\ SCARBOROUGH \
The “Baby Boom” generation has certainly changed the look of aging and it’s not uncommon these days to see musicians in their 60s —and, in the case of acts like The Rolling Stones even in their 70s— doing hard Rock songs on stage or dancing in the aisles at concerts.
But some members of the pre-Boom generation have helped to redefine our perceptions of what “getting old” means as well. A case in point is Kitty Bromley, who turns 92 this week and just wants to Rock out for her celebration.
I got to know Kitty three years ago when I briefly lived with her and her daughter Lori and husband Jim Cornell in their North York home. She was then —and remains today— an animated, witty lady who’s a published poet and a big fan of live music.
Her biggest complaint back then was that when Jim and his Still Sunday Rock/Blues band had gigs “they never take me along!
“They think I’m too old but I don’t want to sit at home on a Saturday night while they’re out playing. I want to be where the action is,” she told me one night.
When she turned 90 and was asked what she would desire to mark the milestone, she told the couple she wanted a live music party —so they obliged by staging a gala event in their basement that included, along with many of her longtime friends and family, Jim’s band and members of several other local groups such as Tommy Rocker. I attended and have to say I was amazed at the woman’s continuing stamina —she was still asking for more when many people half her age were starting to tire!
Despite a recent bout in the hospital, which had Jim and Lori worried but from which she’s seemingly made a full recovery, she again wants to party hearty to celebrate her latest birthday.
So today Jim and Lori are not only taking her along to Still Sunday’s weekly 3-6 Saturday matinée at Loaded Dog in Scarborough, they’ve arranged for two guest bands —Double Shot featuring Frank Cosentino and Earl Johnson of MOXY, and Mike Murphy’s Control Factor— to come out to help her celebrate.
Happy rockin’ 92nd to you Kitty!
-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca
