While the focus of RetroRoadmap is primarily vintage retro and cool old places to go, I will always make an exception for something else cool and old and wonderful – like Milly, the last remaining Del Rubio Triplet.
Through my online friendship with kitsch queen Allee Willis I’ve come to learn more about this wonderful sister act that I first saw in 1988 on Pee Wee Herman’s Christmas Special:
Now there is only one Del Rubio sister left- Milly – who will turn 90 this year(!).
Allee – who “discovered” the Del Rubios and brought them to a wider audience – is looking to get Milly showered with Valentines this upcoming February 14th.
I’ll be sending a Valentine for sure, and would love it if RetroRoadmap readers could also send some and make this Valentine’s Day extra special for Milly. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Click here to read Allee’s personal story of her life with the Del Rubio Triplets – from seeing them to the first time in 1985, to having them play at every party at her house, singing her song “Neutron Dance” and being their Number One fan ever since. There are some great photos and wonderful details, but here are a few excerpts to illustrate what special ladies these gals were.
They stayed up every night drinking one martini each and sewing their costumes, of which they had hundreds, all miniskirts or mini dresses, one nuttier and more fringe filled than the next.
Every night once the sewing was done they would plan new arrangements on their trusted toy Emenee organ, the keys of which had all been stuck for at least three years when I met them, the victim of a spilled jug of martinis. I asked them why they never cleaned the keys so the organ actually made some sound and they always assured me they “could hear it perfectly fine the way it was”.
I’ve written and worked with some amazing singers over the years, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Aretha, Cyndi Lauper, Patti LaBelle and Earth, Wind & Fire among them. But none swept me away with as much gusto as The Del Rubio Triplets.
We should all be blessed with such belief in self and joy for what we do.
(bolded by Mod Betty)They never questioned their talent, never suffered a creative block, never got tired of performing for adoring audiences who greeted them with laughter, which they always said was “better than applause”.
So won’t you spend a little time, and make or buy a Valentine for this sweet lady who has brought joy and laughter into people’s lives for over 70 years?
Here’s the address-now you do the rest!
Milly, c/o Allee Willis
11684 Ventura Blvd Suite 430
Studio City, CA 91604
Write on the envelope that you’re a RetroRoadmap reader so Allee and Milly know we’re doing our part!
wendyvee
February 2, 2011 at 9:10 pmHow sweet! I most definitely will!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 2, 2011 at 9:17 pmI know, isn’t it touching? While I’m at it I’m going to send one to Phyllis Diller as well – she’s still hanging in there too!
wendyvee
February 2, 2011 at 9:27 pmMy friends call my Phyllis because my hair often resembles one of her wigs when I take off my motorcycle helmet LOL
BTW, I think that Johnny is already sick of my rendition of the “Neutron Dance” (which I’ve been I singing non-stop since I visited Allee’s site) 🙂
wendyvee
February 2, 2011 at 9:17 pmAllee’s career has been amazing!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 2, 2011 at 9:19 pmI know- isn’t she just the coolest? And what a collection of kitsch! Talk about a role model! 🙂
wendyvee
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmHow sweet! I most definitely will!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI know, isn’t it touching? While I’m at it I’m going to send one to Phyllis Diller as well – she’s still hanging in there too!
wendyvee
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmAllee’s career has been amazing!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI know- isn’t she just the coolest? And what a collection of kitsch! Talk about a role model! 🙂
thevintagetraveler
February 3, 2011 at 9:03 amI’m going through my Valentines now to find the perfect one for her! Lizzie
Debbie
February 3, 2011 at 9:39 amWhat a great story, thanks for sharing. I had never heard of them. I’ll send her one.
Happy valentines day to you all too.
