Part 64: Wild Riley Shepard: A Memorial
Today is Sunday, February 7th. I heard something the other day about how when a death toll reaches a certain number, people begin to...
Part 37: Jan and Riley
Once, when they were in a group of people, Riley said, "Remember when we met Kris Kristofferson?" Everyone turned to look at Jan.
Part 34: Riley “Cooper” and Morris Levy, Roulette Records
Morris Levy was described by AllMusic as "a notorious crook who swindled artists out of their owed royalties."
Part 32: Short Blog on Riley's life in 1958
I know he missed his kids, and that my father had no idea how to stay in touch with them once his relationship with his exes was off
Part 31: Outlaws in the Wild Wild West
In the late 1950s, something went terribly wrong for Riley. So wrong that he dragged his wife (kicking and screaming) out of NY.
Part 30: Riley Writes About Marilyn Monroe When She was 19
I found a page of my father's journal, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I read it over and over. I remember our talks about her.
Part 29: The Cat and The Ashes
*The role of Jo's cat in this blog will be played by Sarah Harlett's cat, Alfie... Alfie is a member of SAG/AFTRA and Equity.
Part 26: "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" and Riley Sells Songs...
Why did my father work so hard to get respect, fair treatment, and equal pay for hillbilly performers, only to squander his own money?
Part 23: "He Enjoyed Tricking People," She said.
Here's what I grapple with. Did my father believe his lies sometimes, or lie so often that he became confused about reality?
Part 21: Live and In Person: Famous, Beautiful, and Talented.
Riley was young in the mid-1940s. New York offered him many fantastic opportunities to find work and meet new people.