"When Swing Was King" Celebrates a Birthday!

Six years ago this month, Claire and I created a little Power Point presentation featuring big band music and photos as a party program for my Mom and a few of her friends who, like her, were residents of the Life Care Center, a nursing home at 6032 Ville de Sante Drive in Omaha. That party proved to be a big hit, so much so that we planned a second that would include anybody in the facility who wanted to attend. And then we made it a monthly event. And, within weeks, we were presenting what we titled “When Swing Was King” at several other senior care facilities here in town…always completely free of charge.

It took off even more dramatically after that, resulting in the outreach that it is today — a unique, highly relevant, extremely popular program that combines entertainment, inspiration, memory stimulation, and personal visitation from established friends that is presented to the same 12/13 senior care facilities every month!

Add in the special showings we’ve made to care facilities, churches, and other groups (including audiences in Lincoln, central Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas), and the number of “When Swing Was King” presentations we’ve done since that party for Mom is very close to...wait for it...800.

Wow.

Well, in celebration and thanksgiving, the staff and residents of Life Care Center in Omaha threw a birthday party for the “When Swing Was King” outreach in the cafeteria this afternoon following today’s show. It was a splendid affair, complete with enthusiastic applause, complements from residents and staff (including the LCC Director), a warm-hearted thank you speech from the Activities Director, and a gorgeously decorated cake.

Needless to say, Claire and I were thrilled and honored and greatly encouraged. Thank you so much Sarah, Kathy, Martha, Gloria, and all the rest of the LCC staff we know so well for this swell party. And thanks also to all of the residents of LCC who are such good friends to Claire and me as well as being stalwart fans of “When Swing Was King.”

By the way, here's the playlist from the current edition of “When Swing Was King.” Please feel free to drop in on us at any showing. The schedule is right here.

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra — “American Patrol”
2) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocals by Frank Sinatra) — “Dolores”
3) Artie Shaw Orchestra — “Frenesi”
4) Benny Goodman (vocals by Ella Fitzgerald) — “Goodnight, My Love”
5) Jan Garber Orchestra — “I’ll See You In My Dreams”
6) Doris Day — “You Oughta’ Be in Pictures”
7) Guy Lombardo Orchesta — “Embraceable You”
8) The McGuire Sisters — “Something’s Gotta’ Give”
9) Freddy Martin Orchestra — “Dancing In The Dark”
10) Bing Crosby (backed by the Xavier Cugat Orchestra) — “You Belong to My Heart”
11) The Mills Brothers — “Standin’ On The Corner”
12) Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (vocals by the Artie Malvin Singers) — “So Rare”