Composer Bart Howard is best remembered for his jazz hit Fly Me to the Moon, written for his gay lover. A TikToker shows their love transcends death.
It’s a love song that transcends the ages. It works as a slow-moving ballad from Tony Bennett, a swinging jazz number by Frank Sinatra, a smooth lo-fi beat by Hikaru Utada, a bossa nova credits song in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and even a sexy and stylish high-octane battle theme in the Bayonettagame series.
Of course, I’m talking about “Fly Me to the Moon.”
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Since it was originally composed, “Fly Me to the Moon” remains one of the most definitive and memorable jazz hits in all of music history. The song has been covered for decades and has been featured in several shows and movies, and was even closely associated with the United States moon landing in 1964.
However, it might surprise you to know that Bart Howard’s popular song was written as a tribute to his gay lover. And as one person on TikTok pointed out, their love is as immortal as the song itself.
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Bart Howard’s “Fly Me to the Moon” was originally written for his romantic partner.
“Fly Me to the Moon” was originally composed by Bart Howard in 1954. Though he composed many other songs since its original release, he was reportedly able to live off the song for decades up until his death.
In a 1988 interview with The New York Times, Bart revealed that he’d been struggling to write songs and break into the music industry for two decades before eventually coming up with the song that would change his life.
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“It took me 20 years to find out how to write a song in 20 minutes,” he would joke to the publication.
The song was originally performed by singer Kaye Ballard. It has since been covered by several notable jazz musicians.
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But while you’ve probably heard the song at least a couple of times in your life, you might be surprised to know that Bart originally wrote the song for his gay lover, Thomas “Bud” Fowler. A TikToker named Samantha (@infratran) even pointed out that the two of them remain together even in death.
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A TikToker found Bart Howard’s and Bud Fowler’s resting place in her hometown.
Not much is known about Thomas “Bud” Fowler, save for that he was born in September of 1919. What we do know, though, is that he and Bart cared deeply for each other, especially given that Bart wrote one of the most transcendent love songs in all of jazz history for him.
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To that end, Samantha on TikTok took it upon herself to pay the two of them tribute. In her short TikTok, she explained that Bart and Bud were “lifelong companions and effectively husbands.”
Upon discovering that Bart was buried in “the middle of nowhere, Texas,” Samantha — as a Texas local — decided to track down his grave.
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She spent a half-hour wandering a cemetery in search of Bart’s headstone.
“I figured he’d be buried by himself,” Samantha explained in her TikTok.
What she found, however, was something far more bittersweet and romantic.
Samantha came to discover that Bart and Bud’s remains were buried in the same grave together. Bart passed away in February of 2004 and Bud followed sometime after in July of 2007. On their shared tombstone, it reads “Companions.”
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Having grown up obsessed with this song and all of its iterations, I became known among my family as a “Fly Me to the Moon” fangirl. It’s always been a favorite of mine and I take just about any opportunity at family gatherings to sing it for everyone. Just when I thought I couldn’t love it any more than I already do, knowing that this immortal love song is essentially a gay love letter written between two men speaks to my queer heart on so many levels.
Against all odds, “Fly Me to the Moon” isn’t just a quintessential love song for the ages that speaks to everyone. It’s a testament to the ever-lasting love between two men who are now forever playing among the stars and seeing what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars.
‘Welcome to Plathville’ star Moriah Plath was diagnosed with alopecia as a kid and it impacted her a lot. Here’s where she stands today with the past.
The Gist:
Welcome to Plathville‘s Moriah struggled with alopecia during her childhood.
The condition led to her low self-worth.
Years later, the reality star is more at peace with her experience.
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Many of us have difficult things from our pasts that define us today, and Moriah Plath of Welcome to Plathville is no different. In her case, however, her childhood diagnosis of alopecia was hidden away for years — until now.
Although the reality star once tried to pretend that this upsetting time in her life never happened, she is coming to terms with having lost all of her hair as a kid.
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Moriah Plath’s alopecia diagnosis truly shaped who she was for many years.
As other sufferers know, alopecia is a type of hair loss that occurs on the scalp, face, and body, per the American Academy of Dermatology Association. It can begin at any age, and for Moriah, at age 3, she received her diagnosis.
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“I would look myself in the mirror and I would say, ‘You are ugly. Nobody will ever love you,’” she heartbreakingly recalls during an episode of the show.
She goes on to explain, “I lost all my hair for several years completely, not even eyebrows or eyelashes,” per People.
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Moriah, who described herself as “completely bald,” shared more about her experience with the incurable disease, saying during the show, “The doctors said it was alopecia but it was like a rare kind of alopecia cause it just all fell out immediately and came back years later. Everywhere I went, I was made fun of by kids my age: [at] church, [by] my siblings. And that’s when I really started to see myself as different.”
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Moriah tried to block out her alopecia experience when her hair came back.
Moriah was seemingly in denial about having had alopecia, relaying that “every single one of my family members knew never to show a picture of me when I was younger to anybody. And never to tell anybody.”
Moriah admitted she wanted to “block” out the very hard time in her life, and in one scene of Welcome to Plathville, she says to her father that when her hair returned, she decided to “forget” about the alopecia.
Moriah’s parents Barry and Kim made her feel “beautiful” when she had alopecia.
