Fred Bay and a group of his friends gathered last week to celebrate, well, literally Fred and Friends.
Past and present members of the largely rural-based musical group marked more than 30 years in existence during a celebration July 20 in a member's Eagle Hill-area home in Mountain View County.
"I never thought it would go on for 30 years," said Bay, 81, who also hails from the Eagle Hill area and began the group.
Unlike most bands, fame and fortune is not what members are after. They are no more a household name now than when they first got their start.
They don't record music. They never practise. No one's even sure how many of them will show up for the next gig.
Most say they perform for what the music can elicit in their very small target audience, which by the way is also unlike any other.
"It's almost like they're sleeping," said member Ann Downey. "Then you might see someone's finger tap. That's it. You know you've got to them."
Fred and Friends only performs in area seniors' housing facilities, usually once a month during birthday teas.
"We do the 1900s to 1970s. Nothing modern. At least modern to us," chuckled Bay.
The majority of the members are seniors. Teasingly referring to one of the youngest members as a teenager, Bay said they range in age from 50s to early 80s.
As few as six and as many as 30 people hailing from rural areas in Mountain View County, Didsbury, Kevisville, Olds and Sundre have been a part of the group at various times.
When it started, Fred and Friends was little more than Fred.
After seeing similar entertainment in the Didsbury hospital's long-term care wing where his father was a resident, Bay figured he'd give it a shot all those years ago.
"I thought I could do that and just started," said the singer.
When his father died five years later, Bay continued entertaining with friends, still enjoying the pleasure he could bring to long-term care residents.
While he can't recall what name the group took back then, he remembers it had Eagle Hill in it. The name change to Fred and Friends came when area church members started a choir under a similar name.
Al and Gloria Gorill were mainstays in the group back then, accompanying singers with piano and banjo. Al just retired from the group about five years ago when he was in his mid-80s. The Gorills joined their former bandmates at the celebration last week.
Today, it is Bev Felker who accompanies on piano and her alternates are Doris Bruder and Linda Branson.
Bay maintains the job of quasi booking agent and band manager, as he has all these years, taking requests from the seniors' housing facilities and doing call-outs for band members.
Some co-ordination is necessary for certain performances. The group dresses up to mark special occasions -- cowboy hats during Stampede, green for St. Patrick's Day and red on Valentine's Day.
The rest of the time, it's come as you are. And there's really no prerequisites for joining the group either.
"Just an interest in entertaining," Bay said, adding he plans to continue as long as he can.
