One of the best things I discovered in the last year is a rock and roll chorus called Young at Heart. All of the members are over the age of 70. And it’s simply awesome.
I suppose a rock and roll group of senior citizens shouldn’t be that surprising. After all, The Rolling Stones are still doing their thing, and the combined age of their four members is 306 years (or about 20 years older than I feel most mornings). And anyone who was a teenager when rock and roll first started is now in their 80s. But somehow this just seems different. Maybe it’s because they perform all types of rock songs, even ones that are quite current. All I know is that it’s a fantastic thing to watch.
The chorus started in 1982. Of course, a lot of the members have passed away over the years, but new members join all the time and the group is still going strong. When you watch them, you really get the feeling that being a member of this chorus is adding years to their lives.
Just check out a few of their performances…
The Ramones—I Wanna Be Sedated
I just cannot imagine my parents or grandparents doing this. I can’t even imagine myself doing this. But I am so happy this video exists in the world.
The Talking Heads—Road to Nowhere
Most of the performances of Young at Heart are more traditional live shows in front of audiences. But they do have a few of these music videos. It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but this one is definitely up there.
Coldplay—Fix You
You can imagine that a group like this has to deal with members passing away from time to time. This version of Fix You was originally supposed to be performed by two of the men in the group. Sadly, one of them passed away not long before the concert, so 80-year-old Fred Knittle did the song as a solo. It really is a beautiful and touching performance, and with Mr. Knittle singing it, the song seems to take on a different meaning and perspective. He died just a few years after this performance. It’s their most watched video on YouTube, with over 2.6 million views.
The Documentary
You can spend lots and lots of time watching the videos on Young at Heart’s YouTube channel. And you should. But what you should really do first is rent their documentary. It’s worth way more than the few dollars it costs to rent. I love these people.