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 3, 2011 at 10:12 amThanks Lizzie and Debbie for getting into the spirit of things- I know if I were almost 90 I’d be touched by the gesture. Heck I’m half that age and I’m touched by it 🙂
katie
February 3, 2011 at 12:29 pmHer hair is GORGEOUS! She looks so beautiful!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 3, 2011 at 12:35 pmKatie, know – I hope I look that good when I’m her age! thanks for checking out the article and swinging by the RetroRoadmap!
karyn zoldan
February 3, 2011 at 1:26 pmI can never hear the song Neutron Dance without thinking of these triplets.
I loved how they were also wearing mini skirts or hot pants.
I often wonder if the Triplets of Bellville were somehow modeled after the Del Rubio sisters?
My valentine will be in the mail.
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 3, 2011 at 1:27 pmkaryn = thank you for swinging by the Retroroadmap and sending an email to Milly – now you’ve got their version of Neutron Dance going through MY head!
thevintagetraveler
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI’m going through my Valentines now to find the perfect one for her! Lizzie
David S
February 3, 2011 at 2:35 pmLOVE that picture of Milly and Allee!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 3, 2011 at 2:36 pmDavid, I KNOW aren’t they just the sweetest? You can tell through all the photos what a love Allee has for the Triplets. I’m so glad she discovered them and brought them to a wider audience, so we can all enjoy them too!
Debbie
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmWhat a great story, thanks for sharing. I had never heard of them. I’ll send her one.
Happy valentines day to you all too.
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmThanks Lizzie and Debbie for getting into the spirit of things- I know if I were almost 90 I’d be touched by the gesture. Heck I’m half that age and I’m touched by it 🙂
katie
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmHer hair is GORGEOUS! She looks so beautiful!
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmKatie, know – I hope I look that good when I’m her age! thanks for checking out the article and swinging by the RetroRoadmap!
karyn zoldan
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI can never hear the song Neutron Dance without thinking of these triplets.
I loved how they were also wearing mini skirts or hot pants.
I often wonder if the Triplets of Bellville were somehow modeled after the Del Rubio sisters?
My valentine will be in the mail.
David S
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmLOVE that picture of Milly and Allee!
arlee
February 4, 2011 at 9:51 pmI love the Del Rubio Triplets! I so remember them performing on Pee Wee Herman’s Show. Thank you for posting their story. Look for a large envelope from me and my second grade class! Happy Valentine’s Day one and all.
Mrs. Ross Mesa AZ
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 5, 2011 at 7:25 pmOh, Mrs Ross I am just over the moon envisioning your 2nd graders writing Valentines to Milly- that just warms my heart to no end on a cold foggy day here on the east coast. Also love that you’ll be sharing info about the Del Rubios with the kids, who probably can’t even imagine what it’s like to get old! So glad I was able to get the word out, and can’t wait to see how many Valentines Milly will receive – I sent ours yesterday. Happy Valentines Day and thanks for swinging by the RetroRoadmap!
arlee
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI love the Del Rubio Triplets! I so remember them performing on Pee Wee Herman’s Show. Thank you for posting their story. Look for a large envelope from me and my second grade class! Happy Valentine’s Day one and all.
Mrs. Ross Mesa AZ
Aubs
February 6, 2011 at 10:11 amA second grade class sending them? Well that is just the cutest! I’m working on drawing up one. Haven’t made a valentine in decades so I’m having a blast of it. Thanks again for sharing this!!!
Aubs
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmA second grade class sending them? Well that is just the cutest! I’m working on drawing up one. Haven’t made a valentine in decades so I’m having a blast of it. Thanks again for sharing this!!!
AdamH
February 9, 2011 at 7:36 pmMailed my card today! 😀
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 9, 2011 at 9:00 pmOh very cool Adam! I mailed mine earlier this week, with a Valentine for Allee as well, for coordinating all this. I’ll be waiting with bated breath (baited?) to hear how many cards Milly gets. Thanks so much for participating!
AdamH
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmMailed my card today! 😀
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmOh very cool Adam! I mailed mine earlier this week, with a Valentine for Allee as well, for coordinating all this. I’ll be waiting with bated breath (baited?) to hear how many cards Milly gets. Thanks so much for participating!
AdamH
February 18, 2011 at 9:29 amAny news on how many she got?
