We are herewith inaugurating a new feature on The Golddiggers Super Site in which we will periodically provide our visitors with some fresh material to peruse, in the form of additional information and new (or newly discovered) pictures of the very special women who served as members of The Golddiggers, Dingaling Sisters and Dean’s Girls collectives.
There is perhaps no better place to begin such supplementary endeavors than by lifting the curtain on a small gallery of some truly striking photographs of one of the brightest, most visible and most enduring presences in The Golddiggers and The Dingalings, and, of course, on Dean’s show: Michelle DellaFave.
The picture above, and all of the photos of Michelle shown on this page, were taken by Rhonda C. Schaefer of Around Town Photography, located in Niceville, Florida — where, we understand, just about everyone lives up to their friendly burg’s name.
Without question, the professional who captured the images of Michelle showcased on this page must be accorded credit for imaginative use of lighting, effective direction with regard to posing, and assemblage of some distinctively dynamic compositions. But none of those factors would mean terribly much were it not for the extraordinarily photogenic nature of the subject herself.
Arguably, every bit as remarkable as the pictures shown here is the fact that they were taken not during or within the vicinity of the years that Michelle was with The Golddiggers or Dingalings, but rather, within just this past year, in connection with the release and promotion of her 2006 Cool Burn CD. Yes, somehow, while time has ticked away for most of us, it seems to have stood virtually still for both Michelle and most of her Golds and Dings peers.
And in Michelle’s case, it’s not just her good looks that still resound, but that gifted voice, as well. Faithful viewers of her stints on The Golddiggers summer series, on The Dean Martin Show, and even as one of The Soul Sisters on The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters, doubtless recall a sterling talent that was as much at home belting out the funky “Resurrection Shuffle” as gently cooing “You’re An Old Smoothie” to that old smoothie himself, Dean.
Which brings us to the point that, as you gaze at the accompanying photos of this still manifestly youthful showbiz veteran, you may actually be getting only half the picture. For a fully immersive audiovisual experience, we suggest syncing these images with their natural soundtrack: the songs on Michelle’s Cool Burn album.
It can, of course, be ordered from cdbaby.com. But if you’d prefer not to wait, it’s nice to know that individual selections, or the whole album itself, are also available for instant downloading from itunes and other online vendors (see the Goldmine section for further details).
Now, just in case all of this effusive praise has caused you to wonder, we here at the Super Site want to make it absolutely clear: We don’t earn a penny off the Cool Burn album, or, for that matter, ANY item that we recommend. The only ax that we have to grind is that in a world in which most new music offerings range from dreadful to unbearable, when something worthwhile comes along, we feel an obligation to let others know about it.
In that same spirit, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that many more photos of Michelle and other members of the Golds and the Dings — including many exclusive shots — can be seen at The GoldsandDings Yahoo Club. Bear in mind that to view the pics, you must be a member, but membership is also free. Just go to http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/GoldsandDings for more info.
And if you need any further incentive, here’s just a bit: Coming soon to the site will be a slew of shots from the recent Dingalings Reunion Concert, to be posted by GoldsAndDings founder and organizer of the event, Wes Guidry.
In the near future here at the Super Site, we look forward to: 1) shining the spotlight on other members of The Golds, Dings and Dean’s Girls; 2) a soon-to-be-expanded rollout of the site to a wider audience; and 3) maybe…just maybe…one day, even to seeing all episodes of The Dean Martin Show and Golddiggers series in their entirety once again. You, dear reader, could even help with that last goal, by leaving a message voicing your support for the cause on our Comments page.
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