Lo & Behold!: What It Was Like Pursing the Entertainment Industry in and out of Hollywood on Stage, Film, and Television

By Rocco Karega

Rocco Karega hails from Indianapolis, Indiana. A 1974 graduate of Crispus Attucks High School under the name Radford A. Moore, Jr, he ventured to Los Angeles before assuming the screen name Rocco Karega. An Alumnus
of The Quincy Jones Workshop, he performed on stage with Hollywood Actors and Actresses. Artists who met and socialized with Rocco include legendary Actress Betty Davis, Singer/Actress Freda Payne, Actor Sidney
Poitier, Actress Joanne Shimkus, Child Star Actor Gary Coleman, Actor/Director Hawthorne James, Actor Felton Perry, Actor Glynn Turman and Actor/Producer/Directors Melvin & Mario Van Peebles

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781462815623

Rocco Karega

Rocco Karega is an alumnus of The Quincy Jones Workshop. He has met and associated with over 50 famous people. He has performed with Hollywood Actors & Actresses on stage, television & motion pictures. Well known Artists who met Rocco include Singer Freda Payne, Actor Sidney Poitier, Actress Joanna Shimkus, Producer/Director Melvin Van Peebles, Actors Hawthorne James and Glynn Turman.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Rocco Karega.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4535-5713-6

                Ebook         978-1-4628-1562-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date:10/29/2014

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Prolouge

Chapter 1 Before Hollywood

Chapter 2 And Then On

Chapter 3 And Then On Some More

Chapter 4 Final Stage In Indy

Chapter 5 Now Try Hollywood

Chapter 6 More Hollywood

Chapter 7 Now On Stage & Backstage

Chapter 8 The Final Chapter

Epilouge

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following for their support, great work, inspiration & enthusiasm:

JoAnne Uy, Michelle Postrano, Claire Dael, Lee Taylor, French Pino & Craig Cozad of Xlibris Publication. Also, the ENTIRE STAFF & PRODUCTION DEVELOPERS of Xlibris. They are DEFINITELY a publication company to support.

Dr. Jeffrey Bennet, Univ. of Colorado Hospital, Neurosciences Center, Dr. John Corboy, Univ. of Colorado Hospital, Neurosciences Center, Rae Pericharos, NP-C, Univ. of Colorado Hospital, Neurosciences Center, Mindy Weiner, Univ. of Colorado Hospital, Neurosciences; Dr. John B. Draper, MD & Family, Aurora, CO.; Dr. Gary Huff, Dermatologist & Family, Aurora, CO.

Psychologists: Andrew Schechterman, Ph.D, Medical Psychology, Supervisor, Licensed Psychologist; Erin Gibbons, M.A., Medical Psychology Examiner.

Administrative Law Judge Paul Conaway & Family, Paul E. Radosevich Law Office Staff & Family, Jeff Herbert, PT & Family, John Gehred, M.D., Dr. Mindy Menaker-Wiener & Staff, Dept. of Neurology, Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Angela T. Tran & Staff, DO, Kaiser Permanente, All Staff at M.S. Life Lines.

University of Southern California (USC) Department of Chemistry: Prof. Christopher Reed, Prof. Lawrence Singer, Prof. Thomas Flood, Prof. Kirby Scherer, Prof. David Dows, Prof. Arthur Adamson, Prof. George Weber, Prof. Ken Servis, Ms. Marty Brittingham & Ms. Michelle Dea.

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Tyler & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Mr. Irvin Haas & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms. Patricia Cruser & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms. Katy West & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Hull & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Mr. & Mrs. Roy Thomas & Family: Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms. Cora Goldstein & Family: Denver, Colorado, Mr. & Mrs. Al Hammond Moore & Family: Denver, Colorado, Mr. & Mrs. James A. Moore & Family: Moore, Oklahoma.

Fr. Simon Kalonga, Parish Administrator: Cure D Ars Catholic Church, Denver, Colorado, Staff & Parishoners: Cure D Ars Catholic Church, Denver, Colorado, Cure D Ars Choir & Families: Cure D Ars Catholic Church, Denver, Colorado, Mabel Harris & Family: Cure D Ars Catholic Church, Denver, Colorado, Holy Angels Catholic Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, Holy Angels Choir & Families: Holy Angels Catholic Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms. Zetta Sims & Family: Denver, Colorado, Mrs. Barbara Rowe & Family: Holy Angels Catholic Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Galloway & Family: Los Angeles, California, Mr. & Mrs. Darnell Williams & Family: Los Angeles, California, Mr. Bob aka 40 Smith, Wife & Family: Denver, Colorado, Mr. & Mrs. Al Shawn Spiller & Family: Los Angeles, California; Tim Tate, Wife & Family: New York City; Jason Crane, Actor, Denver, Colorado; Ms. Tracy Tolliver, Houston, TX; Ms. Brittany Tolliver & Daughter, Goldsboro, N.C.; Mr. & Mrs. Quentin Tolliver & Family, Houston, TX; Mrs. Gwen Puttney & Family, Houston, TX; Artist Mike MusiqDirector Tolliver, Goldsboro, N.C.; Filmmaker Thomas R. Dickens & Family, Los Angeles, CA.

