The Pioneer Hotel before the fire. Picture from Wikimedia

I was sitting in my living room today having coffee when I saw the news that Louis Cuen Taylor the man blamed for the Tucson Pioneer Hotel was being released today. Many things went through my head including what it must have been like sitting in a jail for 43 years for a crime he more than likely did not commit. The other thing that was dancing through my mind was how the fire impacted me when I was just twelve years old, and it got me thinking…

I cannot remember how many times our family either drove by or walked by the Pioneer Hotel located at Stone Avenue and Pennington. I remember going inside of this grand hotel and recalling how luxurious it was and how incredibly big it seemed to a 12-year- old. It was one of the biggest buildings in Tucson at the time.

The Pioneer Hotel, which was an Arizona landmark, was eleven stories high. I recall my father, a carpenter, said that the city had every right to complain about the hotel since the fire department at the time could not reach the top floor. Albert Steinfeld built the hotel in 1929 and he made claim the hotel was fireproof and was safe.  He and his wife died that day in the fire.

What I remember so well was the date because December 19 is my parents wedding anniversary and no one is ever to forget their anniversary date! The year was 1970 and at the age of twelve, it was hard to understand how so many people could have died in a fire like that.

I recall the news saying that there were more than 750 people at the hotel that night. The great hotel was hosting a Christmas party for Hughes Aircraft employees and the hotel was packed when the deadly fire broke out.  I kept remembering the news talking about how people were jumping out of the window falling to their deaths. People were talking about how horrific it was to see people leap to their deaths.

For a kid, trying to imagine people jumping to their deaths was enough to create nightmares. I recall telling my parents about my nightmares and my mother would tell me not to watch the news. However, you did not have to watch the news. The talk of the fire was everywhere. It seemed like there was someone at school, or at church, or the grocery store that lost someone in the fire. It was impossible to not hear about the day Tucson lost the most people in one tragic event.

My dreams eventually went away, but the pain in my heart would stay there. Being rather empathic, even at twelve, I felt the scar that this would leave on Tucson and so many residents that lived here. The loss that day was profound.

Today, Louis Cuen Taylor who turns 59 this week and was a 16-year-old boy when fingers began to point at him, will walk away from this tragic event as well and walk into his freedom. Experts are saying that this fire might not have been arson. In fact, even the trial judge stated he would not have convicted Taylor.

For those who live here in Tucson and lived here when the fire broke out, December 19, 1970 will be a day we will never forget. It was the day the Pioneer Hotel burned down and killed 29 people. It was a day where one of Tucson’s tallest buildings no longer stood tall. It was a day where fire regulations began to change. It was a day that for some like me will forever remain as a cruel reminder that bad things happen to good people.

Do you recall the Pioneer Hotel fire?

I have this very cool cockatiel yellow bird named Buddha.  She flew in our yard one day 12 years ago and she has been one of our pets every since. You could almost say she fell out of the sky. I know that birds can be very social, but I work a lot so we got her TV to watch. The TV bit it and we got her a radio. Seems she likes the oldies station a great deal. The other day she was bopping away at a tune called Glad All Over and it got me thinking…

The Dave Clark Five band did the song Glad All Over, which was a song, that not just birds like to dance to, but people too. I caught myself bopping my head with the bird and dancing with her. Then I heard the DJ say that Rick Huxley, who was a founding member of the Dave Clark Five died on Monday at the age of 72.

No wonder they have been playing Dave Clark Five music. What? You have not heard much about Dave Clark Five? They were a British band back in the day with The Beatles, in fact, their song Glad all over topped the charts in the UK and the song was so popular that it knocked the  Beatles song I Want to Hold Your Hand off the chart.

So who was the Dave Clark Five? They were part of the British invasion. Some people in the early days compared them to the Beatles. I personally could never do that, however, there were some comparisons mainly because of their songwriting skills and they wrote most of their own material, which by the way at first, the Beatles did not.

I do not want to compare Dave Clark Five to the Beatles, not by far, in fact the only comparison would be that they were all part of the British invasion.  During their time they had  great songs that people enjoyed such as “Glad All Over,” “Do You Love Me,” “Over and Over,” “Catch Us If You Can,” and “Bits and Pieces.”

They, like many of their counterparts in that time period even had a movie called Having a Wild Weekend. The band started in 1961 and broke up in 1970. The band never got the recognition I felt they should have had after all, Dave Clark Five sold 50 million records and had 30 hit singles worldwide.

The Dave Clark Five was formed quite accidentally. They were not planning on appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and several coast-to-coast tours. No, they formed when a young Tottenham football player named Dave Clark needed to find money to help fund his team’s traveling expenses so he found Chris Walls, Rick Huxley, Stan Saxon and Mike Ryan.

No, the Dave Clark Five band could not be compared to by the Beatles, but for a few brief moments, when they knocked the Beatles off the chart, I have no doubt they felt compared, if only for a few moments. Sadly, when members of these 60s band pass on, I do indeed feel my age, and always am thankful I lived in a time where music was celebrated and not just downloaded. Yes, Dave Clark Five belonged to the great generation of British music.

Oh the wonders of Valentine’s day. It has got to be greeting cards number one biggest day. Flowers are purchased, candy is brought, and sweet nothings are whispered in each others ear.  There are so many things a person can do for this day of lovers it got me thinking…

It used to be people did not have telephones, little long cell phones or computers. Getting urgent messages to people was difficult and could take a while. Then in 1837, inventors created the telegram which is a message sent over a distance using a device called a telegraph and hand delivered by a courier. In 1851, Western Union was born and built its first transcontinental telegraph line in 1861.

Important to get a brief history of the telegram because it changed the way we communicated. It also changed the way we sent very special greetings in 1933. That is because it was the first time a singing telegram was sent. In the past, when the courier came with that yellow piece of paper, it meant something might have gone wrong, like a death. George P. Oslin, who at the time was the Western Union public relations director, decided to send a singing telegram from a fan of a movie star. Interestingly enough, the person that delivered the first singing telegram as a Western Union operator named Lucille Lipps.

Many people thought it was great fun to send a message this way and birthday wishes, anniversaries and yes Valentine messages were sent via singing telegram. The bottom line, if you were the recipient of a singing telegram, you would smile, laugh, and have a memory for a lifetime. Well that was until 1974, when Western Union suspended the service.

Fear not young lovers of singing telegrams. Western Union has decided to bring back the singing telegram. No, it is not couriers or operators delivering the song. We seem to be so much more modern than that. Western Union launched a website where customers can record and send their own karaoke-style audio messages to family and friends via email.

I know it just isn’t the same. I choose not to even call that singing telegram and in fact, a service that anyone can do with their computer. However, there are services that still do live come to your door singing telegrams, just make sure you have the money to dole out.

Indeed, once upon a time ago, singing telegrams could make Valentine’s day more romantic, more special, but those days are gone. I suppose what that means is if we want something done, we will have to do it ourselves. So excuse me while I go put my red on, and go sing to my special valentine. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.