1 00:00:02,131 --> 00:00:06,317 Earlier this summer Green Shoe Studio launched its singer-songwriter contest 2 00:00:06,317 --> 00:00:10,367 It's a contest that someone can upload a video on to YouTube and send us the link. 3 00:00:10,367 --> 00:00:14,704 we thought it was a good way that we could really tie into the local community 4 00:00:14,704 --> 00:00:17,924 and really get a feel for the music that's going on around here. 5 00:00:17,924 --> 00:00:21,574 But we didn't quite expect an entry like Fred's. 6 00:00:49,581 --> 00:00:51,162 How did I meet Lorraine? 7 00:00:51,162 --> 00:00:56,406 She was a car hop at the A & W root beer stand in this period. 8 00:00:56,406 --> 00:00:59,312 And she brought the trays to the car and... 9 00:00:59,312 --> 00:01:04,118 that was in... about 1938. 10 00:01:04,518 --> 00:01:08,310 We dated for two years. Then we married. 11 00:01:08,310 --> 00:01:11,858 June 26th have been our 73rd anniversary. 12 00:01:11,858 --> 00:01:15,293 She gave me 75 years of her life. 13 00:01:17,443 --> 00:01:18,695 Well, she was... 14 00:01:19,801 --> 00:01:22,934 just the prettiest girl I ever saw. 15 00:01:23,933 --> 00:01:27,102 She was real timid like and... 16 00:01:29,094 --> 00:01:32,978 I just fell in love with her right there. 17 00:01:35,858 --> 00:01:39,205 What made Fred's entry so special to us 18 00:01:39,621 --> 00:01:43,139 was, for number one, it's an online singer-songwriter contest. 19 00:01:43,139 --> 00:01:45,132 People are supposed to upload their videos 20 00:01:45,132 --> 00:01:48,964 but instead of a video we received a very large manilla envelope 21 00:01:48,964 --> 00:01:52,433 titled Green Shoe Studio Singer Songwriter contest. 22 00:01:52,955 --> 00:01:55,581 Well, I was excited to see what it was and open it up and 23 00:01:55,581 --> 00:02:00,767 lo and behold it was a letter from a 96-year-old man who said "I've written a song for my wife". 24 00:02:01,011 --> 00:02:04,405 He said on the, you know, in the letter that he was not a musician 25 00:02:04,405 --> 00:02:07,246 and that said he was not actually a very good singer. 26 00:02:07,246 --> 00:02:12,044 In fact, on the actual envelope itself it says 27 00:02:13,074 --> 00:02:17,118 "PS: I don't sing. I would scare people... haha". 28 00:02:17,118 --> 00:02:20,963 So, it's a letter from this 96-year-old man, he sounds like a sweet guy. 29 00:02:20,963 --> 00:02:23,892 But as I am reading through the letter, 30 00:02:24,353 --> 00:02:27,254 I begin to realize that his wife has just passed away 31 00:02:27,422 --> 00:02:30,735 a month earlier. And so 32 00:02:30,735 --> 00:02:35,593 having known that I started reading through the song and he titled it "Sweet Lorraine" 33 00:02:35,593 --> 00:02:39,394 and listening to the lyrics and the passion behind the lyrics 34 00:02:39,394 --> 00:02:43,767 and the letter he sent us it was just so heartwarming. 35 00:02:44,443 --> 00:02:45,373 Well, 36 00:02:47,342 --> 00:02:49,481 after she passed away 37 00:02:49,957 --> 00:02:53,206 I was just sitting in the front room one evening all by myself 38 00:02:53,206 --> 00:02:56,840 and it just come right to me almost 39 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,612 and I just kept humming it and singing it and that 40 00:02:59,612 --> 00:03:03,020 and that's how I come to write it. Just seemed like this just fit her. 41 00:03:03,696 --> 00:03:06,370 Green Shoe Studio decided to take Fred's lyrics 42 00:03:06,370 --> 00:03:10,797 and bring them to life. We decided to put it to professional music, 43 00:03:10,797 --> 00:03:16,579 professionally record it. We wanted to have a professional singer sing on the song. 44 00:03:16,579 --> 00:03:21,210 You know, our mission here at Green Shoe studio is to change our community one dream at a time. 45 00:03:21,210 --> 00:03:23,032 and what a better way to do it? 46 00:03:23,032 --> 00:03:29,590 Well, I saw Jacobs's ad in the paper 47 00:03:29,590 --> 00:03:32,880 About the contest that he was going to put on 48 00:03:33,172 --> 00:03:38,790 so I just thought, "Oh shoot, I'll just write a letter and send it all in". 49 00:03:38,790 --> 00:03:44,861 And, you know, never thinking that I'd get an answer or something but then... 50 00:03:45,399 --> 00:03:48,455 He called one day and I... I was surprised! 51 00:03:48,732 --> 00:03:53,116 We decided we're going to do this just by reading a letter without even meeting Fred 52 00:03:53,141 --> 00:03:56,445 So, I called him up one day and said 53 00:03:56,445 --> 00:04:01,119 "Fred, we were touched by your story. Now it didn't meet the criteria of our 54 00:04:01,119 --> 00:04:04,645 singer-songwriter contest but we are going to do something even better for you, 55 00:04:04,645 --> 00:04:07,548 said we're gonna record your song. We're gonna 56 00:04:07,548 --> 00:04:11,687 have professionals to do this, we're gonna have a professional take so that, you know, 57 00:04:11,687 --> 00:04:14,734 it's not just lyrics anymore. It's bringing it to life 58 00:04:14,734 --> 00:04:18,445 and he goes all that "It's just so great but, you know, how much is that going to cost? 59 00:04:18,445 --> 00:04:19,686 I don't have money". 