48 | NOVEMBER 24 • 2022 

for Mosaic Youth Theatre in the 
backyard of her home, which was 
designed in 1937 by noted architect 
William Kesling. 
“We plan to use the house to give 
songwriters a place to participate in 
seminars and lectures,” Fenton says. 
“We’re also going to have parties 
and introduce the students to people 
in the industry. We plan to give 
them exposure to the business of 
being a songwriter and provide a 
real 360-education.”
Tomlin said that she and her wife, 
Jane Wagner, have visited Willis’ 
house over 100 times throughout 
the years.
“I live about six minutes away 
from Allee’s house in the Valley. 
It’s the perfect, ideal mid-century 
house. It has ’50s cars in the 
driveway and it’s totally painted 
pink. It sits there wonderfully, and 
there are bowling balls in the front 
and in the backyard. She had beach 
blanket bingo made around the 
pool, and the house itself is really 
wonderful,” said Tomlin, who grew 
up in Detroit and established the 

Lily Tomlin Endowed Scholarship 
Fund in 1990 at her alma mater, 
Wayne State University. 
While Tomlin and Willis 
socialized mostly in L.A., it was 
their deep love for Detroit that 
forever connected them.
“I have a great picture of Allee 
out on the corner in front of a 
barbecue joint in Detroit,” Tomlin 
says. “She was really, really hardcore 
Detroit. She built her whole career 
kind of on that inspiration because 
her house was filled with that kind 
of collectible kitsch. It was just 
unbelievable what she was capable 
of.
“When you’re from Detroit — I 
don’t know if other people feel this 
about their city, I don’t necessarily 
think they do, not very often 
anyway — but it’s like Detroit is an 
unspoken language,” Tomlin adds. 
“You love Detroit, or it inspired 
you. It was so political and gritty 
and filled with all kinds of people. 
I’m sure it influenced me just like it 
influenced Allee in another kind of 
way.”

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

All About Allee
“Completely committed to color, cut 
and silhouette, Allee found energy in 
schmattas,” said Willis Wonderland 
Foundation CEO and Founder 
Prudence Fenton. “She didn’t wear 
haute couture; she wore kitsch 
couture.”
Allee’s friends got together in 
advance of the gala to model 
fashions and accessories from her 
wardrobe. The items were auctioned 
off during the Fashion Parade at 
the Willis Wonderland Foundation 
“Night of Wonders” on the 21st night 
of September 2022. The video 
was recorded to Willis’ and Danny 
Sambello’s “Neutron Dance” (https://
youtu.be/3mnfip7_t_u)
For more information on the Willis 
Wonderland Foundation, visit www.
williswonderland.org.
To purchase the Allee Willis cut-
out paper doll book, designed by 
Hillary Carlip, or a limited-edition 
t-shirt, go to: https://one.bidpal.net/
williswonderlandfoundation/browse/
featured. 
Allee Willis Best Kept Secret 
Sizzle Reel is at https://youtu.be/
tu2krqiwpqs.

continued from page 47

PHOTO BY SERENA BEGGS

Allee Willis always wore 
signature high-tops. 
Guests autographed the 
giant shoe in her honor. 

continued on page 50

ARTS&LIFE
MUSIC

