From Orlando Sentinel:
Pam Brody, longtime Walt Disney World pianist and entertainer at the Rose & Crown pub at Epcot, died Sunday morning.
Brody — remembered for pearly queen costumes, earning her a “button lady” nickname, and distinctive hats — performed in the theme park’s United Kingdom pavilion for more than two decades. Before that, she sang and played in many Central Florida lounges, pubs and restaurants.
“She really had a way of connecting with people and making them feel like they were a part of this big family in the pub,” said Eric Pinder, who met her when he was a member of the World Showcase Players. “I always loved sitting with her backstage, too, because she was very mischievous. … She was very devout and religious, but yet, really had quite a twinkle in her eye.”
Her act at Epcot included interacting with customers and taking song requests. She’d turn and play on the piano, which she had covered with photos of famous people she had met during her career.
Brody was a beloved entertainer, said Carol Stein, who currently sings and plays piano at Epcot.
“She has a following because she made everybody feel special,” Stein said. “She was the entertainer, but she focused her energy on the guests, making them all filled with joy and happiness.”
After leaving Disney, Brody would return to the Rose & Crown on her birthday. She would sing, accompanied by Stein, songs such as “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner.”
“She would sing them very fun,” Stein said. “She had a joie de vivre.”
Brody was born in Ireland, the daughter of a teacher and a businessman, but moved to London. She got a gig on the Queen Mary, which led to a 12-year run at Castle Harbour Hotel in Bermuda. She met many famous people at the resort, including Bob Hope and Michael Jackson. And she met future husband Danny Dillon, who eventually became a Disney World entertainer, too. He died in 2005.
A wedding brought Dillon and Brody to Orlando, where she ended up signing a contract with the Royal Plaza Hotel. In a 1992 Orlando Sentinel article, she says she was working at Sergio’s restaurant, Parliament House for singalongs and Bull & Bush pub.
“Another amazing thing is she never used music sheets, so she will play by sound,” said Mario Rios, who had been Brody’s friend since 1988. One time at the Rose & Crown, she played a song from the 1940s that made a friend of Rios weep.
“She started crying not because she was sad, but she was joyful that she knew that song,” he said. “I mean, she touched everyone. And she is considered a legend at Epcot.”
Brody kept her age a secret in a firm but polite way, Rios recalled.
“A lot of people always want to know, ‘Pam, how old are you?’ ” he said. “You know what she says? ‘Look it up in a bingo card.’ … That was her answer.”
In 2018, there was a celebration of her 90th birthday, but Pinder isn’t sure that was correct. He said he once tried to uncover her age but found it was on a need-to-know basis.
“Pam is ageless,” he said.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com
Pam Brody, longtime Walt Disney World pianist and entertainer at the Rose & Crown pub at Epcot, died Sunday morning.
Brody — remembered for pearly queen costumes, earning her a “button lady” nickname, and distinctive hats — performed in the theme park’s United Kingdom pavilion for more than two decades. Before that, she sang and played in many Central Florida lounges, pubs and restaurants.
“She really had a way of connecting with people and making them feel like they were a part of this big family in the pub,” said Eric Pinder, who met her when he was a member of the World Showcase Players. “I always loved sitting with her backstage, too, because she was very mischievous. … She was very devout and religious, but yet, really had quite a twinkle in her eye.”
Her act at Epcot included interacting with customers and taking song requests. She’d turn and play on the piano, which she had covered with photos of famous people she had met during her career.
Brody was a beloved entertainer, said Carol Stein, who currently sings and plays piano at Epcot.
“She has a following because she made everybody feel special,” Stein said. “She was the entertainer, but she focused her energy on the guests, making them all filled with joy and happiness.”
After leaving Disney, Brody would return to the Rose & Crown on her birthday. She would sing, accompanied by Stein, songs such as “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner.”
“She would sing them very fun,” Stein said. “She had a joie de vivre.”
Brody was born in Ireland, the daughter of a teacher and a businessman, but moved to London. She got a gig on the Queen Mary, which led to a 12-year run at Castle Harbour Hotel in Bermuda. She met many famous people at the resort, including Bob Hope and Michael Jackson. And she met future husband Danny Dillon, who eventually became a Disney World entertainer, too. He died in 2005.
A wedding brought Dillon and Brody to Orlando, where she ended up signing a contract with the Royal Plaza Hotel. In a 1992 Orlando Sentinel article, she says she was working at Sergio’s restaurant, Parliament House for singalongs and Bull & Bush pub.
“Another amazing thing is she never used music sheets, so she will play by sound,” said Mario Rios, who had been Brody’s friend since 1988. One time at the Rose & Crown, she played a song from the 1940s that made a friend of Rios weep.
“She started crying not because she was sad, but she was joyful that she knew that song,” he said. “I mean, she touched everyone. And she is considered a legend at Epcot.”
Brody kept her age a secret in a firm but polite way, Rios recalled.
“A lot of people always want to know, ‘Pam, how old are you?’ ” he said. “You know what she says? ‘Look it up in a bingo card.’ … That was her answer.”
In 2018, there was a celebration of her 90th birthday, but Pinder isn’t sure that was correct. He said he once tried to uncover her age but found it was on a need-to-know basis.
“Pam is ageless,” he said.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com