60 00:04:19,686 --> 00:04:23,209 And I said "Fred you misunderstand me. We're going to do all this for free". 61 00:04:23,224 --> 00:04:26,764 And he began to cry on the phone and say "why would you do this for me?" 62 00:04:26,764 --> 00:04:30,455 And I said to Fred "It's not... 63 00:04:30,455 --> 00:04:33,757 It's not that we're doing this for you. We're doing this together 64 00:04:33,757 --> 00:04:37,253 because music means so much to so many people and 65 00:04:37,253 --> 00:04:42,975 your song touched us and we feel like this is the best way to do this". 66 00:04:43,174 --> 00:04:49,519 (singing) Oh, Sweet Lorraine, I wish we could do the good times all over again. 67 00:04:49,519 --> 00:04:55,536 Oh, Sweet Lorraine, life only goes around once but never again. 68 00:04:55,536 --> 00:05:01,839 Oh, Sweet Lorraine, I wish we could do the good times all over again. 69 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,269 The good times all over again. 70 00:05:04,269 --> 00:05:08,026 But the memories will always linger on. 71 00:05:08,026 --> 00:05:14,203 Oh, Sweet Lorraine, the memories will always linger on. 72 00:05:15,017 --> 00:05:16,668 Very Cool! 73 00:05:16,668 --> 00:05:18,481 I liked that. 74 00:05:19,895 --> 00:05:23,178 I probably spent more time with his song 75 00:05:23,178 --> 00:05:25,813 that I have with most other people's songs. 76 00:05:26,042 --> 00:05:28,777 To be honest, I was a little nervous taking it to him. 77 00:05:28,777 --> 00:05:32,984 I've been singer and songwriter for years but, 78 00:05:32,984 --> 00:05:36,372 I must admit, this is the first time in probably 10 years I've actually been nervous 79 00:05:36,372 --> 00:05:38,866 giving someone a song that we have taken 80 00:05:38,866 --> 00:05:42,282 because it meant so much to him and meant so much to me. 81 00:05:44,081 --> 00:05:45,877 I hope you like it. 82 00:05:46,553 --> 00:05:51,053 And what I said, it's not done yet but I will let you hear it. Ok? 83 00:05:51,053 --> 00:05:52,214 Tell me when you're ready. 84 00:05:52,214 --> 00:05:53,722 Yeah, ok 85 00:06:03,982 --> 00:06:08,042 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 86 00:06:08,304 --> 00:06:13,044 I wish we could do all the good times over again. 87 00:06:13,044 --> 00:06:16,305 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 88 00:06:16,305 --> 00:06:21,584 life only goes around once but never again. 89 00:06:21,584 --> 00:06:24,755 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 90 00:06:24,755 --> 00:06:29,987 I wish we could do all the good times over again... 91 00:06:29,987 --> 00:06:38,392 The good times, the good times, the good times all over again... 92 00:06:38,392 --> 00:06:49,481 The good times, the good times, the good times all over again... 93 00:06:49,481 --> 00:06:53,811 But the memories always linger on, 94 00:06:53,811 --> 00:06:57,773 Oh, Sweet Lorraine, that I don't want to move on 95 00:06:57,773 --> 00:07:01,942 all the memories always linger on, 96 00:07:01,942 --> 00:07:08,941 Oh, Sweet Lorraine, that's why I wrote you this song. 97 00:07:10,034 --> 00:07:14,110 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 98 00:07:14,130 --> 00:07:19,018 I wish we could do all the good times over again. 99 00:07:19,018 --> 00:07:22,057 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 100 00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:27,203 Life only goes around once but never again. 101 00:07:27,203 --> 00:07:30,421 Oh, Sweet Lorraine... 102 00:07:30,421 --> 00:07:35,878 I wish we could do all the good times over again. 103 00:07:35,878 --> 00:07:50,217 The good times, the good times, all the good times, all over again... 104 00:07:53,097 --> 00:07:54,501 Wonderful! 105 00:07:54,501 --> 00:07:54,909 Good! 106 00:07:54,909 --> 00:07:55,780 This is wonderful! 107 00:07:55,780 --> 00:07:59,457 Good. I'm glad you like it. So glad you like it. 108 00:07:59,457 --> 00:08:01,165 It's wonderful! 109 00:08:02,590 --> 00:08:05,970 I was a wonderful seventy-five years. 110 00:08:05,970 --> 00:08:10,705 I just often think that kinda unreal. 111 00:08:10,705 --> 00:08:13,646 Dream or something but, 112 00:08:14,152 --> 00:08:20,039 but it was real. That's all I can say... real 113 00:08:25,495 --> 00:08:28,805 I really, really miss her. Just don't seem right. 114 00:08:28,805 --> 00:08:31,130 Just like a dream...