Frances Langford of Lakeland Wrote a Column From the Front Lines
Lakeland’s Frances Langford toured with Bob Hope in World War II and wrote a newspaper column about the wounded men she met. It became a book and a 1951 film.
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Cannonball Adderley’s First Night in New York
In 1955 a Fort Lauderdale music teacher named Julian Adderley sat in with Oscar Pettiford’s band at the Cafe Bohemia. Four years later he played on Kind of Blue.
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Bo Diddley: The Rock-and-Roll Founder Who Called Florida Home
He invented a beat that powers rock and roll to this day, then spent his last decades on a ranch in tiny Archer, Florida, guitar in hand.
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Tom Petty: The Gainesville Boy Who Became Rock and Roll Royalty
Tom Petty grew up in Gainesville, played his first gigs at local venues, and turned his Florida roots into some of the most beloved rock songs ever written. He never forgot where he came from.
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Pitbull: Miami’s Mr. 305 Who Built Schools Where He Once Had Nothing
From the streets of Miami to stages around the world, Pitbull never forgot where he came from. The rapper, entrepreneur, and education advocate opened tuition-free charter schools in the same neighborhoods that raised him.
