moved to Phoenix where he practiced law for more than a decade.  His conservative disposition became evident with his opposition to legislative initiatives like one which aimed at achieving racial integration of schools through bussing. 

Reinking, Ann

Lived in Paradise Valley

(1949.11.10-    ) Dancer, choreographer, actor.

A protégé of legendary dancer/choreographer/director Bob Fosse (1927-1987), Ann may be best remembered for her performance in the Fosse autobiographical movie All That Jazz (1979) as the director's girlfriend.

In 2005, Ann and her sports-writer husband, Peter Talbert, plunked down $2,295,000 for a six bedroom home at Cheney Ranch in Paradise Valley.

Renay, Liz

Born in Mesa

Lived in Mesa, Phoenix

Liz Renay, 2006. Photo by Michael Albov .

(Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins, aka Melissa Morgan, 1926.04.14-    ) Actor, painter, gangster moll, stripper, publicity hound, great-grandmother.

Liz Renay was born to fanatically religious parents in Mesa in the same year, she is proud to say, as Marilyn Monroe.  At 14, she ran away from home with a girlfriend.  The young girls intended to become showgirls in Las Vegas, thinking that because they were big for their age with a lot of makeup they could look older.  They hitched a ride with a couple that turned out to be a minister and his wife who turned them in.

Reynolds, Burt

Witness at a coroner's inquest

(Burton Leon Reynolds Jr., 1936.02.11-    ) Actor.

Burt Reynolds, 1991. Photo by Alan Light .

When Burt Reynolds started filming the movie The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) near Gila Bend, he did not know that he would soon be called on to testify at a coroner's inquest called to investigate the mysterious death of a screenwriter. 

Reynolds, Debbie

Lives occasionally in Sedona

(Mary Frances Reynolds, 1932.01.01-    )  Actor, singer, dancer.

Debbie Reynolds has a condo in Sedona. 

Richie, Nicole

Attended the University of Arizona

Nicole Richie, 2010.

(Born Nicole Camille Escovedo, 1981.09.21-    )  Fashion designer, author and television personality.

Nicole attended the University of Arizona for two years where she studied Arts and Media.

A couple of years after her college stint, she joined her then best friend, Paris Hilton in the reality series The Simple Life (2003-2007) to become famous as a spoiled rich kid.  (Kourtney Kardashian was a classmate at U of A who followed a similar career path.) 

The premise of The Simple Life was to have the girls live and work (yes, jobs!) with ordinary folk in small-town America without access to their bank accounts or fancy cars.  It was designed as a reality version of the vintage sitcom Green Acres (1965-1971).

Nicole had impressive credentials to qualify her for such a roll.  She is the adopted daughter of soul singer, songwriter, musician and record producer Lionel Richie and his then wife.  Her godfathers were Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.  Because of the Richie's bitter public split, Nicole says that her adoptive parents indulged her every whim.

Ritter, John

Won a vacation in Lake Havasu

(Jonathan Southworth Ritter, 1948.09.17-2003.09.11)  Actor.

John Ritter, 1988. Photo by Alan Light .

In 1967, long before he starred in television's Three's Company (1976-1984) and 8 Simple Rules (2002-2003), John made his first television appearance as a contestant on the Chuck Barris game show, The Dating Game (1965-1973).  There he was introduced as a college student from Burbank majoring in drama. (He was actually just out of Hollywood High School where he had been the student body president, and would attend USC and major in psychology.)

John was one of three bachelors seated behind a wall vying for a date with a bachelorette standing on the other side of the wall with show host Jim Lange.  The bachelorette, an attractive blond named Sandy, proceeded to ask the guys a series of silly and/or suggestive questions to help her decide which of the men she would choose.

John's witty answers won the day, and Sandy chose him for her date.  Jim Lange announced that they had won a trip to Lake Havasu for their date where they would dine at Crazy Ed's restaurant. The thrill of winning that prize was evident on John's face.

