When seniors at the Pacific Hills Manor nursing home in Morgan
Hill first heard Nat King Cole, they were young and vibrant people
in the prime of their lives. Hearing the music of the famous
crooner again, this time sang by Johnny Fabulous, of the Young at
Heart program, invoked memories of a time long gone, but certainly
not forgotten.
When seniors at the Pacific Hills Manor nursing home in Morgan Hill first heard Nat King Cole, they were young and vibrant people in the prime of their lives.
Hearing the music of the famous crooner again, this time sang by Johnny Fabulous, of the Young at Heart program, invoked memories of a time long gone, but certainly not forgotten.
With toes tapping, hands lightly clapping and arthritic fingers not too painful to snap along, the elderly residents felt a spring in their step and a melody in their mind.
“My parents are in a retirement home, which gives me some insight, some understanding,” said Fabulous, who wouldn’t disclose his real name. “I really enjoy doing this. There are two things that make it such a great thing to do. One, they love this kind of music, and two, they are from an era when musicians were treated with respect and appreciation. The best thing, though, is their response to the music.”
As Fabulous crooned his way through hits such as “Route 66,” “Unforgettable,” “I Love You for Sentimental Reasons,” and “Ramblin’ Rose,” gently wrinkled faces brightened with smiles, heads nodded in recognition, and some of the seniors softly sang along.
“It’s great to see them responding,” Fabulous said. “Even those that don’t have much physical mobility, when I play the opening bars of ‘Mona Lisa,’ you can see the spark in their eyes, they remember.”
Cole’s songs were originally performed during the 1940s, when most of his audience were still teen-agers, young adults or just starting their families.
“I know these songs, listened to them in my teens,” said Emily Flick, a resident at the home. “I remember hearing some of them when I was 16, at the roller skating rink. They bring back so many memories.”
Memories are just a part of the aim of the Young at Heart Project. The “magic and therapeutic benefits” of music were seen by Young at Heart performer Sean Seaman, as he performed an impromptu concert at a rest home. Once his aunt entered a residential care facility, he decided to form something official, and Young at Heart was formed.
The 10 performers that participate in the Young at Heart Project each have their own special show, including a tribute to Fred Astair, by Sean Seman, a Tribute to Judy Garland, by Penny Hanna, and Big Band Themes, by Frank Lima. Only Fabulous was at the rest home this week. The program participants rotate throughout the year, so that each artist performs once or twice a year at Pacific Hills.
“They really look forward to them coming,” said Chloe Little, activities supervisor for the facility. “It’s good to see them enjoying themselves.”
“I like to try to sing along,” said Annie Pavlick. “I don’t have a voice like I used to, but I like to sing, just quietly now.”
As Fabulous finished a song with a rousing flourish of the piano keys, one of the residents blew him a kiss as she left the room.
“Thank you, dear, thanks for joining us today,” he told her.
Seventeen of the residents, most of them in wheelchairs, sat in a half-circle around the piano in the activity room of the facility for nearly an hour, as Fabulous went through a range of tunes by Cole. Between songs, he would tell stories of Cole’s rise to fame and discuss what the world was like during that era. Many of the residents nodded in agreement as he mentioned events or attitudes of the time periods they have all seen with their own eyes.
The show can bring a real sense of nostalgia to the residents at the different facilities where he performs, Fabulous said.
“Sometimes, they’ll tell me after a show about the memories it brought back for them,” he said. “Sometimes they are bittersweet memories. I’ll never forget one resident, who seemed to be especially touched, and afterwards came up to talk to me. She said, ‘I miss my mom and dad so much, and when you played, I felt them so much, I felt like they were with me.’”
When Fabulous finished his last tune and was packing up, he chatted easily with residents, telling them he has recently become a grandfather, which drew a pleased reaction from residents and some applause.
“It’s great to have a connection, to feel like you’re bringing something good into their lives,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.”
A fundraising event to benefit the Young at Heart Project will be held at the Guglielmo Winery, 1480 E. Main Ave., on Sept. 11 from 1-5pm. “Rhapsody and Wine, An Afternoon of Musical Memories” will feature entertainment from the 1920s through the 1950s, a patriotic salute, a raffle and silent auction. Tickets are $40; call 779-6337.
