Music History Anecdote!

Many people like the old song sung by Doris Day and covered by countless others, but relatively few have ever heard the story of its inspiration. Hunker down and listen, then!

To start with, the idea to use Spanish for its title was inauthentic; the lady who inspired the song was an Italian archaeologist, Miz Rossi, a notable scholar and adventurer who was one of the early excavators of great tombs in Egypt. Pilot, too! Her ma was Irish, da was Italian, and they lived in Todi.

The United Geographical Society's people came out when she was in her sixties, to interview her on her story and accomplishments, and one of the first questions was about how she decided on her career. According to Casey (her given name); she was around seven when she was riddling her ma about what the future had in store, who her husband would be. Turns out she was a bachelor lady who married her work, notably focusing on the Egyptian Sun God. No time for men. So anyway, her ma told her:

"Casey Rossi, Ra! Whatever will be, will be."