Fred Stobaugh

The oldest artist to seem over the Billboard Hot 100, then-96-year-old Fred Stobaugh became an instantaneous celebrity in 2013 when the song he wrote for his then recently deceased wife of 75 years went viral. The Peoria, Illinois-based retired drivers posted the lyrics for “Oh Special Lorraine” to Green Footwear Studio within their annual vocalist/songwriter competition, and upon reading them, manufacturer/vocalist/songwriter Jacob Colgan was therefore transferred, that he composed music for and documented the melody. The resulting one, and Stobaugh’s endearing tale, went viral immediately after.