The date would not be John's only connection with the state.  His mother, Dorothy Fay, was born in Prescott.

Rivera, Geraldo

Graduate of University of Arizona

Geraldo Rivera, 2008. Photo by SRintoul at en.wikipedia .

(1943.07.04-    )  Talk show host, journalist, author, actor.

Geraldo Rivera received a B.A. from the University of Arizona in 1965, where met the first of his four wives.

As an undergraduate, he reportedly made more than pocket change by taking tests for less academically inclined students.  He charged $90 for an A, $75 for a B and $60 for a C, taking tests in courses he hadn't even taken.

Robbins, Marty

Born near Glendale

Lived in Glendale

(Martin David Robbins, 1925.09.26-1982.12.08)  Singer, musician.

Marty Robbins was born in the desert near Glendale. One of nine children raised in poverty, he attended high school in Glendale, but dropped out to joint the navy during World War II. He learned to play the guitar in the Navy and joined a country music band upon his return to the Phoenix area.

The band performances led him to a radio program on Mesa's KTYL, and then to KPHO where he starred on "Chuck Wagon Time" on radio and "Western Caravan" on television.  In 1951, the hometown boy made it big, signing with Columbia Records.  In 1953, he became an official member of the Grand Ole Opry and moved to Nashville.

Robinson, Heather

Lived in Tucson

(1978.07.31-    )  Writer.

When Heather was 15 she invented an imaginary admirer to correspond with her mother, Jan.  Years later Heather was working for America Online in their Tucson customer service operation.  She met Carrie Fisher in a chatroom and told her the story of her mother's fictional romantic interest.  Carrie encouraged her to write a treatment of the story and submit it to a literary agent.  Heather sold the script to Universal where it became The Perfect Man (2005).  Heather sold a second script about her experience working for America Online which became E-Girl (2006)

Rogers, Roy

Owned Happy Trails resort in Surprise; sued Happy Trails head shop

Roy Rogers.

(Leonard Franklin Slye, 1911.11.05-1998.07.06)  Singing cowboy.

Roy Rogers, the "King of the Cowboys," got his big break in 1938 when Republic Pictures' major star, Gene Autry, went on strike for more money.  Roy, then a bit player, auditioned to replace Autry and got the part.  Along with the part, he got the horse, Trigger, "Smartest Horse in the Movies."  Nine years later, he also got the girl, when he married Dale Evans (1912-2001), "Queen of the West."

Rogers, Will Jr.

Died in Tubac

(1911.10.11-1993.07.10)  Congressman.

Humorist Will Rogers' son, former US congressman Will Rogers Jr. shot himself in the head in Tubac.

Ronstadt, Linda

Born in Tucson

Linda Rondstadt, c1970. Photo by Carl Lender .

(1946.07.15-    )  Singer.

Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson. 

Roosa, Stuart Allen

Attended University of Arizona

(1933.08.16-1994.12.12)  Astronaut.

Stuart Roosa was the command module pilot for Apollo 14, January 31 to February 9, 1971.  While astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the moon in the third moon landing, Stuart orbited the moon keeping the "Kitty Hawk" ready for their return.

Roosevelt, Elliott

Arrested in Scottsdale

Lived in Scottsdale

Died in Scottsdale

(1910.09.23-1990.10.27)  Advertising executive, radio broadcaster, author, editor.

Elliott Roosevelt, c. 1940. Photo by Rbraunwa .

The second son and third child of the nation's only four term president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the favorite son of Eleanor, and great nephew to Theodore Roosevelt, died in Scottsdale of congestive heart failure.

Mr. Roosevelt was no stranger to the altar. At the age of 40, he married his fourth and final wife, the former Mrs. Minnewa Bell Ross, who was an heiress to a California real estate fortune.  The couple would eventually settle in Scottsdale, after stops in Minneapolis, Miami Beach (where he was mayor), Portugal, England, Seattle, and Palm Springs.

