Q: I have been watching a show on PBS called "Professor T." It takes place in England, the professor helps the police solve crimes and his first name is Jasper. There is a show that comes on right after it also called "Professor T," but that show takes place in Belgium, I think. It has English subtitles. The main character is in jail, his first name also is Jasper, and he also helps the police solve crimes. Are these shows related somehow?
A: Yes. The Belgian series "Professor T" came first, originally airing from 2015-18. The British series, which began showing this year, is an adaptation of the earlier show. There have also been French and German remakes.
Gone but not forgotten
Q: What happened to K.T. Oslin? She was a beautiful singer.
A: Oslin died in December 2020 at the age of 78, reportedly following a long battle with Parkinson's disease and recent COVID-19 diagnosis. She was indeed a fine singer, songwriter and conveyor of humor, pathos and wisdom.
The winner of Grammys and other awards was "born Kay Toinette Oslin in Arkansas in 1942," said Billboard, and "had an unusual path to country stardom. Performing in folk acts in the '60s and starring in theatrical productions in the '70s, it wasn't until she was well into her 40s that she found major success as a country singer, following her discovery in Nashville in the mid-'80s." Hits followed including "Hold Me," "Hey Bobby," "Come Next Monday" and her signature song, " '80s Ladies," which made her the first woman songwriter to win the CMA Award for Song of the Year. She also acted, including in the country-themed movie "The Thing Called Love."
The song of the roses
Q: I'm writing about the song "Saint Therese of the Roses" from around 1956. I don't know the singer's name (a woman), the writer's name or if the song made the top 10 list.
A: The song was written by Arthur Strauss and Remus Harris. The first and best-known recording is a 1956 one credited to Billy Ward & the Dominoes, with the legendary Jackie Wilson — a man — as the lead singer. It was a hit, reaching the top 20 on the Billboard sales charts. You might be remembering a 1957 cover version by Eve Lombard with Johnny Gregory and His Orchestra.
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