Charles Darwin

Posted in Westminster Abbey with tags , , on October 7, 2024 by Cade

February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882

Geologist, naturalist and biologist, Charles Darwin’s life is extremely well documented. From his early interest in insects and exploring theology in nature to his famed journeys aboard HMS Beagle, Darwin’s contributions to human study, thought and progress are virtually unrivaled.

His five-year voyage on the Beagle from 1831-1836 was arguably his most consequential endeavor. His geological study and collection of natural history specimens from the coasts of South America, Africa, Australia and islands along the way – including Mauritius and, famously, the Galapagos islands – became the bedrock upon which he would change the way humans view the world. Darwin journaled extensively during the journey and his discoveries. He originally set out to write a book about the geological history of these coastlines, but altered his focus after several encounters with fossilized animals and observations in related species of what he would go on to deem “natural selection.”

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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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Jim Seals

Posted in Woodlawn Memorial Park (TN) with tags , , on August 26, 2024 by Cade

October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022

Jim Seals grew up in the rough and tumble west Texas oil fields. Born into a family of musical talent, “Jimmy” learned to play the fiddle and the saxophone alongside his brother, Dan. He played in some local bands as a youth, meeting drummer, Dash Crofts, and before too long, the two were off to Los Angeles. Seals – still a teenager at this point – found some success in the LA rock scene of the late 1950s. He played with acts like Eddie Cochran and the Champs (along with Crofts) and wrote songs.

Seals and Crofts soon left the Champs along with guitarist, Glen Campbell, to form a new band with Campbell at the lead. After a couple of years, this group broke up and Seals and Crofts went their separate ways. They would not be apart for long.

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Samuel Johnson

Posted in Westminster Abbey with tags , , on August 19, 2024 by Cade

September 18, 1709 – December 13, 1784

Samuel Johnson was – and remains – one of the most influential English writers of all time. With works ranging from poems to a literal dictionary, Johnson’s contributions to British literature ran far, wide and very, very deep. Sometimes referred to as “Dr. Johnson”, he wrote in a number of genres including, drama, essays, biographies, literary criticism and sermons. He is widely regarded as “the most distinguished man of letters in English history.”

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Grandpa Jones

Posted in Luton's United Methodist Church Cemetery with tags , , , on August 5, 2024 by Cade

October 20, 1913 – February 19, 1998

Banjo player and country music icon, Louis Jones, earned the nickname “Grandpa” at the unlikely age of 22 when he was performing on early-morning radio shows in Boston. A guitar player and singer, the young Jones had made his way to Massachusetts by way of his home in Kentucky and a stint in Ohio. His pre-dawn grumpiness led to the nickname…which Jones not only accepted, but made his entire on-stage persona going forward.

Grandpa Jones delighted audiences for nearly 7 decades with his rousing banjo playing, old-timey ballads and affable stage presence. He mastered the banjo and became a popular performer. Early in his career, he bounced from town to town playing live radio shows. He briefly served in the U.S. Army during World War II and, in his mid 30s, he found his way to Nashville. Continue reading →

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Tito Puente

Posted in Saint Anthony's Catholic Cemetery with tags , , on July 29, 2024 by Cade

April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000

Like most latter-day Gen Xers, I formed most of my pop-culture knowledgebase throughout the 1990s watching The Simpsons. The writers of the iconic show were clearly of a generation previous to mine and would pepper in references to things from their youth, and thereby introduce them to us youngins.

So, it should come as no surprise that my first introduction to percussionist Tito Puente was from the 1995 cliffhanger episode “Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part 1” in which Lisa Simpson wanted to use the city’s newfound riches to hire Puente as the music teacher. To this day, I can’t hear the name “Tito Puente” without uttering to myself “He robbed the school of TITO!”

But, I digress.

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Charles Baudelaire

Posted in Montparnasse Cemetery with tags , , on July 15, 2024 by Cade

April 09, 1821 – August 31, 1867

To call Charles Baudelaire a “Romantic” poet would be a significant undersell. For sure, he was one of the preeminent French poets of the 19th century and drew heavily on his Romantic forebears, but one does not take the beauty, imagination and natural ideals of the Romantic movement and forge a new movement based on exoticism and excess by resting on the laurels of the past. Largely credited with helping found the Decadent literary movement, Baudelaire was as widely regarded for his poems as he was for his lavish lifestyle.

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