Rita Moss

She was born in Cabin Creek, Kanawha, West Virginia, grew up in Charleston, WV, and, sometime in the mid-to-late 40s, arrived in New York City.

[5] At her graduation with honors in 1936 from Garnet High School in Charleston, she played Mendelssohn's "War March of The Priests" on piano at the convocation.

Moss first came to public attention following a 1949 debut at New York's Park Avenue Restaurant,[11] where a positive reception led to a stay of over 7 months.

[12] Liner notes from her later 1956 Epic LP state that appearances in London, Ontario, and Cleveland, Ohio, followed, but no independent reportage - music press or otherwise - can be found to support it.

[15] Bangel formed Futurama to cut jazz, blues and rhythm, including artists involved in Feathers' contemporary bop concerts at Carnegie Hall.

[18] This period shows Moss honing exotica type vocal gymnastics in the vein of Yma Sumac to whom she had earlier drawn comparisons.

Airplay and coverage by radio and TV stations such as KOGO, KFMX and KFMB (then home of Regis Philbin) attracted the attention of Dot Records who went on to issue three albums.

The compositions were mostly self-penned, with a lyrics co-credit to Dr. Russell Paul Schofield, founder-director of Actualism for Lightworkers, a spiritual training regime.