On Monday, July 1st, 2019, my mother, Saundra Phillips, passed away. In her honor, I thought I would write a post to talk a little bit about her and the huge impact she had on me. An icon of the Baltimore entertainment industry, Saundra spent a large portion of her life as a local TV star, MC, and theatrical agent. Through her company the Alan Agency (named for her first-born son), which she started in 1952, she was able to work with many big name entertainers such as Henny Youngman, Joan Rivers, Johnny Cash, John Denver, Robert Goulet, Jackie Mason, Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Roberta Flack, just to name a few! She is the reason I got into the entertainment business in the first place. Later in life, she opted for a second career as a Blackjack Dealer at Casino Parties by Show Biz Productions; in 2013, she won an award for Best Croupier (Dealer) at the age of 93! She will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. -Steve Phillips