A Letter From Fred - “Oh Sweet Lorraine”
From The Blaze:
On Monday, Today.com brought the man’s story to light, noting that he joined the contest — one that was held by Green Shoe Studio, a company in his town — after reading about it in a local newspaper. In the simplest of terms, Stobaugh decided to pen lyrics in an effort to pay homage to his wife, Lorraine, who recently passed away.
So, he put together a simply song celebrating her life and their love together and he mailed it to the studio the traditional way (in a manila envelope) rather than submitting it electronically along with a required video. Accompanying his lyrics, Stobaugh wrote a letter noting his age and the fact that Lorraine had died just weeks before the submission. The two had spent nearly 75 years together.
In an interview with WYZZ-TV back in July, Stobaugh described writing the song, claiming that it simply came to him as he was sitting down and humming six weeks after his wife’s death. The tune’s title? “Oh Sweet Lorraine.” While he seemingly didn’t have the technological know-how to produce a video (and, admittedly, he isn’t a strong singer) as the contest called for, sending the lyrics in on paper was his way of participating and commemorating his wife’s life.
“I was sitting here one night, oh about six weeks after she passed away and just sat here kind of hummin’ a little bit and it just finally came to me,” he told the outlet.
After receiving the lyrics, Green Shoe Studio was blown away. Despite the fact that Stobaugh’s submission didn’t meet the contest’s criteria, Jacob Colgan, a singer and songwriter who received the letter and the song, decided to help turn the lyrics into an actual tune.
In the end, what was written on paper was turned into a professionally-produced song — one that Stobaugh simply loves.
“The song really helps me. It really helps me. It just seemed like she’s just sort of with me,” the elderly widower told WYZZ-TV. “Which I know she’s smiling, she’s smiling down and she likes that song, I know.”
*SOBSOBSOBSOBSOBSOBSOB*