Know about the life and disappearance of Connie Converse, American female musician
Connie Converse was an American musician who wrote different types of poetic and personal songs. But unfortunately, she never got the recognition that she deserved. And on 10 August 1974, just a week after her 50th birthday, she disappeared. It is not known what happened to her since police could neither recover her body nor her car.
Connie Converse and her early life
Connie Converse was the middle child of the three children of her parents. Her father was a minister while her mother used to pursue music. Her elder brother, Paul Converse was three years older to her while her other brother who was five years to her is Philip Converse. Philip is a political scientist. Connie was born on 3 August 1924 in Laconia, New Hampshire. Her childhood was spent in Concord in New Hampshire.
Connie studied at the Concord High School and was a brilliant student who won several academic awards. She studied at the Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts for two years and later relocated to New York City.
Connie began work at the Academy Photo Offset printing house in the 1950s. She stayed first at Greenwich Village. Later, she shifted her base to Hell’s Kitchen and Harlem. But her passion was singing and songwriting. She wrote beautiful songs but they never were published then. She used to sing the songs to small gatherings of friends and people using her guitar.
Connie’s life was going nowhere
Connie wanted to gain fame with her singing. But though her songs were good and different, she never managed to get the recognition and mass appeal. She struggled and also started to smoke and drink. Gene Deitch, a graphic artist had recorded her performance once. She also managed to make it on The Morning Show of CBS in 1954. Gene had helped her procure this appearance on the show.
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Later, in 1956, Connie even recorded an album for her brother, Philip. Its title was Musicks (Volume I and II). But she could not get a foothold in the music industry. Connie started getting frustrated in New York since she could not sell her songs there.
Hence, she moved out and went to Ann Arbor in Michigan where her younger brother was working as a political scientist at the University of Michigan. Here, she first took up a secretarial job to meet ends. Later she began work as a managing editor and writer for Journal of Conflict Resolution from 1963.
Connie’s disappearance
Connie was a private person. Philip and Gene suspect that she was a lesbian. But, she had no romantic partners. But Connie was definitely upset and depressed with her life. She made trips to England (on pooled money) and Alaska (with her mother). But these did not help her elevate her mood. Doctors advised her hysterectomy on some medical grounds. This devastated her.
On 10 August 1974, Connie left Ann Arbor leaving behind messages for her friends and family. She said that she wants to return to New York City and try to start anew. She wrote:
“….Human society fascinates me & awes me & fills me with grief & joy; I just can’t find my place to plug into it.”
“So let me go, please; and please accept my thanks for those happy times…I am in everyone’s debt.”
After this, she packed and left. But nothing was heard from her or about her ever since. The missing police report reached nothing. Neither her body nor her Volkswagen Beetle car could be found. He family thought of finding her with the help of a private detective. But later, they opted not to since it was her decision to disappear and not to be found, they thought.
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Posted on: Saturday, August 3 2024
