Rawls, Lou

Lives in Scottsdale

(Louis Allen Rawls, 1935.12.01-2006.01.06)  Singer.

Just after the twice married three-time Grammy winner helped bring in 2004 at his New Year performance in the Memphis Peabody Hotel, he moved to a small room at the hotel to wed his flight attendant girlfriend of three years, Nina Inman.  He was 70.  She was 33.  The newlyweds moved into a 4,315 square foot home on East Preservation Way in Scottsdale.  Just a year before, Rawls had been arrested and booked in jail following a public shoving match with Inman at the Albuquerque airport.

Reagan, Michael

Graduate of the Judson School in Paradise Valley; attended ASU.

(John Flaugher, 1945.04.01-    )  Ultra-conservative radio talk show host.

The adopted son of Ronald Reagan and his wife Jane Wyman was sent to the private Judson School in Paradise valley.  When he graduated in 1964, his father gave the commencement address.  Michael went on to attend ASU on a football scholarship, but dropped out in his sophomore year.  He returned to the state in 1967 when he won the national outboard motorboat racing championship at Lake Havasu.

Reagan, Ronald

Frequent Phoenix visitor

(Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1911.02.06-2004.06.02)  40th President of the United States (1981-1989), 33rd Governor of California (1967-1975), President of the Screen Actors Guild (1947-1952, 1959-1960) actor.

The Arizona Biltmore proudly proclaims that every president since Herbert Hoover has stay at the Biltmore.  During his presidency, the Reagans made many visits to the hotel--the First Lady Nancy Reagan's parents, Dr. and Mrs. Loyal Davis, lived next to the hotel at 24 Biltmore Estates--but those were far from their first visits.  

Rehnquist, William H.

Lived in Phoenix

(William Hubbs Rehnquist, 1924.10.01-2005.09.03)  Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, lawyer.

After graduating first in his law school class at Stanford University in 1952 and then completing a clerkship at the U.S. Supreme Court, William Rehinquist moved to Phoenix where he practiced law for more than a decade.  His conservative disposition became evident with his opposition to legislative initiatives like one which aimed at achieving racial integration of schools through bussing. 

Reinking, Ann

Lived in Paradise Valley

(1949.11.10-    ) Dancer, choreographer, actor.

A protégé of legendary dancer/choreographer/director Bob Fosse (1927-1987), Ann may be best remembered for her performance in the Fosse autobiographical movie All That Jazz (1979) as the director's girlfriend.

In 2005, Ann and her sports-writer husband, Peter Talbert, plunked down $2,295,000 for a six bedroom home at Cheney Ranch in Paradise Valley.

Renay, Liz

Born in Mesa

Lived in Mesa, Phoenix

(Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins, aka Melissa Morgan, 1926.04.14-    ) Actor, painter, gangster moll, stripper, publicity hound, great-grandmother.

Liz Renay was born to fanatically religious parents in Mesa in the same year, she is proud to say, as Marilyn Monroe.  At 14, she ran away from home with a girlfriend.  The young girls intended to become showgirls in Las Vegas, thinking that because they were big for their age with a lot of makeup they could look older.  They hitched a ride with a couple that turned out to be a minister and his wife who turned them in.

Reynolds, Burt

Witness at a coroner's inquest

(Burton Leon Reynolds Jr., 1936.02.11-    ) Actor.

When Burt Reynolds started filming the movie The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) near Gila Bend, he did not know that he would soon be called on to testify at a coroner's inquest called to investigate the mysterious death of a screenwriter. 

Reynolds, Debbie

Lives occasionally in Sedona

(Mary Frances Reynolds, 1932.01.01-    )  Actor, singer, dancer.

Debbie Reynolds has a condo in Sedona. 

Rivera, Geraldo

Graduate of University of Arizona

(1943.07.04-    )  Talk show host, journalist, author, actor.

Geraldo Rivera received a B.A. from the University of Arizona in 1965, where met the first of his four wives. As an undergraduate, he reportedly made more than pocket change by taking tests for less academically inclined students.  He charged $90 for an A, $75 for a B and $60 for a C, taking tests in courses he hadn't even taken.

Robbins, Marty

Born near Glendale

Lived in Glendale

(Martin David Robbins, 1925.09.26-1982.12.08)  Singer, musician.

Marty Robbins was born in the desert near Glendale. One of nine children raised in poverty, he attended high school in Glendale, but dropped out to joint the navy during World War II. He learned to play the guitar in the Navy and joined a country music band upon his return to the Phoenix area.

The band performances led him to a radio program on Mesa's KTYL, and then to KPHO where he starred on "Chuck Wagon Time" on radio and "Western Caravan" on television.  In 1951, the hometown boy made it big, signing with Columbia Records.  In 1953, he became an official member of the Grand Ole Opry and moved to Nashville.

Robinson, Heather

Lived in Tucson

(1978.07.31-    )  Writer.

When Heather was 15 she invented an imaginary admirer to correspond with her mother, Jan.  Years later Heather was working for America Online in their Tucson customer service operation.  She met Carrie Fisher in a chatroom and told her the story of her mother's fictional romantic interest.  Carrie encouraged her to write a treatment of the story and submit it to a literary agent.  Heather sold the script to Universal where it became The Perfect Man (2005).  Heather sold a second script about her experience working for America Online which became E-Girl (2006)

Rogers, Roy

Owned Happy Trails resort in Surprise; sued Happy Trails head shop

(Leonard Franklin Slye, 1911.11.05-1998.07.06)  Singing cowboy.