Actress, Dancer, Singer & Colleague LESLIE BEE.

Marquette University Graduate Basketball Star DOMENIC JAMES, blood cousin of Dustin Campbell, my niece Alycia Smith-Campbell’s husband.

Actor HAWTHORNE JAMES for a ton of support & encouragement. I am very proud of Hawthorne’s directorial debut for the movie The Stick Up Kids. Also he stars with Artist Snoop Dog in Malice N Wonderland. The biggest surprise is the movie Necromancer with Russ Tamblyn. THE SURPRISE will be detailed in one of the book’s chapter.

Singer/Producer/Director MAURICE KITCHEN. I am very proud of him for his load of support for me as well. Maurice is mentioned a lot in the book. Maurice is currently a member & co-creator of Renaissance, a Recording & Performance group quite successful & busy.

Singer WINDY BARNES-FARRELL, famous for her outstanding voice and back-up singer for the legendary Stevie Wonder for many, many years and many others. Having the honor to perform with Windy in the stage musical Voices was very honorable.

Manager TOMMY HENDERSON who helped Artist Kenneth BabyFace Edmunds to his claim to fame. Tommy and I grew up together and graduated together in 1974 at Crispus Attucks High School in our hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. My deepest thanks and gratitude to you Tommy & BabyFace.

Finally, I unconditionally thank my father RAD MOORE, mother BARBARA J. MOORE, brothers CLAYTON D’, ERIC MATTHEW & sister KIMBERLY MARIE MOORE-SMITH. My load of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, Great-Nieces & Great-Nephews are too many to list but they know of my love & support for them.

Prolouge

In the debut book What It Was Like, it began with an Introduction of what inspired me to write it. I’m definitely unaware of how many read my first book, but family members and friends who did, stated it was short and wanted to read more about me. It encouraged me to write a more detailed version. Therefore, I will begin and continue.

On June 7, 2009 Larry King Live dedicated his full hour broadcast on remembering Actor DAVID CARRADINE. It was claimed all over the news that he was found dead in Bangkok, Thailand from apparent suicide. Not only was it shocking news all over the world, but very shocking to ME!! David’s famous producers, actors & actresses on the show expressed how shocked they were and how much of a wonderful, full of life man David was. His Widow expressed how he never expressed suicidal tendencies.

I’m in full agreement. David was a wonderful man. He never treated or acted with me and the young lady with me as if we were total strangers. NOT EVEN the lovely lady with him. He was NOT putting on an act of how sorry he was for repeatedly stepping on my foot. I moved to Los Angeles from the Midwest. I had only been in the city for 6 months before meeting David.

My date and I were leaving the movie theater in Westwood, L.A. after the 1978 debut opening of the Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve. The next crowd was moving in. It was very enjoyable. My date was hungry. We headed for McDonald’s up the street that was a short walking distance from the U.C.L.A. campus.

As we were entering, the line was forming rapidly with folks from the same screening. They were talking, laughing and joking about the movie. My date and I stopped behind a couple locked in loving arms. Their backs faced us the whole time without even turning around. Getting closer to the counter, folks ahead placed orders. An employee stated it will be a little bit longer before further orders can be placed and apologized. No problem. This McDonald’s location was always crowded and busy.

We waited. The gentleman in front of me was unaware he was repeatedly back-stepping on my foot. I leaned down to wipe my shoe with a hankerchief from my jacket pocket. My date caught on and calmly said tell him he’s stepping on your foot. The gentleman’s lady was also aware of what he was doing. I heard her tell him he was stepping on my foot. He immediately turned around as I stood up and was completely sorry. He didn’t know.

It was Actor DAVID CARRADINE of TV’s KUNG-FU. Placing both hands on my shoulders he was truly sorry. He didn’t mean to dirty my shoe. I said no problem. I was honored a famous movie & television star was apologizing for stepping on my foot. He, his lady and my date laughed. My date told him how much she enjoyed his work. They shook hands. I shook his lady’s hand as well as his.

It was time to order. I told my date to get what she wanted I only wanted an orange soda with no ice. David’s lady suggested he and