This was an emotional earthquake, hell, an explosion of his core beliefs. He spent a year trailer-living in the Big-Sur forest, wondering, writing, never recovering from a lifelong deception he could never understand. His fabled self-confidence, ego, turned to doubt, introspection. When sharing his pain with me, he had a glassy-eyed look of disbelief, not sure he could ever trust again. While searching in vain for answers, his self-esteem, personality, values and musical direction underwent major changes. The divorce and shocking family crisis shredded his past, but even worse he perceived RFK’s assassination as ripping up his future, and America’s hopes.
He became part of my family. When "desert throat" struck, we flew in my relative Marty Lawrence, a world-renowned New York Metropolitan Opera singing coach. When Bobby stayed at my home we confided, shared stories. I was his safe haven from managers, lawyers, producers, media. I never met Sandra Dee, but did meet girlfriend Andrea Yeager. Later, for a brief time, they were married. She was a beautiful legal secretary, regal like Jackie Kennedy. Bobby sang to my daughter Robyn: "18 Yellow Roses," "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "You’re The Reason I’m Living," "For Once in My Life," "Baby Face." During 1970-73, from infancy on, he often held her. He called her "My Dyn-A-Mite!" He brought her, what else, 18 yellow roses. Since she was three, I’ve told Robyn stories of Bobby’s warm visits.
After so much pain in his life it seemed we were the family he craved. He knew my devoted parents Jack and Bea Tell and their Las Vegas Israelite. Dad told us stories from his editorial days on The New York Times, and as publisher of Mark Twain’s Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City. Together we saw The Godfather masterpiece, and Bobby said "Good thing the fearless Tells have two newspapers. They might kill one of you, but not both." Bobby and I were bonded through my paper, the Free Press. We both knew America’s real strength was the First Amendment.
Bobby loved the Las Vegas Free Press. We supported our troops but strongly opposed the Vietnam War. We backed the New York Times and Washington Post publishing the infamous Pentagon Papers which led to the historic Watergate scandal. We were the first to expose Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun and Howard Hughes’ CEO Robert Maheu, who fleeced the billionaire of $20 million, which became a major story for years. The notorious Howard Hughes proxy battle would determine control of an Empire. Bobby and I were in court when Federal Judge Roger Foley entered my newspaper into evidence, saying from the bench, "The Las Vegas Free Press is the only newspaper in the nation to get the story straight." Bobby respected bold investigative reporting, admiring courage to challenge the powerful. He joined me on some interviews, respected story accuracy, had great ideas, sometimes spotted errors, and was intrigued by the art of clever headlines. In 1971 he asked to be my partner.
We fought for minorities, a woman’s right to choose, the environment, and Israel’s right to security as the Middle East’s only democracy. We were passionately patriotic, were appalled at President Nixon’s broken campaign pledges to "end the war in 90 days," and stunned by Nixon’s blatantly unconstitutional "no knock" laws. Our paper (Voice for the Voiceless) was on the front lines of progressive social issues, fighting bigotry and adult censorship. We ran many stories on the dangers of drugs, which we viewed as a medical problem needing education, not prison. Back then, decriminalization with strict controls was a new idea, but has gained acceptance today. Bobby’s career prevented him from publicly voicing controversial opinions, so he vicariously spoke through my paper.
