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Section L-Annex, Row 18, Grave D
The ex-wife of jazz great Miles Davis, Betty was a flamboyant singer whose music would go on to influence artists such as Beyoncé, Rick James, OutKast, Erykah Badu, Lil Kim, Kelis, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as various rappers who have sampled her music, among them Ice Cube, Talib Kweli, and Ludacris. ​Due to her raunchy lyrics and extreme performance style, she was banned from U.S. television, radio, and many concert venues due to pressure by religious groups and the NAACP.
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Born Betty Gray Mabry in Durham, N.C. on 26 Jul 1944, she grew up in Pittsburgh and began writing songs at age 12. At age 16, she moved to New York City where she attended fashion school, worked as a model, and immersed herself in the Greenwich Village music scene. It was there in 1963 that she met soul singer Lou Courtney, who produced her first single, "The Cellar." She continued to release music, but got her first real break in 1967, when she penned the hit song "Uptown (to Harlem)" for the Chambers Brothers.
In 1966, she met and began dating Miles Davis. The couple married two years later, but the marriage only lasted one year. She appeared on the cover of Miles's 1968 album "Filles de Kilimanjaro," which featured one track, 'Mademoiselle Mabry,' named after her. After her marriage to Miles ended, she released her self-titled debut funk album "Betty Davis" in 1973, which featured Greg Errico and Larry Graham from Sly Stone's band, Neal Schon and Michael Carabello from Santana, the Pointer Sisters, and avant-garde singer, Sylvester.
According to the 2017 documentary, "Betty: They Say I'm Different," she was the first Black female recording artist to perform and write all of her own music and manage herself. During her career, she famously turned down a songwriting deal with Motown Records because she would not have control or ownership of her material. She would go on to record more albums, including 1974's "They Say I'm Different" and 1975's "Nasty Gal,"' but none were commercial hits; after some aborted recording sessions in the late '70s, she stopped making music for four decades and retreated from the public eye.
Material from her 1979 recording sessions eventually surfaced in the mid-'90s on two bootleg albums, "Crashin' From Passion" and "Hangin' Out in Hollywood," prompting a new surge of appreciation for her music. In 2009, her fourth studio album, "Is It Love or Desire?" was released - it had been recorded in 1976 with Herbie Hancock, Chuck Rainey, and Alphonse Mouzon and showcased some of her finest work. In 2019, she released "A Little Bit Hot Tonight," her first new song in more than 40 years.
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Her music has since been featured in television series including Orange Is the New Black, Girlboss, Mixed-ish, High Fidelity, and Pistol.
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In a quiet ceremony, her cremated remains were laid to rest in her hometown of Homestead, PA. Betty spent her final years in a nearby senior apartment complex. She passed away on 09 Feb 2022 from cancer complications. According to her wishes, in March of 2024, a portion of her cremated remains were scattered over Mt. Fuji, a request she shared with her friends.
Betty is celebrated in Homestead with a mural in the popular Waterfront shopping district, located on the
grounds of the former Homestead Steel Mill, where her father, Henry, worked when the family first moved to
Homestead. Her grave is situated above the community she called home for most of her life.
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Bio by: Louis du Mort and Constance Portis
Old Section G, Lot 50
Earl D. Fawcett, born on February 6, 1898, was raised in Homestead. Mr. Fawcett began clowning at the age of 14 and continued until shortly before his death in 1969. Early in his career as a well-known Pittsburgh entertainer, he wore a red wig and checkered suit to advertise attractions, night clubs, and theater shows.
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He was best known for his time as a member of the beloved Shrine Circus, playing as clown "Charlie Lewis." According to Mr. Greg DeSanto, a former employee of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Shrine Circus would hire local clowns to fill parts of the show from the 1940's through the 1960's. "Charlie Lewis," along with Otto Griebling, Happy Kellums, Joe and Chester Sherman, Charlie Cheer, Felix Adler, BoBo Barnett, and Pelulza were among the many who regularly who worked during that time.
