Emily Chan
In 1961, she decided to move on from music and left New York for Ann Arbor. She got a job at the University of Michigan as a secretary and then as the managing editor for the university’s Journal of Conflict Resolution.
Back in New York, folk music artists like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Woody Guthrie achieved the fame that had eschewed her.
Meanwhile, Connie grew increasingly bored and depressed. She began drinking heavily, turning into a shell of herself. She spent half a year in London on vacation, followed by a trip to Alaska with her mother, but her mood did not seem to improve.
In 1974, one week after her 50th birthday, she wrote a series of letters to her friends and family that spoke of her need to begin a new life somewhere else. She loaded all her belongings into her car and left Ann Arbor. No one ever heard from her again.
It is believed that she may have taken her own life, but neither her body nor car has ever been found. Today, Connie Converse lives on through her music, serving as inspiration for the singer-songwriters who come after her.
