If you've ever heard Michael Jackson's song "Thriller," you've also heard the voice of a famous St. Louisan.
Actor Vincent Price performed the creepy monologue in that song.
And while he's been dead for a quarter of a century, his daughter is finding joy in keeping his legacy of horror alive.
Even after his passing, he's known as the King of Horror. Vincent Price appeared in more than 100 films.
But in real life?
"He was the least scary person on the planet!" says his daughter, Victoria Price.
I recently took a walk down memory lane with Victoria. We visited the History Museum's exhibit "Muny Memories: 100 Seasons On Stage." Her father’s photo, prominently displayed among famous actors to grace the Muny Stage. But for Vincent Price, the Muny was extra special. He was born and raised just a few miles away.
"He loved being from St. Louis,” says Victoria, “I mean, he loved being from St. Louis. He felt like he was a hometown boy. I know that when you're from St. Louis, when people say, ‘Where did you go to school?’ they mean High School. And, and of course, he was very proud to have gone to Country Day."
Price was 51 when Victoria was born. She grew up in L.A. in the midst of a resurgence of his career.
"And so he was gone constantly,” recalls Victoria. “In fact, when I was a little girl, we dropped him off and picked him up so often at the airport. I actually thought he worked there."
But as a Dad, she says he was second to none.
"He was funny and enthusiastic and curious about everything, and always learning and always teaching me to learn, who's an amazing way to grow up,” says Victoria.
It was back in 2011 Victoria Price began traveling the country sharing stories of her father at film and horror conventions. A journey she says was inspired by the celebration of her late father's 100th birthday.
"That night here in St. Louis, there was this immense love,” says Victoria. “And there was this feeling of joy that made me realize that that's what I'd forgotten in trying to be this successful workaholic."
So she put the brakes on her career as a designer, and took a huge risk doing things that bring her joy: being an inspirational speaker, an interfaith spiritual minister.
She's living on the road so she can attend horror conventions and other events that let her connect with the people who love the work of her famous father. And while she loves keeping the memory of her father alive, she's not a fan of horror. In fact, quite the opposite.
"In the last three years, I started a blog called the Daily Practice of Joy. I've written a book, I just finished a four-month book tour, the book is called "The Way of Being Lost: A Road Trip to My Truest Self."
Victoria looks at her own reinvention as something she learned from her father, a man who was constantly saying yes to new projects that put him in front of younger generations.
"Saying yes to something meant you said yes to this guy who was this musician, who had been part of a big band, but now was starting over on his,” says Victoria. “And that was Michael Jackson thriller, right? As long as there is Halloween, there will be Thriller, which means that as long as there's Thriller there's Michael Jackson and Vincent Price, right? So whole new generations will continue to be introduced to him through that song. That is the greatest gift in the world, as far as I'm concerned."
A gift she's giving back to fans, as she finds her joy in sharing the amazing career her father built scaring all of us.
Click here for Victoria's blog "Daily Practice of Joy."
