Songwriter hopes to create memories
By Karen Mann JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

Westminster resident Tom Fredette and his son, Tim, wrote a tribute song to those who have been married for 25 years. Their CD, which is available on eBay, features intertwined wedding rings on the cover. COURTESY PHOTO

People may not know who sings one of the most popular songs, "Happy Birthday to You," but local residents will know who sings the "25th Wedding Anniversary" song.

Westminster's own Tom Fredette crafted the song last year with other family members.

Now they hope the song, "25 Beautiful Years" will become as popular as the Happy Birthday tune.

Fredette said the idea for the song came to him one night two years ago, after a family discussion about the creator of the

Happy Birthday to You" song.

"I am always coming up with crazy ideas," Fredette said. "I started thinking about what other life events don't have songs."

Fredette said the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, commonly referred to as the 'silver anniversary" is marked by society as an event to celebrate.

Fredette said once the silver anniversary popped into his head, lyrics for a song started popping into his head just as quickly.

"And after 25 beautiful years, after 25 beautiful years with you, after 25 beautiful years, my love …"

This was the chorus Fredette penned. When his son, Tim, came home from college, his father shared the lyrics with him.

Tim came up with more lyrics, and a melody for the song. Tom's nephew, Joe Parrillo, who is a musician and songwriter, also got involved, along with the help of his musical partner, Jay LaCroix, and Parriloo's sister, Liz Luca.

"I was struck by it when I heard it," said the elder Fredette. "I had only heard it with the guitar or piano line. I didn't go to any of the recording sessions."

"Musically it ended up being a lot fuller of a piece then I had ever imagined," he added.

Fredette, who is a marine biologist, said he has sung in choral groups, but does not have any musical theory training or experience writing music.

"It was my first attempt at anything like this. It really was one of those things that was a lightening bolt experience," Fredette said.

Fredette and company are now trying to get the song out there for the public to hear.

Because it is a niche song, Fredette said he doesn't know if it will get radio play, but hopes party stores would be interested in it.

"It is a nice romantic song too, it is a quality that would stand up to a lot of other romantic songs out there," Fredette said.

Although he has passed his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Fredette said he will play the song on his upcoming thirty-fifth anniversary.

He recently gave a copy of the song to a friend celebrating 25 years.

"He played it for his wife, she burst into tears," Fredette said. "That is the type of reaction that you hope you get, that it reaches out to people"

The CD for "25 Beautiful Years" is currently available at JayNJoe (his nephew and music partner) gigs and on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie wItem&item=180209026669&ih=008&ca tegory=307&ssPageName=STORE:PROMOBOX: CUST