The Real Story about Sunshine!
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Sunshine
JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(July 25, 2007 08:45 AM)
I am writing this Email to get some facts straight! They are calling her Jacquelyn, we called her Lynn. Her daughter's name was Jennifer, not Jill. Tom Helton was our Bass Player in our band. It was called "The Lowe Brothers". The movie was a big hit with people, but the series was stopped to my understanding that a law suite was filed by Tom. The movie was to be taken from Lynn's diaries. She was doing research tapes for Children's Hospital in Denver, CO on the effects of being a wife and a mother knowing she was dying. The tapes were stolen from her house. There was an article in the Denver paper asking for them to be returned. That's how it all got started! Mrs. Nixon, Frank Sanatra, and John Denver got involved trying to help with her situation. In the movie it showed Tom leaving her at the hospital on a motorcycle because he couldn't watch her die. He never owned a motorcycle at the time, he had a Ford Station Wagon. He never left her side! We had a sub Bass Player and received a call from the hospital at the Interlude Lounge that she had passed away. And to give all the credit to John Denver, who I respected very much, writing Sunshine on My Shoulders is not right. A lot of those words came from Lynn's poem. He met with her prior to her death. I have remained silent all these years, but it's about time the true story is told. I have never watched the movie again after it aired in 1973! I have to much respect for Lynn to watch the un-truth about her, Tom, and Jennifer.
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JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(August 29, 2007 06:14 PM)
Tom married Sue and raised Jennifer. Even though we had an offer to go futher with our music we desolved the band not to long after Lynn passed away. Tom called us both after the showing of Sunshine on TV and was to say at least, a little upset! See, Tom & Lynn came to Denver from Green River, Wyoming to obtain better medical care. I was working at AMP City on Colfax Ave in Denver when Tom came in an applied for the Bass player position we had available. We hired him and that's when we found out about Lynn! The girl that played her in the movie looked a lot like Lynn. The guy that played Tom looked nothing like him. My brother and I still have some photos of Tom and our band. My brother moved a couple of weeks ago and found the original news paper clipping of Lynn in the Denver post. Lynn was a wonderful person, a total free spirit. She loved the Rockie mountains. She could of possibly lived if she would of let them amputate her leg, but she said no! I asked her a few months before she died why she didn't let them do the procedure, she told me she didn't want to be half a woman, half a mother, or half a wife. The little girl was not Tom's, but he loved her as if she was his own. I met her ex-husband that was then running from the F.B.I for being AWOL. I understand he was trying to save their marriage. He was at her funeral. The Viet Nam war was not a popular thing at that time. I lost friends that I will never forget the sorrow their families went through.
The first place we played together was "The Hanging Tree Lounge". Lynn would be there every night to listen. She kept that up until her health just wouldn't allow it any longer. I remember at The Interlude Lounge a guy went up and ask Lynn to dance, her chruches were under the table, she jokingly replied with a chruch in her hand;I might step on your feet. In her last couple of weeks she was bedfast in her home where Tom and others took care of her. When God took Lynn, the world lost a very specail girl. We were all young at that time and her loss was very painful.
In regards to Sunshine Christmas, I have no idea if Tom had anything to do with that film. He stated to me that he was going to re-write the book and have it published. When I met my wife she had a copy of the original book. She too seen the movie! If you have any further questions, you may Email me at JimLowe44@Cox.net. -
dlegoflamb — 18 years ago(September 07, 2007 04:43 PM)
This movie was so special to my family when I was little. We would just cry buckets at the end. I bought the video on the internet last year and was somewhat disappointed seeing it again. I had forgotten the fact that Lynn could have saved her own life by having her leg amputated. I guess it was the ideas of the 60-70's lifestyle, but looking at it now it seems regrettable that someone would rather end their life than lose a leg. I see amputee's in my line of work everyday living decent, happy and productive lives. What a shame a child had to lose their mother when it was preventable.
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JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(September 08, 2007 09:35 AM)
Lynn's bone Cancer was a very rare type and there was no guarantee the amputation would of saved her life. My wife was involved in prosthetics for years through the V.A.. The medical technology then is not what we have today. If you could of seen the suffering that Lynn went through, I feel your comments would of been more enlightened to favor her decision. None of us wanted to loose her. We all didn't totally agree, but respected her decision.
Jim Lowe -
doulacynthia — 18 years ago(September 15, 2007 08:15 AM)
I was searching to find details about the book Sunshine when I found this thread. I read it in 1986 when I was a young mother with a one year old girl. The story of her life was incredibly similar to mine, her age when she had her baby, the age of her little girl. The way she interacted with the baby and how she felt about breastfeeding. Even her hair style, Never before or since has a book so thoroughly reasonated with me.
