Everybody Has a Story – October 2014

The sweet-faced woman behind the counter turns to you and smiles a friendly welcome. This is Joelle Manning Graves, proprietor of Sterling Creek Antiques, located in the historic Orth Building on South Oregon Street in Jacksonville. Her kindly vibe and deep wealth of knowledge about the things she sells obscure a delicious secret. This woman is an accomplished coloratura – a singer with a set of pipes that can belt out show tunes, slide through a-cappella jazz, or soar through operatic arias – and holder of an extensive show business resume.

Joelle was born in Redwood City, California in 1952. An only child with a difficult family situation, Joelle always loved to sing, standing on her bed as a child, holding a pretend microphone, mimicking singers from TV variety shows, finding comfort and joy in music. She came to it naturally. Her great-grandfather was an opera singer, and her beloved Dad was a classical pianist who hosted the Jimmy Manning Radio Hour. A friend’s mother took Joelle to her first opera, enrolled her in a church choir, and provided her with voice lessons. With no piano at home, Joelle took up accordion, and practiced like crazy. By the time she graduated from high school, she was voted “Most Likely to be Famous” by her classmates.

She went to DeAnza College as a voice major, where she was taught how to manage the yearly tour of the choir and organize the audition process for the department. When she turned 20, she married, and in 1978 had a baby girl, Allison. Finances dictated that Joelle drop out of school and go to work, but the young mother managed to parent, to go through a divorce, and continue to sing in the evenings. She found her way to the Los Altos Conservatory Theatre, where Doyne Mraz, head of the theater, taught her theater management right along with performance. It was there that she met Roger Graves, an actor, singer and lighting designer. They married and opened an antique shop in Belmont, California, learning the furniture business and performing together in the evenings. In 1983, their daughter Colleen was born.

Every year, the theater company went to Ashland to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and, like so many others, the Graves’ fell in love with Oregon. In 1985, they decided to sell their store in Belmont and move to Ashland, build a house and eventually open another antique shop, which they called Manning & Morgan and successfully ran for six years.

Upon their arrival, Joelle and Roger were recruited to sing with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers,   to sing together at Lyric Theatre, doing musical theater duets, and to perform in a review at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre called The Best of Ashland, where the Graves’ performed a medley from Phantom of the Opera. As a result, Joelle was cast by Rogue Music Theater (RMT) to sing in Man of La Mancha on the Britt grounds in Jacksonville.

Once, cast in a play at the Oregon Cabaret Theater, Joelle went to the first dance rehearsal and did her best. Watching from the sidelines was the OCT Artistic Director, Jim Giancarlo – a dancer himself. After watching her struggle, “Jimmy” quietly went and stood in front of the stage, where Joelle could see him, demonstrating her moves. It helped. Afterwards, he said, “Joelle, you learn dance like a singer – you move in response to the music, not to your body. How about I work with you for half an hour before each regular rehearsal?” Joelle never forgot that kindness.

Rogue Music Theatre asked her to star in The King and I, and performed for four years straight with them, eventually becoming General Manager. She sang with the group Encore, performing a-cappella jazz in clubs and festivals up and down the West Coast. She continued to sing with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers and at her church.

When the RMT position ended, Joelle went to work for the Rogue Valley Youth Correction Facility as coordinator of a specially funded arts program, worked for a time in the box office at Southern Oregon University, and then spent seven years as Britt Festivals’ Education Director.

On her 60th birthday, Joelle turned to the friends assembled for her birthday celebration and said, “I will work for no more bosses.” She meant it. Going to what she knew, and to the town she had come to love, she decided to open Sterling Creek Antiques. She is happy there – she loves that the visitors come seeking history, and she loves the community. She knows her business and rejoices in bringing people together with antiques that have meaning to them.

Her daughters are grown and happy and Joelle has a granddaughter, Hazel. Joelle and Roger are still married and still singing – at Trinity Episcopal Church and with the Rogue Valley Chorale. She still teaches voice lessons. She has turned her difficult childhood into a fine life.

Ask her to sing you a few bars – if you’re lucky, she’ll say “yes.”

Featured image l-r: Kathie Olsen and Joelle Manning Graves