Did You Know The World's Oldest Celebrity Grew Up In Yakima?

There are many things to be proud of when it comes to Central Washington (ignore the naysayers).

Well, this morning, I learned something else to celebrate!

The oldest living celebrity was born in Tacoma and raised right here in Yakima!

This information was shared by Yakima’s own rising star, Adele Shepherd (Star Trek: Picard, My Chemical Romance: A Summoning, 5150, Fight Night), and it made my jaw drop and then turn into a smile!

The oldest living celebrity is named Elisabeth Waldo, and she was born on June 18th, 1918.

Photo Credit: Public Domain, Wikipedia

According to her Wikipedia page, she was born in Tacoma and “grew up on her family’s ranch at the end of the Yakima Indian Reservation.”

Elisabeth started singing at the age of three and started playing the violin at the age of 5.

You could say that Elisabeth was “discovered” by violinist Jascha Heifetz, who helped her grow her talents and get a scholarship to Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music.

Elisabeth’s love and talents in music took her around the world and kept her busy learning, performing, collaborating, and creating many projects, soundtracks, and albums, keeping her active in the industry from 1940 to 2008.

She is best known for soundtracks to films such as 1945’s Song of Mexico and 1975’s Paradise Island.

At 106 (as of this writing), according to CMG Worldwide, that makes Elisabeth Waldo an amazing violinist, composer, conductor, and the world’s oldest celebrity who has definitely made an impact on the musical world and the state of Washington!