The
biography of "Noisy" Rhysling, the blind singer of the space ways.
He started his career as a jetman, second class. During the first part of his career he was left on Luna City for writing songs rather than watching the gauges. While on Luna City, he won an accordion and continued to sing in the various bars for tips. Eventually people were needed in the shipping industry again and he was grudgingly taken on. This was the fateful trip aboard the Goshawk during which he lost his sight.
Afterwards he spent some time on Mars just living and exploring. This was the beginning of the second part of his career. It was here that he got his inspiration for The Grand Canal. His works went from corse and lude to magnificent and beautiful. Other songs and poems that came from this period include Dark Star Passing, Berenice's Hair, Death Song of a Wood's Colt. With time to think he was able to spend the time necessary to get the right words down. His poem Jet Song came from this period rather than his time working the jetroom.
His most well known song The Green Hills of Earth was finished during a trip from Venus to Earth. This was the Hawk that he hitched a ride back on. During that voyage back there was a jet room accident where he was the only remaining person in the radiation saturated room. The song was the final report from the jet room, and the last work of Rhysling.
published works:
unpublished songs:
Source: The Green Hills of Earth by Robert Heinlein