Adelaide was born in Manhattan, New York to a father who was a pianist and arranger and a mother who was a dancer on Broadway. She grew up as an only child in the theater district where she was exposed to the arts from a young age. Her parents insisted she be well rounded. To that end, she began piano lessons at age six and was frequently taken to museums. Adelaide was always drawn to music and began working professionally by the age of 12. She attended the High School of Music and Art for four years along with others who went on to great fame. While in high school, she earned awards for composition. Her knowledge and abilities of the bass earned her a full scholarship to the Eastman School of Music. All of the jobs she had during high school and college were music related; playing gigs or teaching. While working towards a triple major at Eastman, she felt over-extended and eventually transferred to the Manhattan School of Music who was honored to have a transfer from Eastman. Also because of the extra credits from Eastman, she was able to obtain a master’s degree inside of a year. Adelaide went on the road with Buddy Rich’s band where they played in Chicago and Los Angeles before finding their way to Las Vegas. Adelaide was always the only woman in the band, and there were difficulties of being a woman in the field of mostly male musicians. The band found their way to Las Vegas in 1967. She never realized how well known she was until she arrived in Las Vegas. Adelaide came to Las Vegas on a trial run and ended up staying. The first job she had in Las Vegas was playing solo piano at Guys and Dolls before moving on to playing as a rehearsal pianist for a Broadway show. Over the years, Adelaide played many venues with many famous musicians. She is not hopeful for the future of musicians in Las Vegas, feeling the casino owners would rather replace live musicians with canned music. However, Adelaide’s career is not over as she is still performing for a variety of events. With her two degrees from very prominent music schools, Adelaide feels she may have gone further in career if she had stayed in New York, but she has no regrets about coming to Las Vegas.
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From left to right: Susan Jarvis, Hal Erickson, and Alfreda Blood in the Special Collections department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). They are examining the Leonard T. Blood papers just donated to UNLV Special Collections.
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The Paul J. Richert Photograph Collection (approximately 1950-1951) consists of black-and-white photographic prints and negatives depicting the swimming pools at the Desert Inn and Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also included is an image of the Las Vegas High School Rhythmettes dance group and an image of the El Rancho Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
The Nadine Tobin Collection of Helldorado Photographs, approximately 1940 to 1959, contains black-and-white photographic prints depicting parade floats during Helldorado Days celebrations in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also included is one image of a primary school class in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
The First Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Photograph Collection, approximately 1930 to 1950, consists of black-and-white photographic prints and negatives depicting the construction of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also included are images of parish leaders and the ground breaking ceremony for the grand opening.
Archival Collection
The Castaways Hotel and Casino Photograph Collection, approximately 1963 to 1987, consists of black-and-white and color photographic prints and negatives. Images depict the exterior of the entrance to the property, the mega-pylon sign, the pool area, and the “Gateway to Luck” replica temple in the courtyard area. The interior images depict various hotel rooms and suites, a couple dining, and a performance by Rusty Isabel, an entertainer in the Kon Tiki Lounge inside the property.
Archival Collection
The Lawrence Revere Papers primarily consist of correspondence between Lawrence Revere and the developers of blackjack betting systems dating from 1965 to 1970. The collection includes information about blackjack gambling systems, correspondence with gambling experts, and press material regarding the publication of Revere's book
Archival Collection
Archival Component
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