People may think Elaine Murphy, 73, and Gloria Williams, 71, are a little old to be rocking the stage, but the duet have a great time proving them wrong.
"I remember years ago we were set to play at a pub in Sackville," said Williams. "We walked in with our gear and these young girls at the bar made a comment like 'what are they doing? sending us a couple of seniors'. Well, I got on stage and told Elaine we were changing up our set and we started off with "Mony, Mony". You should have seen their faces hit the table."
Both singers have years of experience on the stage. At 16, Williams was in a band that opened for the likes of Bill Haley and Brenda Lee.
"We were doing so well," she said. "But when the band decided to go to Nashville my mother wasn't crazy about me going on the road with four guys."
It wasn't long after that she decided to change her career path and became a professional figure skater. She went on to perform in the Ice Capades.
"I loved figure skating," she said. "I was also a professional bowler."
In the meantime, Murphy was singing with her brother. Then on one fateful night the two met.
"It was at the Sackville Legion," said Williams. "I was playing darts when I heard Elaine singing. We started talking at the end of her set and she asked me to join her and I did. That was 25 years ago."
Over the years the duet has had many experiences including crazy road trips and impromptu concerts.
"My husband was always telling us we should take our act on the road," said Murphy. "Finally he convinced us to pack up our stuff and just start playing at Dartmouth ferry terminal. It was crazy. By the end of it there must have been 200 people watching. They were coming off the ferry and out of the Little Nashville."
As the years went by the duet was getting less and less gigs. They still do some private parties, but mostly they volunteer their time.
"It does hurt sometimes," said Murphy. "When they see us come in and they assume we're too old, but we're not."
Murphy lost her husband. Williams has survived a heart attack and cancer, but they believe music heals, and they have no plans on stopping anytime soon. As a matter of fact, they are currently looking for karaoke versions of songs by Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.
"We'll do it until we can't do it anymore," said Williams.
To book Electra Gold, call Gloria Williams at 864-4108 or Elaine Murphy at 864-3953.
blhall@eastlink.ca