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 18, 2011 at 9:42 amAdam – thanks for checking back in – according to the Allee Willis FB page:
“Thank you all for the voluminous amounts of Valentines Day cards you sent to Milly Del Rubio. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and Milly was truly overwhelmed and very, very happy. Milly, Elena and Eadie used to exchange V-Day cards among themselves so each and every one of your cards was MOST APPRECIATED”
http://www.facebook.com/AWMoK
and here is a photo of just a few of the envelopes that she got- do you see yours in the pile?
http://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2011/02/11/allee-willis%E2%80%99-kitsch-o%E2%80%99-the-day-%E2%80%93-del-rubio-triplet-valentines-day-cards-progress-report/
Thanks everyone for making Milly’s day!
DavidS
February 18, 2011 at 9:34 amAllee wrote on her Facebook page; “Thank you all for the voluminous amounts of Valentines Day cards you sent to Milly Del Rubio. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and Milly was truly overwhelmed and very, very happy. Milly, Elena and Eadie used to exchange V-Day cards among themselves so each and every one of your cards was MOST APPRECIATED!”
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
February 18, 2011 at 9:43 amHa! David we must’ve been looking at the same post at the same time! I will admit to being sidetracked by the Junk Food Supreme post – love it!
http://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2011/02/17/allee-willis%E2%80%99-kitsch-o%E2%80%99-the-day-%E2%80%93-junk-food-supreme-at-a-kitsch-lovers-party/
AdamH
February 18, 2011 at 9:51 amI just hunted around on Allee’s site and found a blog post from the 11th saying Milly’d gotten hundreds of valentines. <3
http://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2011/02/11/allee-willis%E2%80%99-kitsch-o%E2%80%99-the-day-%E2%80%93-del-rubio-triplet-valentines-day-cards-progress-report/
AdamH
February 18, 2011 at 10:03 amApparently we all had the same thought at the same time. 🙂 I didn’t see mine in the picture but it could have been any of the red ones whose writing was obscured. I got a good picture of it though for the 365 Objects In My Home group on FB to which I belong (and by which I heard of this site and this project), so I have that to remember. 🙂
AdamH
October 17, 2018 at 12:22 pmAny news on how many she got?
Mod Betty / RetroRoadmap.com
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmAdam – thanks for checking back in – according to the Allee Willis FB page:
“Thank you all for the voluminous amounts of Valentines Day cards you sent to Milly Del Rubio. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and Milly was truly overwhelmed and very, very happy. Milly, Elena and Eadie used to exchange V-Day cards among themselves so each and every one of your cards was MOST APPRECIATED”
http://www.facebook.com/AWMoK
and here is a photo of just a few of the envelopes that she got- do you see yours in the pile?
http://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2011/02/11/allee-willis%E2%80%99-kitsch-o%E2%80%99-the-day-%E2%80%93-del-rubio-triplet-valentines-day-cards-progress-report/
Thanks everyone for making Milly’s day!
DavidS
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmAllee wrote on her Facebook page; “Thank you all for the voluminous amounts of Valentines Day cards you sent to Milly Del Rubio. There were hundreds and hundreds of them and Milly was truly overwhelmed and very, very happy. Milly, Elena and Eadie used to exchange V-Day cards among themselves so each and every one of your cards was MOST APPRECIATED!”
AdamH
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmI just hunted around on Allee’s site and found a blog post from the 11th saying Milly’d gotten hundreds of valentines. <3
http://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2011/02/11/allee-willis%E2%80%99-kitsch-o%E2%80%99-the-day-%E2%80%93-del-rubio-triplet-valentines-day-cards-progress-report/
AdamH
October 17, 2018 at 12:23 pmApparently we all had the same thought at the same time. 🙂 I didn’t see mine in the picture but it could have been any of the red ones whose writing was obscured. I got a good picture of it though for the 365 Objects In My Home group on FB to which I belong (and by which I heard of this site and this project), so I have that to remember. 🙂
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