Earlier this summer Green Shoe Studio launched it's singer-songwriter contest
It's a contest that someone can upload a video on to Youtube and send us the link
We felt it was a good way that we could really tie into the local community
and really get a feel for the music that's going on around here
But we didn't quite expect an entry like Fred's.
" A Letter From Fred"
How did I meet Lorraine?
She was a car hop at the A&W root beer stand
She brought the trays to the car and that
That was in 1938
We dated for two years than we married
June 26 have been our 73rd anniversary
She gave me 75 years of her life
Well, she was...
just prettiest girl ever saw
She was real timid like and
I just fell inlove with her right there
What made Fred's entry so special to us
Was, for number one, it's an online singer-songwriter contest people are supposed to upload their videos
but instead of a video, we've received a very large manila envelope
titled Green Shoes Studio Singer Songwriter Contest
Well I was excited to see what it was and opened it up
and behold it was a letter from a 96 years old man who said "I've written a song for my wife"
He said on the, you know, in the letter that he was not a musician
and that he was not actually a very good singer, in fact, on the actual envelope itself
it says
"PS - I don't sing, I would scare people, ahah"
So its a letter from this 96 years old man, he sounds like a sweet guy
But as I'm reading through the letter
I begin to realize that his wife just passed away
A month earlier and so
Having known that I started reading through the song and he titled it "Sweet Lorraine"
And listening to the lyrics and passion behind the lyrics ant the letter he sent us
It was just so heartwarming
Well,
After she passed away
I was just sitting in the front room one evening all by myself
And it just come right to me almost
and I just kept humming it and singing it and that
and that's how I came to write it, just seemed like it just fit her
Green Shoe Studio decided to take Fred's lyrics
and bring them to life
We decided to put it to professional music
professionally record it.
We wanted to have a professional singer sing on the song.
You know, our mission here at Green Shoe Studio is to change our community one dream at a time
and what a better way to do it?
Well, I saw Jacob's add in the paper
About the contest he was going to put on
So I just thought "Oh shoot, I'll just
write a letter and send it all in, you know, never thinking that I'd get
an answer or something but then he
called one day and I was surprised
We decided we were going to do this just by reading a letter without even meeting Fred.
So I called him one day and said "Fred, we were touched by your story
Now, it didn't meet the criteria of our singer-songwriter contest but we're going to do something even better for you
So we're going to record your song, we're going to have professionals do this
We're going to have a professional take so that, you know
It's not just the lyrics anymore, it's bringing it to life
and he goes "ah, it's just so great, but you know, how much is that going to cos?"
"Now I don't have any money"
And I said "Fred, you misunderstand me, we are going to do all this for free"
And he began to cry on the phone and said "why would you do this for me?"
And I said to Fred "it's not we're doing this for you, we're doing this together
because music means so much to so many people and your song has touched us
and we feel this is the best way to do this
(singing "Sweet Lorraine")
I Probably spent more time with his song than I have with other peoples songs
To be honest, I was a little nervous taking it to him
I've been a singer and a songwriter for years
But, this was about the first time in probably ten years I've actually been nervous
giving someone a song
we've taken the time because it meant so much to him it meant so much to me
I hope you like it
and like I said it's not done yet, but I will let you hear it, okay?
Tell me when you're ready
Yeah, okay
Oh, sweet Lorraine I wish we could do all the good times over again
Oh, sweet Lorraine life only goes around Once but never again
Oh, sweet Lorraine I wish we could do All the good times over again
The good times, the good times The good times, all over again
But the memories always linger on Oh, sweet Lorraine no, I don't wanna move on
Oh, the memories always linger on My sweet Lorraine That's why I wrote you this song
Oh, sweet Lorraine I wish we could do all The good times over again
Oh, sweet Lorraine Life only goes around Once but never again
Oh, sweet Lorraine I wish we could do All the good times over again
The good times, the good times All the good times, all over again
It's wonderful!
Just wonderful, Jacob
I'm glad you like it.
I0m so glad you like it!
Wonderful.
They were a wonderful 75 years, I just often think, kind of unreal
Like a dream or something but, it was real, that's all I can say, real
Yeah..
I really, really miss her, just don't seem right, like a dream
Yeah, yeap...