Lou Dee & Jim Flaherty’s Caravan: “My Darling Rosie“

Frankie FR-12. Lou Dee was the stage name of Connecticut-based singer and songwriter Lou DeMaria, a steady presence in postwar New England country and rock ‘n’ roll. Recorded in 1960 for Hartford indie Frankie Records, Dee’s haunting murder ballad “My Darling Rosie” owes something to the gloom of folk songs like “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” while bringing in some fine Everly Brothers-style harmonies. Dee would cut an earlier side with the Valley Boys for Old Town Records (a New York City label better known for its R&B releases) as well as a later 45rpm record on Horizons Unlimited. Jim Flaherty, whose group supports Dee on “My Darling Rosie,“ was a guitarist, bandleader, radio DJ, record store owner and general promoter of country music in New England. Flaherty also released some 45s of his own, including the hopped-up double-sider “Real Gone Daddy” b/w “This Old Bomb of Mine,“ both of which DeMaria co-wrote. For more lost places and spaces, head over to Nowhere Town: