“Who is this cute little man on our porch with the shiny vest on?”
That’s what my wife said when Portland Anchorman Charlie Frick showed up at our house a few months ago, to drop off the long-awaited performing itinerary for his singing group, the Silver Notes, which spreads joy and positive vibes at nursing homes and assisted living facilities all over the Louisville area. With his sparkling bowler hat and matching sequined vest, he was off to another show, but I finally caught up with the group at Valhalla Post Acute, near the Lake Forest neighborhood in eastern Louisville.
Charlie was accompanied by his faithful companion Patsy Heitzman. The two go out on the town more than many 20-year-olds, hitting other karaoke nights around town, including the Shriners, Check’s Café, the Golden Nugget in Klondike and American Turners on River Road. And at Sol Aztecas on Bardstown Road, Charlie – generally referred to as ‘Chuck’ when he’s singing – he says he often finds an excuse to get up on the stage.
The Silver Notes were comprised of 14 women and five men, all age 65 and over, volunteering their time to ‘bring entertainment to the residents and put smiles on their faces by singing patriotic, traditional, and holiday music’, according to its website. The spring season featured 13 performances across the region.
The group leader is Sharon Briggs and the group was accompanied by Tim Baker on live piano.
“From a music education standpoint, it’s not just a performance,” said Briggs, who’s been leading the group for about a year. “Some in the audience have very little if no movement, but they sing parts of songs because they remember them. It’s fun for them to relive the songs. That’s the joy.”
She also said that it’s not only good for the audience, but also for the singers, who get to share music from when they were young, in addition to staying active and engaging in healthy deep breathing techniques.
She added that Charlie “sings quite well and matches pitch beautifully.”
The Silver Tones repertoire includes such uplifting favorites as “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” and “What the World Needs Now” as well as Cat Stevens’ “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” and “Those Were the Days, My Friend”, from the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
“I really like this one,” Patsy said, looking up from her knitting and tapping along.
Charlie certainly enjoys this type of material and the goodwill it generates, yet still yearned for songs that were a little more ‘bawdy’ with a sense of humor (balling up his fists and digging in on his tiptoes for emphasis), like The Statler Brothers’ “Go To My Grave Loving You…” or “If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me”, by the Bellamy Brothers. He’s also a fan of the “Beer Barrel Polka”. Patsy says he can sing anything from Frank Sinatra to the Bee Gees.
Stay tuned for more adventures of the Portland Anchorman!
