Dave Brown sings at the Palmer Veterans and Pioneers Home June 12, 2024. His recurring programs had become a favorite at the facility before he passed away this fall.
Author Maraley McMichael and Dave Brown. Dave's song selections and his stories and commentaries connected with listeners.
As I walked down the hallway at the Palmer Veterans and Pioneers Home Sept. 14, my heart grew heavy when I noticed two papers in the special glass memorial wall case which notifies the recent death of a resident. It grew even heavier when I saw Dave Brown's face looking back at me. Because my husband Gary has lived in the Pioneer Home for the last two and a half years, I know all the residents by face, if not name, and Dave was very special to us.
Gary had been living in the Palmer Pioneer Home for several months before we heard Dave sing. I'd seen his name listed on the activities calendar a couple of times, but it really meant nothing to me. My husband's transition to his new home was very difficult for both of us. Things actually got worse before they got better and there were injuries and emergency room trips to deal with.
Many activities are provided for the residents and once things settled down, I studied the monthly activities calendar to see what we might do together. We tried a few, but nothing seemed to interest Gary, or he couldn't understand the words. He attempted to watch some of the movies in the "great room," but audio trouble was just too difficult. He got along best with the TV in his own room.
So, it wasn't until an early January 2023 evening that we noticed Dave setting up his elaborate sound system equipment on the stage in the great room. This was during what I call a "walkabout," when I slowly pushed Gary's wheelchair up and down the hallways of all five of the wings, just to get him out of his room for a while. I also noticed a large poster sign advertising "Dave's Musical Memories," lettered in bold blue with a touch of glitter and illustrated with dancing couples and music notes. I suggested we stay a while and check out this activity. Thankfully, Gary agreed.
We had no idea what to expect, but we both recognized Dave as a fellow resident. When he turned on his mic and began to sing along to his music, we were spellbound by his voice. He introduced every song and gave a little background, such as who wrote it or who made it famous, or little personal stories as to why each song was meaningful to him. He even referred to one as his wife's favorite.
It was such a surprisingly delightful mix, I ran back to Gary's room and grabbed paper and pen to list the songs to share with our family by email. That cold winter night, Dave sang songs of George Jones, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Elton John and even Josh Grogan. Some were slow crooning songs, while others were fast dancing tunes. I was impressed and Gary was content to stay until the end. I went up to Dave afterward and told him how much we both enjoyed his singing.
It was such a positive experience, that I made a mental note to attend as often as possible. Dave's hour-long programs were scheduled on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. twice a month. During one program, I learned he was previously the activities director of an adult day services program in Palmer. Another time, he told us that he had been signing at the Palmer Pioneer Home for almost 20 years, and never dreamed that he would someday be a resident himself. One evening he told us his age (89).
I think it was the third time we attended that Dave sang what he called "The Rose Program". All 24 songs had the word "rose or roses" in the title. I went up to him afterward and asked if it was possible to get a copy of his playlist. The next time Dave saw me in the dining room, he asked me to wait, went to his room, and brought back the copy he had made for me. Another time his program consisted of all love songs. He used no music sheets-just a list of song titles. He sang from memory.
My routine is to go to the Pioneer Home every other day. When Dave's programs happened to fall on one of my days to stay home, I did not make a special trip. Sometimes because of holidays, Musical Memories was only on the calendar once a month, and there were times that Dave didn't feel well, or his equipment had problems. So, our attendance was rather hit and miss.
By the summer of 2023, Dave's one concession to age was that he sat in a "director's" chair to sing rather than stand the whole hour. He started using a walker and his friend Bill helped with the equipment. At some point, I started making the trip to the Pioneer Home on my days off, if Dave was on the schedule. Other non-residents also enjoyed attending, including his friends, a longtime volunteer, and a kitchen staff lady who brought her daughter and two granddaughters. The two young girls enjoyed dancing during the music.
One evening in early January 2024, Dave played a song that took me back to my teenage years – "Turn Around, Look at Me". Afterward, I went up and told him how much I enjoyed that song. He said it was by the Vogues, a group I'd never heard of. I found myself thinking about that song all the drive home, and finally realized that Glenn Campbell also sang it on one of the few albums I'd owned as a teenager.
A couple of programs later about halfway through, to my surprise Dave said he had a request and then he sang "Turn Around, Look at Me". I didn't request it, but I knew he played it for me. When I went up to him afterward and thanked him, he said, "When someone tells me they enjoy a song, I like to do it special for them." It was the first time in my life I'd had a song sung especially for me. He played it again for me in April, saying when he introduced it, something like, "I'm doing this for a special person. You know who you are."
One evening I asked him if he was okay with having our picture taken together. He smiled and replied, "Only if your husband is agreeable."
Gary and I would sit near the back of the audience so that if he wanted to leave early, it wasn't such a big
interruption. I would park his wheelchair next to a dining room table, where he could rest his arm. Then I would sit in a nearby chair at the table. One evening, there was enough room for me to draw up a chair along his other side. During that program, I slipped my arm in Gary's or held his hand whenever we weren't applauding. He was never one for showing affection in public, but he didn't seem to mind. After that night, I rearranged the tables enough every program to be able to sit next to him. Dave Brown's Musical Memories became our "date nights". There is no space in Gary's room for me to sit comfortably next to him.
One evening Dave apologized to me, saying that his voice was not up to par. I told him that was okay, we enjoyed his program anyway. Sometimes, he would say "excuse me, I'm losing my vision," if he messed something up with his equipment and had to start a song over. I assured him that we always enjoyed his program and as long as he continued to sing, we'd come to listen.
Dave was on the schedule in July when our daughter and granddaughter were up from Colorado for a visit and I was very disappointed he had to cancel because of not feeling well. His health became more fragile and it was not surprising that he was not listed on the August activities calendar. To see his photo in the glass memorial case in September was not unexpected. I'm thankful that Dave shared his music talent with us as long as he was able. Gary and I are only two of the many people who miss Dave Brown and his Musical Memories.
