OBIT: Pearl Parrish - A Pearl of great price has passed away

Subject: OBIT: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: WyoWoman
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 07:52 PM

My guess is that none of you knew Pearl Parrish. A Wyoming resident, Pearl was a master of old-timey country songs and Western songs and real-as-real-could-be honky tonk songs. She knew probably 2,000 songs, she once told me, and I don't doubt it for a minute.

Pearl grew up in Collinsville, Oklahoma, the same town my mother grew up in and she was my Mom's age. But the two never knew each other. Pearl was born almost blind and lost what remaining sight she had, save for a tiny sliver of light and vision in one eye, by the time she was 12. She wanted more than anything to go to school, she loved learning, but there wasn't any way a girl back then in the early 1930s could do that. So she dropped out of school and she started learning a few songs.

Defying her parents, she married a musician when she was 13 and began traveling with him on the backroads of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico -- throughout the West and Southwest, singing in bars and on radio shows. Singing throughout the Great Depression, living in their car much of the time, with their guitars and, too often, his love of whiskey. They had a great old time, she said, and she sparkled when she told her stories, so I believed her. But he drank and was an ugly drunk, and she eventually left him.

But she kept on singing. Kept on learning songs and sharing songs and best of all sharing herself. And that was a gift indeed, for Pearl had the kindest heart and the merriest disposition of anyone I've met, in spite of the hardships life had handed her.

Pearl never could read music, couldn't even see the words. Her vast library of songs and keys and who she "got this song off of" were all stored in her beautiful brain and her big, kind heart. I am so sorry I didn't spend more time with her, learning her songs, letting her know what an inspiration and a star she was in my firmament. I'd like her to know I finally learned that F chord, but that, in spite of her encouragement, I still don't think I'll ever be able to bar. I believe that we often get more than one mother in this world, and Pearl was one of mine, singing a kind of music of which my own mother would never approve.

I met her when she was turning 80. That was three years ago. I remember the twinkle in her sightless eyes as she adopted a flirty, adorable expression to sing "Let's Go Spend Your Money, Honey," or "Hey, Good Lookin'." Pearl was just plain cute, even in her 80s. I stood backstage with her several times as we competed in the female vocal category of various old-time country music and old-time fiddle shows. I always wanted to win, but always hoped more that Pearl would.

Pearl passed away last week. I am blessed to have known her. I wish you all could have.

I'm sorry she had to go, but I know the Angel Band has a new member now, and she'll keep them busy, sure enough. Lord knows she's got a whole lot of pickin' and singin' to share with them.

WyoWoman

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Lena
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 07:58 PM

I wish too.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:06 PM

Wonderful.....beautiful WW.......We are often blessed as you say to have more than one mother....Had a few myself. Pearl was lucky to have you too. What you wrote isn't just lovely.........its what immortality is all about..........Thanks KC, I'd write more but the tears are a little hard to see through.

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Alice
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:12 PM

Thanks, KC, for telling us about a beautiful life of a beautiful lady. What a treasure for you to have known her and have her in your memory.

Alice

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:19 PM

WyoWoman- thanks for telling us about her. Have you noticed that when we describe another person we actually describe ourselves even more clearly? Thanks especially for that.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Morticia
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:31 PM

She sounds like a very special lady......as are you for your warm and wonderful description of her.....thanks for sharing......I feel like I knew her a little bit and care about her passing, and when all is said and done,that's the most that can be hoped for any of us.....I hope there is someone like you around when I am an old lady.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: SINSULL
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:35 PM

God, I hope I still twinkle at 80. A wonderful lady. Thanks,WW.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: WyoWoman
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 08:52 PM

Thanks, all. I think Pearl was deeply, deeply good, and I don't know of how many of us that can honestly be said. They tell me her funeral was filled with music and loving stories about her, and that it was more a celebration than a funeral. That's definitely how I want my own to be -- a long, long, long time from now.

Yup, she was one of a kind.

ww

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 09:06 PM

WW, I didn't actually know Pearl, but I had met her a few times, like you say, at festivals. She was all you say, and a real "kick" to be around. We'll miss her. Thanks for letting us know, I missed it.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 09:19 PM

KC, hope you use that for a column...that is some of the most beautiful writing of yours I've read. What wonderful wimmin you and Pearl both are/were, esp. you for the telling.

My mom had that twinkle in her eye and would even sing one or two of the more risque songs, even in her 80's.

Do ya 'spose we'll be posting to threads then, with live video, winking at the boyos and singing the tunes?

Thanks for sharing Pearl with us, darlin'.

luvyakat

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 10:17 PM

Thanks KC. Your voice was pure and clear on that post,just like I've heard it on a clear Colorado summer night.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 10:20 PM

You know what, WW? This is exactly why I just love the dickens out of you. There is a saying,......"What you are speaks louder than what you say you are". Sometimes that doesn't speak well for those it is used on. But in your case it says it all and describes a person of great inner beauty...................and pretty damn fine lookin' on the outside as well. In order to see what is inside another, one must have a frame of reference within themself. Pearl was a very bright woman, cause she chose you to let see her secrets. Listen for her voice, KC. You will hear it in the damnest places from here on out. God be good to her.

Your friend,

Mick

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 11:21 PM

A lucky woman to have had you as a friend to memorialise her in this way. Thank you for sharing her story with us. All my sympathy,

chanteyranger

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: DougR
Date: 08 Sep 00 - 11:45 PM

K.C., thanks for sharing that. Sometimes we get lucky and meet important people. You certainly did when you met Pearl. A real gem, and no pun intended.

DougR

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: MMario
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 01:19 AM

Sounds to me like Pearls life will continue to be celebrated, especially since you have now introduced her to us.

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: dwditty
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 06:55 AM

WyoW

Really nice job telling us who Pearl was - and so special, at that. I could actually feel your emotion, your love for Pearl, in your writing. Thanks for sharing. God bless you, Pearl.

dw

Subject: RE: A Pearl of great price has passed away
From: WyoWoman
Date: 09 Sep 00 - 05:14 PM

Aw, thanks you all. You're making me cry.

I'm going to rummage around tonight and see if I can find the music to a couple of her old songs that I DID manage to get words for -- the "Let's Go Spend Your Money, Honey," for one. I just wish I had some tapes of her -- so my urgent advice is, if you have a Pearl in your life, don't put off taping some sessions with them. Do it at the earliest possible moment. We always act as if we have all the time in the world and truly, truly, our time is so brief on this earth...

Love to all of you, ww