Here it is Throwback Thursday already; and time to look back over our shoulder and remember our own dear Claire Garcia who brightened our days for many, many years with her wit, humor and general good cheer. We were all saddened to learn of Claire’s passing earlier this week.
So today we celebrate her life, which she shared with her DH, also a musician, and her daughters and grands. We didn’t know that Claire had once had a singing career until 2016 when she casually mentioned that there was a concert in San Antonio at which she and her group, the Dreamliners, were to be honored.
In fact Claire gave up her singing career to marry the love of her life, Mr. G aka Johnny, also a musician at the time. They moved to California, raised a beautiful family and never looked back. Well, except for that Reunion Concert…
The incredible talent included Patsy Torres, Rebecca Valadez and Melba Marez’s showstopping tribute to the Dreamliners, the girl group of Sylvia Wilburn, Cecilia Silva and Claire Peralta who came out of South San Antonio High School in 1961.
The young Dreamliners: that’s Claire on the left along with Sylvia Wilburn and Cecilia Silva
The Dreamliners, whose original members did not perform, were introduced and brought on stage to be thanked and shown that they were loved.
Claire is in the short black dress on the right on stage, and on the left in the black and white
Bouquets of roses were brought up to them from audience members…These were not merely women who recorded a few obscure singles as a girl group for Abe Epstein…The Dreamliners were neighbors, schoolmates and friends (perhaps ex-girlfriends), being celebrated for contributing to the community.
I know some of the MOTI attended the concert but the only one I recall for certain was Creeper, who traveled to San Antonio in her orange Hellcat. If you were there too let us know.
So I say let’s just enjoy those “obscure singles” today and remember a simpler time, in a simpler place when all things were still possible.
Farewell our little songbird, may you forever sing sweetly with the choir of angels.
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