Michael Collins

Michael Collins

( 1890 – 1922 )

“Mick” Collins was an Irish Revolutionary, He is  a major, major figure in Irish History. He took part in the Easter Uprising of 1916, was Minister for Home Affairs in 1918, and for Finance from 1918 to 1922.

He was also Commander in Chief of the Irish Government forces during the Irish Civil War. Collins was murdered in an ambush in County Cork, and with all of the treachery going on, no one is sure exactly who ordered his death. There is a really good movie starring Liam Neeson about Michael Collins, if you get a chance to watch.

He is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland.

Trivia:

Kevin Barry, another Irish freedom fighter, is buried close to Collins. He was hanged in Dublin with others when he was only 18 years old. There is a pub in Savannah, Ga. named for him, and if you get the chance to go there, it’s like a little piece of Ireland…….

Stu Sutcliffe

Stuart Sutcliffe

( 1940 – 1962 )

Known as the fifth Beatle, Stu Sutcliffe was the original bass player for the Beatles. A brilliant artistic talent, He and John Lennon were close friends before his untimely death at the age of 21. His musical talent was eclipsed by his artistic ability, and he left the Beatles  to stay in Hamburg with the love of his life, Astrid Kirchherr. His death was attributed to a small tumor found on his brain after he died. Legend attributes this to a kick in the head while in a fight when the Beatles were attacked after a show by jealous boyfriends. That the left the Bass playing to Paul McCartney. If he had lived, He almost certainly would have had great fame as an artist.

He is buried in Parish Churchyard, Merseyside, England.

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

( 1942 – 1969 )

The founder of the Rolling Stones, he was a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, harmonica, and keyboards). Originally the leader of the Stones, he was eventually overshadowed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. His steady drug use caused his role in the band to slowly diminish, and He was asked to leave the band in June, 1969. He drowned in his pool a month later in July.

27 is way too young, makes you wonder how good he could have been.

He is buried in Cheltenham Cemetery and Crematorium  in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

Trivia:

He got co-writing credit for the “Rice Krispies” Jingle in 1963.

Vernon Dalhart

Vernon Dalhart

( 1883 – 1948 )

Born Marion Try Slaughter, he was a popular American singer/songwriter and a major influence on country music. He is in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and if you want to hear some EARLY country music, listen to his stuff on youtube. It’s raw!! Hank Williams , Molly O’Day, and Kitty Wells are considered early, early country music in the forties, but Vernon was popular in the Twenties……He recorded under other names, and some think he had more recordings than any one else in history, and that he sold millions of records, but who knows for sure.

He was definitely there at the ground floor of country music and influenced a lot of singers.

He is buried in the Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Trivia:

 In the book Terms of Endearment, Author Larry McMurtry named a character after Vernon Dalhart. In the movie version, it was misspelled Vernon Dahlart. No one is sure if the misspelling was intentional or not.

General Tom Thumb  and P.T. Barnum are buried in the same cemetery.

Robert Frost

Robert Frost

(1874 – 1963)

An American poet and writer, Frost’s work  will make you think. His realistic depictions of life and deep thought , added to his command of the English language are irresistible, to me anyway. Talk about a life plagued with tragedy- His Father died when Frost was 11, His mother when he was about 25, He outlived his wife by 25 years, and only two of his six children outlived him.  Some of his best:

The Road Not Taken

Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy evening

Nothing Gold Can Stay  (My favorite of his)

He is buried in  Old Bennington Cemetery in Bennington, Vermont.

Trivia:

He read a poem at JFK’s inauguration in January, 1961

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh

(1853 – 1890)

A post-impressionist painter, van Gogh’s work is known for it rough beauty and emotional honesty. If you ever see one of his paintings up close, stare at it for a while and you’ll see what people mean when they talk about his work. My two favorites are  “The Potato Eaters” and “The Starry Night”. I also like “Sorrowing Old Man”, but I’m not really an expert. I just like his stuff…..

He didn’t start painting until his late twenties, died at 37, and still produced 2100 artworks. He had mental health issues all his life, and shot himself(reportedly, but no gun was ever found) and died 29 hours later from infection of the wound. According to his brother Theo, his last words were, “The sadness will last forever”.

His story is way to deep and complicated to list everything here, it’s a fascinating read tho.

He is buried with his brother Theo  Auvers-sur-Oise Town Cemetery, Isle de france, France.