Myrna Smith - UPDATE - R.I.P.

[CarCrazyCutie]

That's awful, especially this time of year. My thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family.

[Slow In Brain]

R I P Myrna

Did she have any kids ?

[jeremylr]

Myrna has a son named Martin.  Her brother, John Utley, wouldn't pay Myrna's health expenses (he was using her SS payments to pay the mortgage on her house, which he took up residence in) when she suffered the stroke & had to go to the Canyon Oaks Rehabilitation Center. 

Elvis fans really came forward & donated a lot of funds for her convalescence, including her final funeral arrangements.  Utley & her son didn't come forward to pay for her final funeral expenses, including cremation.  A friend of Myrna's who basically led the donation efforts got enough savvy to only pay the fans' money to the mortuary, not to her son or brother.

It's such a shame really, back in August a benefit concert for Myrna took place during Elvis Week in Memphis.  Elvis Presley Enterprises told everyone the show was cancelled, & there were less than 75 people at the concert to see James Burton, Jack Clement, drummer W.S. Holland, session musicians Norbert Putnam (bass), drummer Jerry Carrigan, guitarist Reggie Young, and Billy Burnette, among others. 

I know this because EPE told me it was cancelled the day of the show, and they also told an Elvis Week guest, The Holladay Sisters (sang backup on hundreds of Nashville & Memphis sessions of the '60s & '70s) not to go to the show.  They did get to the show for the final number, Suspicious Minds.  They originally sang on this in '69, & it was amazing to see them 40 years later, providing those vocals once again.  An enterprising fan told them the show was indeed happening that night, so their tour of Graceland got cut short.

[Slow In Brain]

Thats' shocking but at least he won't be getting her SS payments now.

Similar thing happened to my mother when my uncle was handling her finances once she was hospitalised.