Musical Prisoner
In 1949, LIFE told us about Frank Grandstaff, who composed a cantata while jailed, and earned a brief release to hear it performed. But what happened afterwards?
Original story here.
Original article here.
Comments
I tried finding the song. No luck. I did find that there was almost a movie made about him:
"Untitled Frank Grandstaff Project. Career criminal Frank Grandstaff, acclaimed three years earlier for composing a cantata in his prison cell—and subsequently pardoned as a result—is again in police custody for theft (though he has “denied any knowledge” of the crime with which he is charged). He asks Municipal Judge Herbert J. Steffes not to imprison him, because “a movie company planned to make a film on the story of his life [and] Hollywood actor Henry Fonda was to have the leading role.” Grandstaff wants to stay out of jail so that he may give the filmmakers “technical advice.” The judge declines to reduce Grandstaff’s sentence of one to three years."
These two article say it was only a temporary release:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1949/09/03/page/6/article/kentucky-lifer-going-to-texas-to-hear-his-cantata-sung
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19491001&id=tKsfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6tYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2296,3890180&hl=en
And you can buy his photos on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=1949+Press+Photo+Frank+Grandstaff+Life+Term+Nashville+Prison&_itemId=280925160045&_trksid=p2047675.m4099
"Untitled Frank Grandstaff Project. Career criminal Frank Grandstaff, acclaimed three years earlier for composing a cantata in his prison cell—and subsequently pardoned as a result—is again in police custody for theft (though he has “denied any knowledge” of the crime with which he is charged). He asks Municipal Judge Herbert J. Steffes not to imprison him, because “a movie company planned to make a film on the story of his life [and] Hollywood actor Henry Fonda was to have the leading role.” Grandstaff wants to stay out of jail so that he may give the filmmakers “technical advice.” The judge declines to reduce Grandstaff’s sentence of one to three years."
These two article say it was only a temporary release:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1949/09/03/page/6/article/kentucky-lifer-going-to-texas-to-hear-his-cantata-sung
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19491001&id=tKsfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6tYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2296,3890180&hl=en
And you can buy his photos on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=1949+Press+Photo+Frank+Grandstaff+Life+Term+Nashville+Prison&_itemId=280925160045&_trksid=p2047675.m4099
Posted by S. Norman on 04/19/17 at 08:07 AM
Prisoners of love
Blue skies above
Can't keep our hearts in jail
Prisoners of love
Our turtle doves
Soon coming 'round with bail
Oh, you can lock us up
And lose the key
But hearts in love
Are always free!
Prisoners of love
Blue skies above
'Cause we're still prisoners
We're still prisoners
We're still prisoners of love
Blue skies above
Can't keep our hearts in jail
Prisoners of love
Our turtle doves
Soon coming 'round with bail
Oh, you can lock us up
And lose the key
But hearts in love
Are always free!
Prisoners of love
Blue skies above
'Cause we're still prisoners
We're still prisoners
We're still prisoners of love
Posted by KDP on 04/19/17 at 08:30 AM
Good sleuthing, S. Norman!
Posted by Paul on 04/19/17 at 11:57 AM
Grandstaff is a grand name for a composer.
Posted by ges on 04/19/17 at 03:41 PM
Still can't find the song or even the sheet music. But this guy has a copy of it:
https://books.google.com/books?id=X9xZpQjI0lMC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Frank+Grandstaff+big+spring&source=bl&ots=HFdaCp6YbG&sig=EhhWcNFJqEQMrYWY3LxO6EMmrqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS9c6E7rHTAhWM7YMKHaQlBOMQ6AEIODAG#v=onepage&q=Frank Grandstaff big spring&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=X9xZpQjI0lMC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Frank+Grandstaff+big+spring&source=bl&ots=HFdaCp6YbG&sig=EhhWcNFJqEQMrYWY3LxO6EMmrqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS9c6E7rHTAhWM7YMKHaQlBOMQ6AEIODAG#v=onepage&q=Frank Grandstaff big spring&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=X9xZpQjI0lMC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Frank+Grandstaff+big+spring&source=bl&ots=HFdaCp6YbG&sig=EhhWcNFJqEQMrYWY3LxO6EMmrqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS9c6E7rHTAhWM7YMKHaQlBOMQ6AEIODAG#v=onepage&q=Frank Grandstaff big spring&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=X9xZpQjI0lMC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq=Frank+Grandstaff+big+spring&source=bl&ots=HFdaCp6YbG&sig=EhhWcNFJqEQMrYWY3LxO6EMmrqs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS9c6E7rHTAhWM7YMKHaQlBOMQ6AEIODAG#v=onepage&q=Frank Grandstaff big spring&f=false
Posted by S.Norman on 04/19/17 at 08:27 PM
That would be pages 249 and 250. Sorry, the link didn't copy well.
Posted by S.Norman on 04/19/17 at 08:28 PM
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Category: Crime | Music | 1940s | 1950s