Mr. Fawcett passed on December 26, 1969 at the age of 71. His funeral arrangements were handled by T. D. Turner's of Wilkinsburg.
Information and photo sources:
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“Bird in Hand, Etc.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 May 1936, p. 6.
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Bishop, Pete. “Elegy for a Clown.” The Pittsburgh Press, 1983, pp. 12–13.
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Cashin, Pat. “CHARLIE LEWIS: Clown Cop.” Pat Cashin's Clown Alley, 31 May 2006, clownalley.blogspot.com/search?q=charlie+lewis.
Old Section A, Lot 155
Henry G. Miller, was born on April 22, 1906 to Austrian immigrants, Stephen and Sarah (Mantach) Miller. He was a resident of 1376 McClure Street of Homestead.
Henry was a musician staff member for the KDKA radio station, and was associated with many of the dance bands throughout Pittsburgh. He died at the age of 36 on December 9, 1942 in Passavant Hospital. According to his death certificate, he had developed cardiovascular issues following a long battle with bronchiectasis in his right lung.
He was survived by eight siblings.
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His funeral arrangements were handled by the Anderson Funeral Home, where a Funeral Service was held on Saturday, December 12, 1942, 2 PM, prior to his interment at the Homestead Cemetery.
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​Information gathered from:
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"Henry George Miller," The Pittsburgh Press, 10 December 1942, p. 33.
Old Section E, Lot 81
For a full biography of Edwin's life, please visit our blog post!
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Edwin Rowe, Sr., was born in Crowan, Cornwall, Wales on Christmas Day, December 25, 1834 to parents, John and Eleanor (Rodda) Rowe. He married Catherine Morgan (a daughter of Thomas Morgan, born on April 27, 1833, in Caerleon, Monmouthshire, Wales), on August 25, 1855. Edwin was the first of his family to leave Wales for America, via Liverpool, England. He arrived in New York City, New York, via the S/S Colorado of the American-based Guion Line, on April 5, 1869.
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Catherine followed him on the S/S Colorado, arriving August 10, 1869, with four of their children: Thomas Henry (named after his paternal uncle), Catherine "Harriet," Edwin, and Priscilla Rowe.
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The reunited family moved from Ohio, to Beaver Township, and finally, to Homestead by 1880. He opened a carpet weaving business on E. 6th Avenue before later rebranding to include picture selling and framing in a new Amity Street shop.
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Edwin, a skilled artist, found his first true success with his iconic picture, the “Great Battle of Homestead; Defeat and Capture of the Pinkerton Invaders – July 6th, 1892," pictured below. The design was copyrighted in Washington, D. C., on October 11, 1892. The original 22" x 28" black and white piece was lithographed by Kurz and Allison Art Studio, Chicago, in 1892; copies hung throughout several important sympathetic locations in Homestead, including the Homestead based United Steelworkers Local 1397.
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According to Ms. Rosamond Brown, a twice-great-grandchild of Mr. Rowe, the original lithograph now resides in the Library of Congress, located in Washington, D. C., and the digital version may be accessed here. Original copies of the lithograph are still highly valued today, with a framed 19" x 24.5" copy selling at a price of $2,200.00 in September of 2018.
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Edwin and Catherine were well-known members of the Homestead community for their contributions to the religious and cultural sects of the Borough: they were two of the eleven charter members of the First Baptist Church of Homestead, located at Ninth Avenue and McClure Street, organized February 16, 1884, and Edwin had also been a charter member of the Sons of St. George Lodge.
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Edwin, Sr., died on May 26, 1925, at the impressive age of 90 from chronic nephritis. He was buried with his wife, Catherine, on May 28, 1925 in the Homestead Cemetery. Their graves were never marked. He left behind his daughters, Sarah and Priscilla; son, Charles; 21 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
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Photo of Edwin Rowe, Sr., shared from family album by descendant, Roger W. Pollok of Bellefonte, PA.
