ions ▁were ▁baseball ▁and ▁R & B ▁music . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Pear l ▁T arn opol , ▁died ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁tw elf th ▁birth day , ▁which ▁forced ▁T arn opol ▁to ▁spend ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁his ▁child hood ▁in ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁his ▁A unt ▁L ena . ▁His ▁parents ▁originally ▁wanted ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁ra bbi . ▁As ▁a ▁star ▁short stop , ▁T arn opol ▁was ▁sc out ed ▁by , ▁and ▁was ▁offered ▁de als ▁to ▁sign ▁with , ▁both ▁the ▁Detroit ▁Tig ers ▁and ▁the ▁Chicago ▁White ▁So x . ▁After ▁considering ▁the ▁low ▁w ages ▁earned ▁by ▁ball play ers ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁and ▁the ▁anti - S emit ism ▁that ▁aff lic ted ▁Jewish ▁athlet es ▁such ▁as ▁Detroit ' s ▁H ank ▁Green berg , ▁T arn opol ▁passed ▁on ▁both ▁offers . ▁Without ▁money ▁for ▁college , ▁T arn opol ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁with ▁Detroit ' s ▁Union ▁T ire ▁company ▁and ▁began ▁sp ending ▁his ▁spare ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁Fl ame ▁Show ▁Bar ▁in ▁Detroit ' s ▁Black ▁B ottom ▁district . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁late - f ift ies ▁interview , ▁Detroit ' s ▁most ▁popular ▁de ej ay , ▁Mic key ▁Sh orr ▁gave ▁T arn opol ▁credit ▁for ▁leading ▁him ▁toward ▁rock ▁' n ' ▁roll ▁music . ▁ ▁After ▁Mic key ▁had ▁spent ▁a ▁few ▁night s ▁playing ▁the ▁same ▁white ▁pop ▁records ▁as ▁everyone ▁else , ▁a ▁t ire ▁sales man ▁and ▁part -