Songwriter Rose Marie McCoy featured in "40s to 60s, A Musical Journey" at Puffin Cultural Forum

Jul 18

Jul 18 Songwriter Rose Marie McCoy featured in "40s to 60s, A Musical Journey" at Puffin Cultural Forum

During the era of Jim Crow, black singers were played on black radio stations, and white singers on white ones. Famously, Elvis Presley adopted the bluesy style and songs of black performers, shocking white audiences. Rose Marie McCoy wanted to be a singer, but became one of the best songwriters of the time, working on both sides of the color barrier with hits by Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, James Taylor, and Sarah Vaughn, among others. At the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck on July 26, "40s to 60s, A Musical Journey" will chart the journey from the blues to rock and roll, including songs by McCoy and others. Singer Audrey Martells will perform and McCoy’s biographer, Arlene Corsano, will share anecdotes and provide historical context. In this Jersey Arts Podcast, Corsano talks to producer Susan Wallner about Rose Marie McCoy, a black woman whose talent and spunk helped her make it in the music industry during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

Susan Wallner

Susan Wallner is a principal of PCK Media, an independent production company. She is the co-series producer of the public television program "State of the Arts," a job that has introduced her to a wealth of talent and artistic diversity over the years. Susan's documentaries and performance specials have aired nationally. Most recently, her profile of the writer, aviator and celebrity, "Anne Morrow Lindbergh: You’ll Have the Sky," won the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Feature Writing (it was Susan's 15th regional Emmy win). Narrated by Judith Light and Lily Rabe, it aired throughout the country on PBS and PBS World, and is available on DVD. Currently, Susan is working on a documentary about the self-taught city planner, builder, and artist, Kea Tawana.