In the "it's a small world" category...

[davidgra]

Hi all.

Life sometimes throws you some funny connections. A couple of days ago I was doing a little online research and came across the fact that Frank Pooler (author of the lyrics to "Merry Christmas Darling") was originally from Onalaska, Wisconsin.

So I mentioned this to my partner, who is also originally from Onalaska, Wisconsin. He said, "Oh yes, I knew the Poolers back in the late '50s or early '60s. Frank's wife, Marie, was the choir director at my church."

Kinda freaky, huh? The next time we go visit my partner's mother in Onalaska, I'll have to ask her about the Poolers, as she would have known them fairly well in such a small church -- she's been attending that church since probably around 1948 or 1949.

My partner never knew what happened to the Poolers after they left the church. Obviously, they ended up in California, where Frank Pooler could go on to influence one Richard Carpenter...

David

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

A few years ago I found a net article about "Merry Christmas, Darling". Mr. Pooler wrote this song when he was away home with his parents. He was to give this song to an girl as Christmas present, but couldn't.
Several years ago he found where his old flame lives and visited her and told it to her. She now lives in Palm Springs - one of moderators related...it's a small world!!

When Carpenters finished to record this song, Richard asked Mr. Pooler to come to A&M Studios and played it for him. Was this mentioned at "This Is Your Life"?

Mr. Pooler wrote this song when he was 18. He told a writer(an article editor) that Richard wrote the tune to his old lyrics when he was 18, and Richard's daughter sang the song with Richard's new arrangement.. And she was 18 that year.


I read that Mr. Pooler was honored last year. Something regarding church or at church his photo in frame was displayed. The article had his bio, very long. He studied north European music after the church activity, then started to teach in California. There was a sample of the tune named after his home town at the article page. A magazine was mentioned, Murray's old site had an article that Mr. Pooler wrote about Carpenters for the magazine. Randy's book also has the article, I think.

Both articles about Mr. Pooler mentioned Carpenters, Karen and Richard.

The former article was on lots of news page.

Sakura

 

[SakuraSYayoi]

Published - Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Singing Pooler’s praises: Choral music giant gets hometown honor
By RANDY ERICKSON | Editor

http://www.onalaskalife.com/articles/2007/09/25/features/00pooler.txt



The article that I found before was longer with mention about Karen's radio interview in 1978, but the following is still read on the net.

Published - Saturday, December 24, 2005
Yesterday once more
By RANDY ERICKSON Lee Newspapers
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/12/24/news/z2news24.txt



I just searched for Mr. Pooler again and found that the same writer mentioned Mr. Pooler this January again.

Published - Friday, January 04, 2008
2007: A look back
By RANDY ERICKSON | Editor

....Here’s a look back at what was in the news in
2007 for the Holmen/Onalaska area:
....
....September
....
Frank Pooler, an Onalaska High School graduate who went on to become a
renowned choral music director, composer, conductor, professor, lecturer,
author and music director for the Carpenters, was honored by First Lutheran
Church, his boyhood church.
http://www.onalaskalife.com/articles/2008/01/04/news/04yir2007.txt

Sakura