Granny’s Kids Nonprofit Keeps Legacy of Claudia Worthen Alive in Santa Barbara

Over the course of her 96-year life, Claudia Worthen became affectionately known as “Granny” to whoever ended up around her kitchen table, no matter what coincidental relation brought them through her always-open door. Once you were in her house, or eating her food, she was your grandma just as much as your own, and you were one of Granny’s kids.

Now, after her death, those grandkids — led by her actual grandson, Santa Barbara–based record producer Damion “Damizza” Young — intend to honor her legacy with the “Granny’s Kids” organization, which will provide a safe place for troubled youth who are looking for a healthy outlet through music.

Long before she was Granny, she was Claudia Marie Billingsley, born in the bayous and raised in a little log cabin in Logansport, Louisiana — a town with a population of a couple hundred. She was named after her Aunt Marie, whom her family called “Ree,” so her family called her by the nickname “Baby Ree.”

She ended up in Santa Barbara in the late ’60s, moving out west with her first husband, Melvin Young, and their two kids, Craig and Cindy, hoping to make a better life for their new family. Though the marriage didn’t last, Claudia soon ended up with her first grandson, Damion, whom she took into her home and adopted at the age of one, when he was dropped off on her doorstep by his teenage parents. Ever since that day, the two had a deep connection that was obvious to anyone who knew them.

“For almost 50 years, we had a wild ride,” Young said after returning home to Santa Barbara following Worthen’s death on January 6. “So many people have witnessed our special bond, and from the time I was dropped off to the time she passed, we were each other’s life. I can honestly say that I have felt what unconditional love truly is.”

After the death of her second husband, Wally Worthen, in a plane crash in 1976, she became one of the first women on the West Coast to own and operate an automotive shop when she took over his shop, Wally’s Garage on Fairview Avenue. Despite some skepticism about a woman owner in the industry, she not only succeeded but became the president of the local Garage Owner’s Association of Santa Barbara County within a year. She threw herself into volunteer work and women’s advocacy with the same passion, taking positions with several organizations and becoming president of Rockwood, the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club.

With the support of his grandmother, Young pursued a career in the music industry early in his life, earning an overnight gig as a studio assistant at the old KHTY radio station at age 12. While he worked in the studio, Granny slept in the parking lot outside. She promised to let him keep working under one condition: that he graduate high school.

Eventually, Young made a name for himself in radio with his knack for recognizing and popularizing emerging artists. After earning his diploma as promised, he quickly climbed to the top as head of programming for Los Angeles’ Power 106 and New York’s Hot 97. During that time, he’s credited with bringing artists such as Jay-Z and Eminem to listeners across the country, and his grandma was with him every step of the way.

In 2004, after finding success as a producer for artists like Mariah Carey and Nate Dogg, Young created his own record label, Baby Ree Records, named after his grandmother. The same year, Worthen took a fall and was injured, and without hesitation Young quit his radio positions in L.A. and moved back home to take care of her.

Baby Ree Records was run out of Granny’s house, a bustling beehive of activity off Turnpike Road that soon became the home base for a flock of local artists that Young had taken under his wing to teach them the art of recording and — most importantly — keep them out of trouble. 

Naturally, Granny was at the center of everything. She earned both the admiration and respect of everybody from label execs to movie stars and gangster rappers. Between recording takes, Granny would grab a couple of guys to help restock the groceries, tend the garden, or prep for a Women’s Club luncheon. At club events, it was the same kids working the tables and serving plates. 

“Granny knew everybody, from gangs to mayors, rappers to pop stars,” Young said. “And they all came through her kitchen, and they all said the same thing: ‘Yes, ma’am.’”

One of those talented Santa Barbara artists that Granny took into her home was Ramon Cardenas, an Eastside-born-and-bred rapper known as Lil’ Bams. Cardenas showed potential since he was a teenager, and Young helped foster his passion for music while helping him navigate the temptations of gang life. When Cardenas had no place to go, he took a room at Granny’s house.

Over the years, Cardenas and Worthen created their own bond, sharing late-night conversations and cooking meals together. Unlikely as it may be — a tattooed, hard-edged rapper from Eastside Santa Barbara and a tiny white Louisiana-born grandma — the two became great friends. As she entered her nineties, she began laying the groundwork for a charity, Granny’s Kids, with Cardenas at the lead.

In 2019, after suffering a broken hip, Worthen made one more demand of her grandson. After spending more than half of her life in Santa Barbara, she wished to return to her birth town, Logansport, to live out her last days. Within six months, Young purchased a 14-acre lakeside home and chartered a private jet for Granny and her little white lap dog, Sweet Pea, to travel back in style.

When she arrived, Young said she told him: “You know, women couldn’t own land when I left here, sweetheart. Look at all this land. Who would have thought little Baby Ree would own all this land?” 

For the last five years, Young has served as her full-time caregiver, with his younger brother Justin Callahan and Cardenas living in the house to keep her company. The house had regular visitors and plenty of space for Granny to enjoy.

“She wanted to move home to Louisiana,” Young said. “She missed the country life, and wanted to live out her days as she did as a child in the serene nature of the country. It was like I was a kid again, but I had full attention for Granny, and she had mine. Anyone in either of our lives knew one thing. We had each other’s back.”

On December 27, 2023, Granny turned 96. Just 10 days later, she passed. Her death tore a hole through her grandson’s heart. Young gathered the bare essentials, hopped in the car with Sweet Pea, and took the long 14-hour drive back to Santa Barbara. During the drive, Young vowed to continue Worthen’s legacy by working with troubled youth and providing a place for them to feel part of family.

“She just wanted fellowship,” Young said. “Luncheons, kids, whatever — she just wanted everyone to get along.”

The nonprofit organization Granny’s Kids, which will be headed by Cardenas, will kick off with a memorial fundraiser in Worthen’s honor at Rockwood Santa Barbara Women’s Club on Saturday, January 27, at 3 p.m. Young says he hopes he can work with similar organizations, like Freedom 4 Youth, to provide resources for at-risk youth.

“We’ve been talking about this, working with Granny on her plans for this foundation for the last five or so years,” Young said. “Her last request to me was to take her Louisiana home and turn it into a boys camp, but open for all.”
To donate to Granny’s Kids or toward memorial expenses, visit the GoFundMe page.