I decided when I read it that I could never read it again, because I didn't think as I aged it would affect me the same way it did then. I have since changed my mind and would love to read it again. I have been trying to find a copy of it.
Is the book true to her life? How can I find a copy of it? Who is listed as the author? -
JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(September 18, 2007 11:43 AM)
Amazon has it! http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Norma-Klein/dp/0380199351
Jim Lowe -
homeinhoylake — 18 years ago(October 03, 2007 02:28 PM)
Thankyou so much Mr Lowe for sharing your memories of Lynne. Its so sad that her family were caused upset because of inaccuracies in the film. It would be lovely if Lynnes true story could be told by the people who knew and loved her. Are you still in touch with Tom or Jennifer ?
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JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(October 10, 2007 11:13 AM)
I understand that Jennifer has retired as a College Professor and is raising her own daughter. I am trying to locate Tom. There are rumors about his where-a-bouts, but nothing concrete. I wish everyone that has emailed me had known Lyn, she was a special girl. If anyone could of been there at that period in time, they would of met a real neat person that would of left an everlasting impression on their lives.
Jim -
pipchicks — 18 years ago(November 01, 2007 03:50 PM)
Wow, thank you for these memories, Jim. I remember the news story of the stolen tapes, and I realized years later that the movie wasn't accurate. But I must say Lynn's story had a huge affect on my outlook on life-as a wife, best friend and mother. I completely agreed with her then and now about not wanting to live a "half" life. If I get any terminal illness I'm going to justgo. Living and loving all I can.
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JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(November 05, 2007 06:45 AM)
I hope this enlightens a lot people what Lynn was really going through! I am in contact with her mother and what you say is true! Her mother has filled me in on a lot of things I didn't know! If parents and children would realize how fortunate they are to just have eachother, to share their lives each and every day, it would be a better world! What has happened to our family structure??? Video games and living in the fast lane has taken away so much. And that's sad. I burried two of my children and there were so many things I wanted to say to them and never did. It's a pain that will never go away, not even with time!
Jim -
vkwebby — 18 years ago(November 27, 2007 11:02 PM)
Jim thank you so much for sharing your memories of a beautiful person you were lucky to have known. Her story is painful and heartwarming at the same time. It sickens me to know that her tapes were stolen from her. What good could they have been to anyone else but her daughter? (I think I remember that event in the movie). Didnt the media get ahold of that fact and she was given another recorder and tapes? I would love to know if you remember that or if my memory was wrong. I just ordered the dvd and the book againkinda in the mood for a good cry. vkwebby@aol.com
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JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(November 29, 2007 09:32 PM)
Yes, As I said previously, It came out in the Denver Post! A lot of people tried with no success to recover the tapes. She was in the Kitchen on top of the cabinet washing dishes when some kid came in and took them. Her being in the state she was in, she couldn't exactly catch him on crutches. She was given another recorder to leave her memories to Jennifer. Also she had written several poems.
Jim -
yanknrebel — 18 years ago(December 05, 2007 07:43 PM)
Where might I be able to order a copy of this movie on DVD? I was born in 66, and I remember seeing this series as a young girl. I have never had the opportunity to see the movie but would love to own both the movie and the series. ANy ideas where I might be able topurchase these?
Mary -
JimLowe44 — 18 years ago(December 06, 2007 09:13 AM)
There is One site! http://www.ioffer.com/i/26247106
Stay Away from JDDVD's, Junk!
Jim -
steven_titchenell2006 — 17 years ago(October 11, 2008 06:22 AM)
According to the feedback comments, price, & missing 3 minutes of credits, it sounds identical to what I bought from JDDVD's. Since we didn't have cable in 1973 & lived in a hollow where tv reception was poor, the quality of the dvd doesn't really bother me that much. Kinda makes it more like how I remember it in a way. Although if I ever get a chance to see it again after I have a DVR, I'll probably record it. Taping it on my VCR would probably just give me an excuse to hang on to the VCR forever
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steven_titchenell2006 — 17 years ago(October 26, 2008 07:38 AM)
For some reason, none of my dvd's had been coming in clearly since I first watched my "Sunshine" dvd. I think there is a short in the channel selector switch on the splitter box that my dvd player is connected to my tv through. I switched to channel 4 & then back to channel 3 & now all my dvd's, including "Sunshine" play clearly again. Although the opening few minutes with the credits, which was added later, isn't as good a quality as the rest of the dvd. But it's no big deal to me because the quality isn't horrible.
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Tamshie — 15 years ago(August 30, 2010 02:54 PM)
Hi! I have both Sunshine and Sunshine Christmas on DVD. Picture and sound quality of both are good - comments from other people are available too. DVD+R disks are region free and compatible with DVD players worldwide: USA, Australia and Europe particularly. Please contact me if you are interested.