Before settling in Scottsdale, Mr. Roosevelt had an experience there that made national news.  At 3:22 AM on April 4, 1959, Mr. Roosevelt was found asleep behind the wheel of his car and arrested for DUI.  He taken to the Tempe jail where he was given a "drunkometer" test and found to have a .208 blood alcohol level when the legal limit was .150.  Mr. Roosevelt posted $300 bond and was released.  He was found "not guilty" by a 9 member jury at a trial on June 9, 1959.

Ross, Diana

Arrested in Tucson

(Diane Ernestine Ross, 1944.03.26-    )  Singer, actress.

Diana Ross, 2008. Photo by Harrywad .

Besides being the lead singer of Motown Record's phenomenally successful The Supremes from 1961-69, Diana Ross is mother of a five children (including a daughter with Motown's founder Berry Gordy), a successful solo artist, and star of movies The Wiz (1978), Mahogany (1975), and Lady Sings the Blues (1972).  In 1966, Diana made a grand entrance via helicopter at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium starting her performance at Super Bowl XXX.

In May, 2002, Diana entered the Promises drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Malibu, CA before starting her global summer tour.  The treatment apparently didn't take since in the early morning of December 30, 2002 she was spotted weaving in the southbound lanes of Sabino Canyon Road in Tucson's Catalina Foothills.  Responding to a phone tip, Tucson police pulled her over as she approached East Tanque Verde Road.  Diana blew a 0.20 percent blood-alcohol concentration on the breath test, qualifying her for an extreme DUI citation.

Rose, Axl

Arrested at Sky Harbor

(Born William Bruce Rose, legally changed to W. Axl Rose, 1962.02.06-    )  Musician, singer.

Axl Rose, 2010. Photo by Guns N' Roses World Tour 2010 .

Axl Rose, whose name is an anagram for "oral sex," is the poster child for decadent late 80's rockers.  He achieved success and notoriety with "Appetite for Destruction," the debut album of his rock group Guns 'N Roses.

Rose has been arrested over 30 times on drunk and disorderly, assault, and other charges.  In February, 1998 he brought this act to the Southwest Airlines security checkpoint at Sky Harbor.

The security screener noticed a black, unidentifiable object in Rose's carry-on bag as it passed through the x-ray machine.  She started to hand search the bag.  Rose grabbed for it and went ballistic.  When the supervisor intervened, Rose shook a fist in his face yelling, "I'll punch your lights out, right here and right now!"

As Phoenix police were approaching they heard Rose saying, "I don't give a fuck who you are.  You are all little people on a power trip."

The little people placed him in hand cuffs and took him to the Madison Street Jail where he was booked for disorderly conduct.  The bag, containing no contraband, was given to the woman that was traveling with him.

Russell, Jane

Lived in Sedona

(Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell, 1921.06.21-2011.02.28)  Actor.

Jane Russell, 1953.

In 1941, Howard Hughes cast Jane Russell in her first picture. Her casting was reportedly due in large part to her large parts. The movie, The Outlaw (1943), was released only after two years and then on only a limited basis because of problems with the censorship board. Finally, in 1946 it received general release, and became a smash hit.

Jane moved to Sedona with her third husband, John Calvin Peoples, who died in 1999.  At the time of her death, she was residing in Santa Maria, CA.

Russell, Keri

Lived in Mesa

Attended in Poston Jr. High School in Mesa

Keri Russell, 2006. Photo by Caroline Bonarde Ucci .

(Keri Lynn Russell, 1976.03.26-    )  Actor.

Keri spent most of her childhood in Texas, but the family moved to Mesa in time for her to attend Poston Jr. High School. As a member of the Mesa Stars Dance and Drill team, she was able to tour the country. After the family move to Denver, Keri appeared on Star Search and was cast in the second coming of The Mickey Mouse Club from 1991 until 1993. Other television roles, including the title character in the short lived television series, Felicity (1998), and movies followed.