Earth Angel

"Earth Angel" by The Penguins was first released in October of 1954 out of Los Angeles, CA.  By February, 1955, "Earth Angel" had hit #1 on all the major R&B charts.  My sister was born on February 12th and this became my mother's song for her.  At the time we lived in the State St. house and I remember sitting in the living room listening to this song on the record player with my brother and mother holding my baby sister and telling her that she was her earth angel.  It was a very happy time.  This is my brother, Eddie, and I with our baby sister, Annie.  She was about 8 mos in this picture.  I am 7 and Eddie is 6.

(click on the link below to listen to the song)

The Penguins - Earth Angel 1954

OK, let me tell you about the night of February 11, 1955.  It was Friday and it had been a pretty cold day, only getting up to around 10 degrees (isn't the internet wonderful).  My mother seemed a little nervous that evening.  We all knew that we were going to have a baby brother or sister soon and just couldn't wait.  Mother would let us feel the baby move inside of her tummy - it was all just so exciting.  Mother kept saying 'just any day, now.'  My mother packed some clothes for us and a bag for herself, then told us we needed to sleep in our clothes so we would be ready.

Sure enough, sometime in the middle of the night, mother woke my brother and I up.  Since we didn't have a car, she called a cab to come get us.  We would be going to our grandmother's and mother would be going to the hospital.  My grandmother lived at the 34th Street house.  We were dropped off at grandma's and my mother was taken to Methodist hospital.

The next day, my grandmother told us we had a baby sister.  I can't remember if my grandmother went to see my mother and my new baby sister that day or the next day.  My brother and I couldn't go because kids weren't allowed.  We couldn't wait until my grandmother got home so she could tell us what our baby sister looked like.  When my grandmother came in the door, she was all smiles and told us how pretty our baby sister was and that we would be able to see her in a few more days.  Then she described my sister.  Grandma said that she had long, straight dark hair and dark eyes.  I was panic-stricken!  Long, straight dark hair?  My baby sister looked like Buster Brown?  This can't be.  I didn't say anything.  My grandmother didn't seem too concerned, but I was mortified.

After a couple of days, my mother's friend, Joyce, went to get my mother from the hospital and take her home and then Joyce came and picked my brother and I up.  On the way home, Joyce told us how beautiful our baby sister was.  I knew better but didn't say anything.  My sister looks like Buster Brown.  We walked into the house and went straight to the bedroom where my mother and new baby sister were.  My mother was holding her.  As I looked down at my new baby sister, my heart just stopped.  She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen.  She didn't look like Buster Brown.  Just instant love.  I asked if I could hold her and my mother said I had to sit on the bed and put a pillow on my lap.  As she laid my sister on the pillow, I just couldn't take my eyes off of her.  She was just absolutely beautiful.  She was definitely an 'earth angel'.