Notes
to the NTL Board:Notes
to the NTL Board:
|
VJ-Day Group with Newspapers Photo by Robert Lee Olen. |
|
Click on the image to hear "It was a Sunny Day in August", written by Rose Howard Davenport |
A special wish request is granted to poem writer, turned songwriter, Rose Howard Davenport.
When Steve Howard went through the painful process of admitting his Mother, Rose Howard Davenport, into a nursing home because of her worsening dementia, he told the Admissions Director, Ms. Lisa Thieke at North Woods Village, that his Mother had always dreamed of having one of her poems set to music and turned into a song.
Ms. Thieke knew of Never Too Late's elder wish making mission and contacted us to see if this rather unique wish could be granted. Rose Howard Davenport's favorite poem was the one she penned the day President Harry S. Truman announced that the war in the Pacific was over - WWII had finally come to an end.
Al Stone of King Media offered his services to make the wish come true. In less than three weeks, he had come up with the melody for the song, done the narration and assembled a fine cast of musicians (including Tom Wright of the Wright Brothers) to put the finishing touches to the song now entitled "It was a Sunny Day in August."
When Steve Howard first heard the song, it was on his cell phone as he was walking the aisles at a Wal-Mart last Christmas Eve (2005). Once the song was over, he found himself standing in the middle of the Wal-Mart in Cincinnati with tears streaming down his face.
On the morning of December 27th, 2005, Steve Howard joined Al Stone and I at the nursing home to present the CD to Rose. At 10:30 a.m., Charlie Cropper, the well-known DJ on WWKI in Kokomo gave an intro (listen here) and played Rose's song for all the listener's to hear. Rose closed her eyes and mouthed the words to the song as if she were that 17-year old girl penning the song for the very first time. Again, Steve Howard was shedding some happy tears.
As we approach the 61st Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan) this August, enjoy this inspiring tune written by Rose Howard Davenport the day WWII came to an end.
Bob
