THE 2014 DOGTOWN STREET MUSICIANS FESTIVAL -
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014

OUR 2014 FESTIVAL IS DEDICATED TO: RINI JARMON (IRENE JOVANOVICH)

Left: Rini Jarmon's niece, Heather and her husband Franklin (shown), accepted the plaque from DHS President, John Corbett, in their aunt's name.

Each year, we dedicate this festival to honor a Dogtown individual who has excelled at music and has been a positive influence on our neighborhood. This year we are proud to honor the magnificent dance career of the late Rini Jarmon.

Rini Jarmon (Irene Jovanovich) who passed away in August of 1992, began dancing at the young age of 7. She was a regular on local TV shows such as The Charlotte Peters Show. Irene appeared at the Fox Theater with Ava Gabor and Bob Hope and had a number of seasons as a child actor at the Muny Opera and eventually four seasons in the chorus. Rini was May Queen in 1954 at St. James the Greater Church… She taught many of us dance and ballet at St. James."

Rini graduated Magnu Cum Laude from Xavier High School and won an academic scholarship to St. Louis University which she attended for one year before being spotted by a talent scout and was asked to dance with the touring company of The Music Man starring Forest Tucker. She toured the United States for one year finding her way to New York City and continued her dancing and singing career on Broadway for the next two years.

Her TV appearances were numerous; she was a regular on Shindig, Danny Thomas, Sonny and Cher, Lawrence Welk, Glen Campbell, the Smothers Brothers and Andy Williams. She was recognized as a dancer, actor, showman, and choreographer who could light up a room by her mere presence.

While Rini went on to great fame with her musical career, many of us remember Irene Jovanovich from Dogtown who volunteered for all the musical productions held at St. James, taught us how to dance and never forgot where she came from. It is in this sprit that the Dogtown Historical Society would like to honor Rini’s memory with this dedication plaque to be presented to her family members who are with us today.