With a passion for music, a shared commitment to their communities, and personalities that come together like a pair of folded hands, Ron Holley and Sandra McLure are “Timeless Tunes.”
They also share a birth date. It was to Ron and Sandra, “a sign” that they could team up and realize their dream of entertaining. Ron was a late bloomer when it came to music and only started performing about six years ago. Sandra on the other hand, began performing at the age of five. Growing up in Summerside, “I was part of a folk group back then and a church soloist for years. I’ve always wanted to perform,” Sandra said.
Sandra had just returned to the Island when a mutual friend thought she and Ron would be terrific singers together, introduced them and wanted the two (total strangers) to sing something that very night. They did, about six weeks later, and have never looked back. Between them, they have amassed more than 450 songs in their play list giving them the opportunity to sing songs they love and have wanted to perform for many, many years. Ron explained, “We sing songs from the 1920s right through the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s up to now. We cross many genres. Our song picks are diversified, male/female. We have so much fun and when our audiences clap and show their appreciation, we still get excited! It’s wonderful.”
Sandra has a wonderful jazzy, bluesy, sexy smokey voice that goes deep and Ron, can sing anything from Elvis to Neil Diamond to the Beatles. They are each other’s biggest fans. That mutual friend was right. These two work together. Their duets are filled with great melodies and harmony. The solos they choose, showcase their different and varied musical abilities. As the audience sang along to “Mind Your Own Business” and I relived my hippy days with Carol King’s “Tapestry,” I thought, yup, “Good Times Never Seemed So Good, So Good, So Good…”
Sandra told me, “The best part of this, is singing at the Manors. It’s part of the dream. It’s like paying back, right. They are family. And we are grateful to be a part of that. It’s a gift.”
Timeless Tunes appear regularly at Gentleman Jims (Summerside), Spinnakers Landing and Uncle Mike’s on Water Street. Catch them at other Island venues, festivals, public events and private celebrations. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard, “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine”? Still makes me smile.
