Aretha Franklin

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , on December 19, 2022 by Cade

March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018

Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942. Her father, a Baptist minister, moved the family to Detroit when Aretha was 5 years-old to preach at New Bethel Baptist Church. After her mother died in 1952, 10 year-old Aretha found solace through singing in the church. It was immediately apparent to everyone who heard, that there was something special about her. She continued to sing and gain attention and by the time she turned 18, she signed a recording contract with Columbia records. Though her time with Columbia taught her about the business and generated a few minor hits, it would take a change for the world to finally meet Ms. Franklin. In 1966, Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic records and exploded onto the international music landscape.

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Bobbie Smith

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on December 12, 2022 by Cade

April 10, 1936 – March 16, 2013

The Spinners were a popular American R&B vocal group that formed in 1954 in a housing project outside of Detroit. The group got their professional start at Tri-Phi Records, which was eventually absorbed into Berry Gordy’s Motown label. While they paid their dues alongside hitmakers like the Temptations and the Four Tops, the Spinners’ success was finally realized when they left Motown and signed with Atlantic records in the early 1970’s. Through all the highs and lows, the most consistent lead vocal was that of Robert “Bobby” Smith. Bobby – or “Bobbie” as he sometimes spelled it – led the Spinners on certified Gold singles like “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” the duet with Dionne Warwick “Then Came You” and “I’ll Be Around.” The latter – originally a B-side – was an unexpected success as DJs preferred playing it to the A-side single. It became the Spinners’ first million-selling record and their first #1 hit.

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Henry Ford

Posted in Ford Cemetery with tags on December 5, 2022 by Cade

July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947

Look, history is complicated.

On one hand, Henry Ford was one of the most recognizable 20th Century names on the planet. The industrialist and businessman was largely responsible for ushering in the age of, not only mass-produced and “affordable” automobiles, but also of mass-produced goods in general. The Ford Model T began production in 1908 and opened up automobile travel to the American middle-class and changed the course of personal mobility. His formula for assembly-line production coupled with relatively well-paid workers changed American industrialism. Of course, the Ford Motor Company would go on to become one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

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Lawrence Payton

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on November 28, 2022 by Cade

March 2, 1938 – June 20, 1997

Lawrence Payton spent 43 years as part of one of the most successful R&B acts of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. That act was the Four Tops and Payton was often cited as the musical backbone of the group. He was responsible for many of the Tops’ most memorable harmonies and arrangements.

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Wally Schirra

Posted in Cremated with tags , , on November 21, 2022 by Cade

March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007

Walter “Wally” Schirra was a naval test pilot and one of the Mercury 7 astronauts. Schirra served aboard the USS Alaska during World War II and became a pilot for the Navy in 1948. He flew 90 missions during the Korean war and began test piloting aircraft in the years that followed. In 1959, Schirra was selected for Project Mercury and the first American manned-spaceflight program. He flew the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission onboard the Sigma 7 space capsule. MA-8 orbited the earth six times and allowed Schirra to manually pilot the capsule successfully.
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Norman “Turkey” Stearnes

Posted in Lincoln Memorial Park with tags , , on November 14, 2022 by Cade

May 8, 1901 – September 4, 1979

“If they don’t put Turkey Stearnes in the Hall of Fame, they shouldn’t put anybody in!” – James “Cool Papa” Bell

Norman Stearnes was a Hall of Fame baseball player who played the entirety of his 19-year career in the Negro Leagues. Nicknamed “Turkey” from the unconventional way he ran, he was a 5x All-Star and 2x league batting champion. He was predominantly a utility outfielder – playing mostly in left field – but was praised for his versatility and speed at other positions as well.

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Elaine Stritch

Posted in Memorial Park Cemetery (IL) with tags , on November 7, 2022 by Cade

February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014

Widely considered one of the greatest performers in Broadway history, Elaine Stritch spent more than six decades on stages all around the world. She appeared in early classics like Pal Joey and William Inge’s Bus Stop, but found a major breakthrough in 1961 with her groundbreaking performance in Sail Away by Noël Coward. In 1970, she appeared in the original production of Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece Company, in which she originated the now-classic “The Ladies Who Lunch” which would become one of her signature songs. She was nominated for 5 Tony Awards throughout her career, winning once.

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Uriel Jones

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on October 31, 2022 by Cade

June 13, 1934 – March 24, 2009

As a drummer for the legendary house band, the Funk Brothers, Uriel Jones played on many of Motown Records’ biggest hits of the 1960s. From “Ain’t to Proud to Beg” and “I Can’t Get Next to You” by the Temptations, to Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life”, Jones’ smooth and funky rhythm came to be a staple in the exploding R&B scene out of Detroit.

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Ed Asner

Posted in Sheffield Cemetery with tags , , on October 24, 2022 by Cade

November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021

For 12 years, American TV audiences tuned in by the millions to delight in and be entertained by the curmudgeonly but loveable character, Lou Grant. Grant first appeared in the all-time classic sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and was then given his own spin-off fittingly entitled Lou Grant. Ed Asner became a household name with his portrayal of the gruff but ultimately caring Grant. He won 5 of his 7 Emmy awards for the role, spanning both series. And he is one of only two actors to win Emmys for the SAME role in both a comedy and a drama.

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DeShaun “Proof” Holton

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , on October 17, 2022 by Cade

October 2, 1973 – April 11, 2006

DeShaun Holton was a Detroit-based rapper who grew to prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s. Under the performing name “Proof,” Holton formed a collective of local hip-hop artists in 1996 called D12. The group contained, at various times, other Detroit contemporaries like Eminem, Denaun and Bizarre among others. Proof and Eminem were close childhood friends and supported each other throughout their careers. Proof toured with Eminem and served as the latter’s hype man in concerts. He also appeared in Eminem’s critically-acclaimed 2002 motion picture, 8 Mile. D12 released two albums and a number of hit singles. As a solo artist, Proof released two EPs and two full-length studio albums spawning singles like “Trapped” and “Kurt Kobain”…which leaned heavily on prescient thoughts of his own death and legacy.

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