Archive for September, 2024

K. T. Oslin

Posted in Woodlawn Memorial Park (TN) with tags , , , on September 30, 2024 by Cade

May 15, 1942 – December 21, 2020

As the old adage goes: “Good things come to those who wait.” For Kay Toinette “K. T.” Oslin, this doesn’t EXACTLY fit…but it’s not a bad start.

K. T. Oslin grew up in the American south (Arkansas>Alabama>Texas, to be precise). As a theatre major in college, she discovered a love for folk music. She would form a folk trio alongside a young Guy Clark, and enjoyed performing in clubs and anywhere there was an audience. At the age of 24, Oslin joined the touring production of Hello Dolly! that eventually led to her moving to New York to pursue acting. While in New York, she appeared in a number of musicals, found work in commercials and – most importantly – began to explore songwriting. At this same time, she began to have an affinity for country music and the possibilities her songwriting might have in that genre.

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Walt Whitman

Posted in Harleigh Cemetery with tags , , on September 23, 2024 by Cade

May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892

Attempting to list out the most influential American poets will consistently return a handful of regular contenders. This number can often pale in comparison to other countries with longer histories, but any list you produce will include monumental names like Dickinson, Frost, Emerson, Poe, etc. And EVERY list will feature one name at the top: Walt Whitman

Whitman grew up in New York and dropped out of school to work as a young man to help his family. One of his early jobs was in a print shop. He continued this work and pursued a career in newspapers and eventually began writing his own copy. Opinions, reviews of operas, essays, he dabbled in anything that interested him. He became a successful editor and was able to publish his own serialized novel in 1852. By the mid-1850s, Whitman had decided he wanted to try poetry. He set out to create the great American epic poem and in 1855, published Leaves of Grass, his defining masterwork.

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Posted in The Pantheon with tags on September 16, 2024 by Cade

June 28, 1712 – July 02, 1778

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in the early 1700s in what is now Switzerland. Losing his mother (died) as a newborn and his father (just…sort of left) somewhat later on, young J-J spent his early years surrounded by upper class artists and working class artisans. The lower his class surroundings became, the more interested he became in the inner workings of the society he lived in. He loved to watch the local militias drill in the square and sympathized with them over the the ruling class armies. He loved music and thought about becoming a priest.

His teens and 20s found him bopping around Europe and taking on…more mature…relationships. He eventually landed in Paris, fathered a bunch of children, started writing, and went on to change the continent of Europe forever.

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Bob Hoskins

Posted in Highgate Cemetery with tags , on September 9, 2024 by Cade

October 26, 1942 – April 29, 2014

Iconic character actor, tough-guy-with-a-heart, and all-around beloved personality, Bob Hoskins, quite accidentally stumbled into show business. A mediocre student, Hoskins worked a number of odd jobs in his native London (and abroad) before giving a go at a small part in a production of Romeo and Juliet. The bug hadn’t fully bitten yet, but when Bob accompanied an actor friend to an audition and – while waiting – was handed a script and told “You’re next!” He complied, auditioned, and got the part.

A lauded 40 year career followed.

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