Ghosts of the Coast By International Hypnosis Federation President, Author, Artist and More Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD
As a psychic and paranormal researcher, ghostly local tales are my big jolly and something to sing about… Which brings me to sing praises of the lovely Palos Verdes Lyricist and songwriter, Sandy Sherman, who co-created (with Joanne Kurman) a country and western flavored melody about a ghostly visage said to haunt the Point Vicente Lighthouse on PV Drive West, the “lady in the white dress.”
Used by permission from artists.
LONG WHITE GOWN
By Sandy Sherman & Jo Anne Kurman
(based on folk legend)
When the night is very still
The lighthouse on the hill
Brightens up the sky and chills the air
Though it’s been closed down for years
A young woman appears
Or so some folks say they’ve seen her there
She was a sea captain’s wife
When a storm claimed his life
She couldn’t bear to live with all the pain
How she died no one knows
But as the strange story goes
Her spirit walks at night and calls his name
CHORUS:
In a long white gown
With her black hair hanging down
Echoing a mournful sound
As she moves against the wind
In a long white gown
She’s wandering all around
While the fog comes slowly rolling in
She calls to him
She left one baby girl
All alone in the world
Some good people gave the babe a home
They raised that girl with love
Never telling who she was
They thought it best to keep the truth unknown
When the girl became a teen
She heard what folks had seen
The story cut so deep just like a knife
She felt in some crazy way
She would find out someday
That she knew the sea captain’s wife
CHORUS REPEAT:
You might argue and laugh
That the dead can’t come back
And it’s best to leave well enough alone
But that girl went there one night
And turned pale from the sight
‘Cause that face on the ghost looked like her own
© copyright secured
Sandy Sherman P.O. Box 4445 Palos Verdes Pen., CA 90274-9595 310-541-3487
Email: inthepinkmusic@cox.net
It seems that Joanne heard “a haunting melody play in her head” and asked award-winning lyricist/songwriter Sandy to put words to it. According to Sandy, “The first thing the music brought to mind was a lingering lighthouse ghost with long black hair and wearing a white flowing dress… It was only after the song was written and recorded that I saw a broadcast from Palos Verdes High School students Daisy Warner and photographer Kayla Epstein (Live 205) who talked about the legend of a “Lovelorn Lady of the Light” and she wore a long flowing white dress!
Sandy, is the perfect person to write any music score. She’s created award-winning lyrics for educational toy manufacturers, stage, and television shows and films like “Police Academy 4,” “Roswell” and Sherman Hemsley’s movie, “Ghost Fever.” She wrote the holiday song, “He Delivers” that sold over 2 million videos and along the way, won a gold record for “Nighty night” and “Fast Asleep” on the ever-popular “Disney Lullaby’s.” She was also honored as the Nashville Songwriter of the year for her song, “Is Anybody Home” a story inspired by latch key youth.
Artwork by Dr. Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas
LEGENDS ABOUND
Some say that the lighthouse ghost was the visage of the keeper’s wife who fell or leapt to her death off the 130-foot cliff and who now walks the catwalk on the tower. Others claim she was a lovesick woman looking for her lost love to return from the sea.
The U.S. Coast Guards offer a more earthbound explanation noting that after the May 1st, 1926 lighthouse dedication, no ghosts were reported. Tumors only began after World War II, when the 67 feet tall lighthouse’s rotating light kept locals awake, and the landward windows were painted white to dim the 1.1 million candlepower light beams. More sightings were reported in 1955, when thicker darker paint was used which may explain the intensified ephemeral visages and resulting “folktales.”
A 1986 Daily Breeze story reported that the ghostly reflection resulted from the lighthouse lens that “threw an arc in a reversed parenthesis.” To check out for yourself if paranormal vibes exist at the Pt Vicente Lighthouse, it’s open to the public on the second Saturday of the month from 10am to noon.
OTHER HAUNTING TALES
Ghostly visitations have been reported at the Warner Grand Theater, the Wayfarer’s Chapel, and Torrance High School. Music Copywriter Valerie Jones tells me that a friendly ghost, George Kirkpatrick shares her office with her on upper Silver Spur Drive. George designed worked in that space as an estimator for the Brusco architectural company.
Artwork by Dr. Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas
POINT FERMIN. A lighthouse keeper who died in October of 1925 is said to still “carry the torch” for his wife who predeceased him two months earlier. After he departed, the lighthouse and grounds were allocated as the public park and today many say they see and hear him about and in the lens house itself. Additional ghostly figures are also said to “walk the adjacent cliffs and rocks below.” Point Vicente was named by a British Captain, George Vancouver in 1790 in honor of his friend, Friar Vicente, of Mission Buenaventura. He also named Point Fermin the home the other peninsula lighthouse rumored to be haunted.
QUEEN MARY. I’ve had a few encounters of my own. As a conference organizer for an event on the Queen Mary, I was given the Queen’s quarters and, blow me down, if a guy in a top hat and tails– transparent though he was– walked into my state room, sat down on a non-existent chair and looked at himself in the mirror. I yelled to my husband “Jon, come here, there’s a ghost! By the time Jon arrived from the next room, the vaporous visage ghosted me and vanished into thin air. Several other conference attendees also reported ghostly encounters in different locations on the famous ship, One sited several times in was a little girl in a blue dress.
So let’s end this phantasmagorical chronical with another masterpiece from Sandy Sherman titled; “Have You Hugged a Ghost Today?” The song was, in fact, used in a soap opera!
Take a listen… https://bit.ly/hugged_a_ghost
Local Personality, Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas, PhD is a hypnotherapist, mindfulness and NLP trainer, artist and the author of 25 books. She certifies practitioners through the International Hypnosis Federation. You can call her at 310 541-4844.
