In 1989, Cleveland mayor George Voinovich declared a "Jane Scott Day." The official proclamation is pictured here, along with a photo from the day.

The pioneering rock critic from Cleveland – famous for extensive Plain Dealer coverage of the music scene across five decades – was everyone’s “Auntie.”

People all over Northeast Ohio adored Jane. She wasn’t just their eyes and ears. She made everyone she met feel seen – including performing artists she covered over the years.

She was kind and a sweetheart, but didn’t suffer fools. Perhaps that’s why even the late Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground – a notoriously abrasive minstrel – loved her when he disliked so many others in her profession.

“I must confess. I love Jane Scott,” Reed said on the occasion of her 80th birthday. “I always have and I always will. When I was in the Velvet Underground in the ’60’s Jane was one of the only people I can remember who was nice to us. Interested. Interested in the music, the styles - a very smart guileless lady who loved music and musicians and had unbiased attitudes towards the evolving culture.”

Cleveland rock legend Michael Stanley joined Jane Scott in celebrating her 90th birthday at the Agora in 2009.

Saturday, May 3, would have been Scott’s 106th birthday and the Lakewood High School graduate’s life as a journalism trailblazer was the very thing that drew playwright Majkin Holmquist to her – despite being both chronologically and locationally separate.

Holmquist’s “A Reading of Jane Scott” – part of Cleveland Play House‘s “New Ground Festival” May 15 – 17 at Playhouse Square’s Outcalt Theater – bids to close those gaps.

Her work is set in “80s Cleveland,” with Scott as heroine and central character in its rock scene. The world of the play isn’t fictional; just other characters occupying it are, she said. The play is being workshopped with hopes of a larger future production in mind.

We have yet to catch a readthrough, but working with “Auntie Jane” firsthand had us revisiting the legend. Here are 11 fun facts about her remarkable life and 50-year career:

Members of the band the Who, from left, Keith Moon, Peter Townsend, John Entwhistle and Roger Daltrey are interviewed by The Plain Dealer's Jane Scott

First major female rock critic: Scott is recognized as the first major female rock critic in the U.S. Her tenure began as a transition from the society beat to the teen beat. She then covered rock music for The Plain Dealer in the ’60s and continued until her retirement in 2002 – earning the nickname “The World’s Oldest Teenager.”

Michael Stanley (Cleveland's Springsteen!) sits next to larger than life sculpture of Jane Scott that was unveiled July 5, 2012 at the Rock Hall as a tribute to the rock critic.

Navy Code Breaker: Before her journalism career, Scott served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a code breaker, achieving the rank of lieutenant. She would later explain to coworkers that her stenography – “that chicken scratch” as she called it in her Reporter’s Notebook – was a hybrid of Navy code and shorthand.

Beatles Coverage: She covered the Beatles’ first Cleveland performance at Public Hall on September 15, 1964, and interviewed them before their August 14, 1966, concert at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. She was a massive Beatles fan (adored Paul McCartney) but enjoyed the Rolling Stones with almost equal measure.

A Bruce Springsteen prediction: In a 1975 review Scott famously wrote, “His name is Bruce Springsteen. He will be the next superstar,” showcasing her keen insight into emerging talent. She prophesized many emerging talents over the years and admitted that her fandom held hands with her rock reporter side.

A Rock Hall advocate: “Auntie Jane” was instrumental in advocating for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to be located in Cleveland. Her efforts, in concert with a massive ballot box push by WMMS-FM, led to the city’s successful bid to host the museum. A cast-bronze statue of her (complete with replica of her signature red eyeglasses and notepad) is seated on an oak bench in the Rock Hall’s Library and Archives at Tri-C. For a time, it lived in the Rock Hall itself.

Unique interview style and question: If you bumped into Scott at a concert and she was looking for some color to add to her story, you were almost certain to hear her signature question: “Where did you go to high school?” A proud Lakewood grad who went on to the University of Michigan, Wilcox College of Communication on Public Square and the U.S. Navy, it was an icebreaker that endeared her to fans and artists alike – a warm, deft personal touch.

Jane Scott's back stage passes and a photo with Bruce Springsteen on display at The Hard Rock Cafe in 2012.

A memorable companion: Scott once accompanied the incomparable Jimi Hendrix to purchase a blue Corvette in Cleveland – a notion that only underscores the distinctive relationships she built with musicians. Her favorite concert companions? A peanut butter sandwich in her purse and her ticket pinned to her blouse.

Everyone… except Elvis Presley: In on the ground floor of rock’s groundswell, Scott was encyclopedic in recalling interviews and shows. She interviewed everybody, from David Bowie to Otis Redding (the day before he died). But never with The King. Not for lack of trying: “I was relentless, but it never paid off – at least not with Elvis!”

Passion for Postcards: Jane was a teetotaler. Unlike most in the rock world, she didn’t suffer from addictions of any kind. But she did have one: Scott was an avid deltiologist – that is, a collector of postcards, particularly those featuring Cleveland landmarks. She was a member of the Western Reserve Post Card Society.

Jane Scott Day: Yep, she had a day named after her. Cleveland mayor George V. Voinovich declared Thursday, November 9, 1989, as “Jane Scott Day.” He called her “the only rock writer of a major metropolitan daily with both a backstage pass and Golden Buckeye Card in the same wallet.” Here’s a snapshot of the proclamation and her picture taken the day of the event:

She truly was an “Auntie.” For budding writers (including yours truly) Jane’s legacy included a commitment to mentoring future generations. It’s a long time ago now, but I looked forward to her 1 a.m. calls (on my rotary phone!) after shows. We would compare notes and proper names before the copy desk whisked our words away to that next stop before the overnight printing press. Those were the days.

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