Jennie Pearl-Part 2

Peoria Anthology Folk Group

Still feeling the excitement, shock and utter admiration for Jennie, I decided to look Jennie up online to just see what others were saying about her and to see if there was some sort of link to her song. I was overwhelmed by the number of sites that referenced Jennie and her song “Maybe In Another Year.” Among the links was a link by someone named Stephany Howard who has made a “Radio Station” called Jennie Pearl Radio at Pandora http://www.pandora.com/music/artist/jennie+pearl

The Hype Machine has a page dedicated to Jennie at http://hypem.com/track/228293

Salon.com http://www.salon.com/ent/audiofile/2006/03/14/pearls/index.html

SonicLiving by Sarah P. http://sonicliving.com/index.php?searchtype=wl_viewlist&searchstr=353&page=2

Oh there are SEVERAL reviews, links, stories of what the song means to people but then I came across this!

Chuck Perrin: http://www.chuckperrin.com/closeup.php?v=9

My heart did a backflip! It turns out this page is dedicated to the Peoria Anthology Folk Group. Chuck Perrin and his lovely sister Mary were two of the originators of PAFG. I began looking at the information here, realizing that I had a direct link to Jennie’s past through Chuck. My mind went on a rampage. Did Chuck know where Jennie was? Had he too been searching for her? Did he still have an interest in her and could he be an ally to getting her back on track to singing and perhaps writing and performing again. I read every line and then came across a photograph. It had served as the cover for the Album that Jennie’s song had first been recorded. There in front of an old storefront were a group of young people and there with her back against the side of the building was a very young Jennie Pearl. Waif like and as fragile as the voice in the song I’d heard, she sits there, long blond hair and looking every bit like a child of 1970.

I began to cry. I don’t know why exactly. Perhaps it was just finding this amazing link to her past, and partly because she looked so sweet and innocent sitting there and I thought about how the sentiment and beautiful melody had come from one so young.

Again my mind raced wildly. Should I contact Chuck? Should I talk to Jennie about it before I contact him? Perhaps there were reasons she left the group, maybe it wasn’t a happy parting, maybe she would be upset with me for intruding in her life. But I remembered Alan’s face, almost a pleading to help him to encourage Jenny. I decided to take the chance and contact Chuck. So here is part of the letter I wrote to him:

“Hello Chuck. Jennie Pearl is my next door neighbor…well she’s married now of course (and very happily I might add) to a wonderful guy. I just learned about her singing life just a couple of days ago from her hubby, who, coincidentally has only recently come to know about his own wife and her singing “career”. I have been absolutely enthralled with her “story” since her hubby showed me the letter she had received from the New York Times that was sent to her following a phone call from the reporter who let Jennie know that her song had made it on to a compellation disc “Ladies From the Canyon”. Jennie had no idea according to her husband. They are a little shell shocked to discover that her song has become extremely popular all over again!”

I sent it off, wondering if Chuck would think I was some crackpot, or perhaps just some SPAMMER with some pretty advanced methods! But actually before the day was through I received this note from Chuck.

“Thanks for the email Londie . . . I was sort of responsible for the search to locate Jennie, and I have been reaching out from time to time to encourage her to continue to pursue the gift she has of making music. I will try to do so again, and perhaps, since you are in closer contact to her, you will do the same.”

Well, this set off a whole NEW set of questions. I wondered if her husband had known that Chuck had been trying to encourage Jennie and did he know of their correspondences? Obviously he still cared deeply about her. I felt the caution in his succinct note and realized he was treading lightly. After a couple more emails from me with more information about Jennie and Alan, Chuck mentioned he wanted to come back to Peoria to have a reunion concert with the original people from the PAFG. Would I be interested in helping him? Absolutely I was interested! He mentioned there was another member they were seeking now, Dan Young. Dan was a terrific musician and a great football player in high school. That was all I had to go on. I didn’t want to dilute my mission with Jennie, but assured him I would do what I could to help find Dan and would love to be a part of a reunion concert if we could arrange it with everyone.

Now, all I had to do was talk to Jennie. I needed to find the opportune time to speak with her. So my quest to speak to Jennie had officially begun. I needed to try to encourage her, pique her interest in singing again, help her overcome any fears she might have about it and at the same time, try to maintain a good neighborly relationship with Alan and her. I began taking my little Karaoke machine on my back porch and sang in my little gazebo, hoping it would attract her and make her come on over to question me about my singing. I don’t do too badly. I have personally sung semi-pro since I was about sixteen years old. I sing all the time on a site called SingSnap and I do a LOT of at home Karaoke. I knew my voice wouldn’t frighten her away at least. I noticed she was on the porch a couple of times when I was singing, but it didn’t entice her to come over. Plan ONE was a bust, now on to Plan TWO…Direct contact.

I asked my husband if he’d mind if I asked Alan and Jennie out to supper some evening. Both my husband and Alan work for the same company but at different facilities. They both have a lot in common as do Jennie and I. So with his blessing I set about to ask Alan about going out for a supper.

I caught Alan coming home from work one evening. I told him about my contact with Chuck Perrin and that I had tried to find an opportune time to speak to Jennie but had found her hours of work conflicted with my being able to approach her. I asked if he thought the dinner would be a good idea. He was very pleased that I had asked. Jennie came outside while we were talking and I asked them if they’d like to go out some evening. They named the day and the restaurant and I began my task of figuring out how to broach the subject with Jennie without number one embarrassing her or number two angering her.

We set the evening for the dinner but I received a phone call from Alan saying they would really appreciate it if they could reschedule. My stomach had already been tied up in knots awaiting this dinner, but I rescheduled for the following week with them. Knowing that we would finally be able to sit across from each other and talk about her song, her singing and the inevitable question of why she didn’t sing any longer was rolling over and over in my mind. How to do it, what to say? I was using a LOT of antacid thinking about it and worrying about it. In the meantime I had done research on Dan Young and found that he had made a trip to Peoria (although I don’t know where from!) and accepted admittance into their Football Hall of Fame at Richwoods High School in Peoria. At least he was still alive. Now to track him down! But that would wait until my dinner out with my neighbor, Jennie Pearl.

TO BE CONTINUED!