By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG man Frank Nicholls discovered his voice quite late in life – at age 70.
Today he’s making up for lost time, fronting the Keysborough-based Nordan Variety Artistes.
“To be able to rock and roll at 87 – I’m very lucky,” he said.
The band has 10-plus members, including one who performed with Stevie Wonder – lead guitarist Antoine Lim-How.
It started as a four-person singing group that performed at nursing homes.
Frank joined in about 2010 and a guitarist followed in 2012.
“We started them to become a band, rather than doing nursing homes,” he said.
“The band was far too big to accommodate itself in that situation.”
And it’s taken off in the past 12 months thanks to musical co-ordinator Glaxton Saunders.
“I got involved with them because I found them very enthusiastic and they had great potential,” he said.
“They’ve really come a long way. They’ve become more professional in what they’re doing.”
Mr Saunders said several members were octogenarians.
“It’s amazing how they perform,” he said.
“They’ve picked up a lot of work now and they entertain the elderly crowd, they really seem to enjoy it.”
They were entertaining seniors throughout the south-east at several gigs each week late last year.
The band features a pianist, trumpet player and three guitarists and specialises in ‘60s and ‘70s hits.
“My involvement with the band keeps me the way I am – fit and well,” Frank said.
“The main thing is making other people happy when you go to various concerts – the looks on their faces, and if they feel good they clap.”
The father of 10 was a professional athlete for 11 years and came out of retirement to claim the veteran’s 100 metres event at the 100th Stawell Gift at the age of 51.
He was also a sales manager for a curtain business and is no stranger to the limelight.
He won talent contest Red Faces on television show Hey Hey It’s Saturday in 1997, crooning “why is my heart so lonely, why are the stars so bright?”.
“At that stage I’d only been singing six months,” he said.
“I lost the words but the others (contestants) were so bad.
“Before this, in ‘86, my kids and I won Family Feud. It was $8000 in those days.”
Glaxton is looking for female vocalists to join the band, but encouraged anyone with talent to get in touch.
Contact him through the Keysborough Senior Citizens Club on 9798 6503.