Roy Rogers, the "King of the Cowboys," got his big break in 1938 when Republic Pictures' major star, Gene Autry, went on strike for more money.  Roy, then a bit player, auditioned to replace Autry and got the part.  Along with the part, he got the horse, Trigger, "Smartest Horse in the Movies."  Nine years later, he also got the girl, when he married Dale Evans (1912-2001), "Queen of the West."

Rogers, Will Jr.

Died in Tubac

(1911.10.11-1993.07.10)  Congressman.

Humorist Will Rogers' son, former US congressman Will Rogers Jr. shot himself in the head in Tubac.

Ronstadt, Linda

Born in Tucson

(1946.07.15-    )  Singer.

Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson. 

Roosa, Stuart Allen

Attended University of Arizona

(1933.08.16-1994.12.12)  Astronaut.

Stuart Roosa was the command module pilot for Apollo 14, January 31 to February 9, 1971.  While astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on the moon in the third moon landing, Stuart orbited the moon keeping the "Kitty Hawk" ready for their return.

Roosevelt, Elliott

Arrested in Scottsdale

Lived in Scottsdale

Died in Scottsdale

(1910.09.23-1990.10.27)  Advertising executive, radio broadcaster, author, editor.

The second son and third child of the nation's only four term president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the favorite son of Eleanor, and great nephew to Theodore Roosevelt, died in Scottsdale of congestive heart failure.

Mr. Roosevelt was no stranger to the altar. At the age of 40, he married his fourth and final wife, the former Mrs. Minnewa Bell Ross, who was an heiress to a California real estate fortune.  The couple would eventually settle in Scottsdale, after stops in Minneapolis, Miami Beach (where he was mayor), Portugal, England, Seattle, and Palm Springs.

Before settling in Scottsdale, Mr. Roosevelt had an experience there that made national news.  At 3:22 AM on April 4, 1959, Mr. Roosevelt was found asleep behind the wheel of his car and arrested for DUI.  He taken to the Tempe jail where he was given a "drunkometer" test and found to have a .208 blood alcohol level when the legal limit was .150.  Mr. Roosevelt posted $300 bond and was released.  He was found "not guilty" by a 9 member jury at a trial on June 9, 1959.

Ross, Diana

Arrested in Tucson

(Diane Ernestine Ross, 1944.03.26-    )  Singer, actress.

Besides being the lead singer of Motown Record's phenomenally successful The Supremes from 1961-69, Diana Ross is mother of a five children (including a daughter with Motown's founder Berry Gordy), a successful solo artist, and star of movies The Wiz (1978), Mahogany (1975), and Lady Sings the Blues (1972).  In 1966, Diana made a grand entrance via helicopter at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium starting her performance at Super Bowl XXX.

In May, 2002, Diana entered the Promises drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Malibu, CA before starting her global summer tour.  The treatment apparently didn't take since in the early morning of December 30, 2002 she was spotted weaving in the southbound lanes of Sabino Canyon Road in Tucson's Catalina Foothills.  Responding to a phone tip, Tucson police pulled her over as she approached East Tanque Verde Road.  Diana blew a 0.20 percent blood-alcohol concentration on the breath test, qualifying her for an extreme DUI citation.

Rose, Axl

Arrested at Sky Harbor

(Born William Bruce Rose, legally changed to W. Axl Rose, 1962.02.06-    )  Musician, singer.

Axl Rose, whose name is an anagram for "oral sex," is the poster child for decadent late 80's rockers.  He achieved success and notoriety with "Appetite For Destruction," the debut album of his rock group Guns 'N Roses.

Rose has been arrested over 30 times on drunk and disorderly, assault, and other charges.  In February, 1998 he brought this act to the Southwest Airlines security checkpoint at Sky Harbor.

The security screener noticed a black, unidentifiable object in Rose's carry-on bag as it passed through the x-ray machine.  She started to hand search the bag.  Rose grabbed for it and went ballistic.  When the supervisor intervened, Rose shook a fist in his face yelling, "I'll punch your lights out, right here and right now!"

As Phoenix police were approaching they heard Rose saying, "I don't give a fuck who you are.  You are all little people on a power trip."

The little people placed him in hand cuffs and took him to the Madison Street Jail where he was booked for disorderly conduct.  The bag, containing no contraband, was given to the woman that was traveling with him.

Russell, Jane

Lives in Sedona

(Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell, 1921.06.21-    )  Actor.

In 1941, Howard Hughes cast Jane Russell in her first picture. Her casting was reportedly due in large part to her large parts. The movie, The Outlaw (1943), was released only after two years and then on only a limited basis because of problems with the censorship board. Finally, in 1946 it received general release, and became a smash hit.

Jane moved to Sedona with her third husband, John Calvin Peoples, who died in 1999.

Russell, Keri

Lived in Mesa

Attended in Poston Jr. High School in Mesa

(Keri Lynn Russell, 1976.03.26-    )  Actor.

Keri spent most of her childhood in Texas, but the family moved to Mesa in time for her to attend Poston Jr. High School. As a member of the Mesa Stars Dance and Drill team, she was able to tour the country. After the family move to Denver, Keri appeared on Star Search and was cast in the second coming of The Mickey Mouse Club from 1991 until 1993. Other television roles, including the title character in the short lived television series, Felicity (1998), and movies followed.