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In a moving Instagram post shared in May 2023, Moriah said about her father Barry Plath, “He’s shown me the meaning of unconditional love.”
Moriah’s parents were very supportive during her struggles with alopecia.
Indeed, it seems that during the years she had alopecia, Barry and his ex-wife Kim were a source of support for their daughter.
“I think you and mom were the only ones that actually told me I was beautiful,” Moriah tells Barry on the episode.
Still, her parents couldn’t make her pain go away completely. “For a while I was angry because you guys couldn’t fix it and you were my parents and you were supposed to fix it, but you couldn’t,” she shares.
Today, it seems that Moriah is more comfortable with her past, since she is addressing the experience with the condition on a TV show. Since as many as 160 million people around the world suffer from alopecia, there’s no doubt that the reality star opening up about her own diagnosis will help others feel more seen.
Baseball legend Brooks Robinson has died at the age of 86, and many want to know about the former Baltimore Orioles player’s cause of death.
Source: Getty Images
The Gist:
Brooks Robinson died on Sept. 26, 2023. He was 86 years old.
He played for more than 20 years with the Baltimore Orioles and was an All-Star 18 times over.
His cause of death hasn’t been announced, but he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.
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Baltimore Orioles fans have a lot to celebrate this year as their team appears to be playoff bound, but now, that joy has been tempered by the news that Brooks Robinson, a legend for the team, has died at the age of 86. Brooks spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles, and was an All-Star in 18 separate seasons for the team.
Brooks is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive third basemen to ever play the sport, and his number was retired by the Orioles in 1978. He earned the nickname “Mr. Oriole,” and those who followed the game when he played or even just heard stories about him likely know how much he meant to Baltimore fans.
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Source: Getty Images
What was Brooks Robinson’s cause of death?
Following the news of his death on Sept. 26, 2023, many naturally wondered what Brooks’s cause of death was.
His death was first announced by the Orioles in a joint statement with his family.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson,” the statement read. “An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball.”
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No cause of death was listed as part of that statement, but Brooks had faced a number of health challenges in the later years of his life. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, and had to have surgery in 2021 to repair a broken arm.
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For now, though, his exact cause of death remains unknown, and will likely be the subject of some speculation following the news of his death.
What requires no speculation, though, is the legacy Brooks established on the field. The high watermark of his career may have come in 1970 during the World Series, when his excellent play on both sides of the ball helped the team beat the Reds in five games to take home the title. Few players have had a greater impact on the sport in general or on the team they played for in particular.
Our prayers are with Brooks’s family, friends, and fans during this time.
This baby was fussy with her aunt — until she heard her deceased mom’s heartbeat in her favorite teddy bear. And we’re all in tears.
Losing a loved one is an inevitable part of this funny thing called life. No matter how old or young you may be, no one is immune to grief. Everyone can agree that no parent should ever have to bury their child. On the other hand, when a parent is laid to rest, we can just chalk it up to the circle of life.
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It’s hard to say that when it comes to this poor baby, whose mom died suddenly. While the baby girl sadly will never get to know her mother, what she does have, however, is an auntie who does whatever it takes to preserve her sister’s memory.
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In a now-viral video on TikTok, the baby was visibly upset. It was then that her aunt came to the rescue with a stuffed animal. But not just any stuffed animal — this one plays a recording of her mama’s heartbeat.
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This baby calmed down when she heard her deceased mom’s heartbeat in a teddy bear.
While social media is good for jokes and fun times, it also documents some heartbreaking moments. Let’s take Lula Smith’s (@lulasmith65) viral TikTok video. In it, she’s holding her niece whose mother died months earlier.
The baby is fussy until Auntie saves the day with her favorite stuffed animal.
“She cries because she wants her bear,” Lula says in the video. Lo and behold, she was right. She pressed the bear, which started playing a heartbeat. The baby calmed down and fell asleep within a matter of seconds.
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Heartbeat teddy bears are trending — here’s what you need to know.
Lula’s video was a perfect example of how you can use heartbeat teddy bears from Build-a-Bear or even your local ultrasound tech. A search on TikTok reveals that plenty of other people have had the same idea.
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While some parents get a recording of their child’s heartbeat in a teddy bear as a keepsake, others use them to cope with loss. This mom gave birth to twin girls but only one survived. She was able to use the heartbeat teddy bear to commemorate her deceased daughter on what would have been the twin’s first birthday.
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Lula started a GoFundMe for the baby and her four siblings.
On a GoFundMe page launched by Lula in April 2023, she explained the circumstances under which she gained custody of her sister’s daughter. The baby’s mom apparently died of an asthma attack.
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“She was a 29-year-old mother with five kids,” Lula said of her sister. She asked for donations toward the funeral expenses and supporting her sister’s children, who were all under the age of 12 when their mom died. “My sister Kahlilah (Mina) did not have life insurance. Putting my pride to the side and finally asking for help.”
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Lula added, “This was unexpected for us all. I’m praying for better days to come. For her children and us. Never in a million years I would think an asthma attack would take her from us. I don’t know how we going to do any of this.”
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Thanks to her now-viral video, Lula and the kids will hopefully get help during this very difficult time in their lives. If you want to lend a hand, you can donate to the GoFundMe account.
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