At age 86, I was determined to write my first song.
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Alan’s verse energized me in the same way. I played the piano for years, sustained by the masterworks of Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin, the Gershwin brothers, and Cole Porter.
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On his 99th birthday, Alan invited a few of us to his apartment and read aloud “Best Old Friends,” a poem celebrating senior life at Beaumont. Instantly Alan added, “And birds gotta fly.” “A fine romance,” Alan would sing, and I’d answer, “with no kisses.” How about “Fish gotta swim,” I offered. He began jamming with my band and won us over us with his versions of “ Alice Blue Gown” and Cole Porter’s wonderful “ Miss Otis Regrets.” At dinner, we amused ourselves recalling old classics. Aside from boundless creativity, Alan was an enduring romantic. I’d had a number of careers too, and we soon bonded around a love for old cabaret and show tunes. Alan had enjoyed stellar careers in advertising, marketing, product innovation, and radio/TV production. He turned out to be a tall 98-year-old with a quick smile, wrinkled for sure, but with a firm grip, still-youthful walk, and an enviable head of hair. One day Evelyn Isom, a resident and new friend, brought Alan Tripp and me together around the piano. My needs were two - an apartment big enough for our grand piano, and a room where I could continue weekly jam sessions with my jazz band.
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Dorothy wanted a pool and exercise classes. In 2014 my wife Dorothy and I - tired of snowdrifts, leaky roofs, and steep stairs - moved to Beaumont at Bryn Mawr, a retirement community owned by its residents.