By Janice Lane Palko
Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it – Stevie Wonder
Debbie Smith Wagner knows well how music provokes memories. She has seen the light come into the eyes of her audience members whenever she breaks into beloved tunes, and that is why she founded Vintage Debbie’s Senior Celebrations.
“I’ve always been involved with theater, performing, music, and singing,” said Debbie, who founded her company three years ago after she first noticed how music touched her mother who suffered a seizure at 57 and then Lewy Body dementia.
“I grew up around music; my mother was a wonderful piano player, and I look on what I do as passing on her legacy,” said Debbie, who sings and acts in costume for senior communities, taking them down memory lane.
“I describe myself as a memory hostess. My show is about memories—my memories, your memories, and making new memories,” said Debbie, who defines “vintage” as any time 50 years or older. “For instance, I won’t do anything from later than 1974. Next year, I’ll add things from 1975.” In addition to senior venues, Debbie also does parties.
Recently, she did a celebration for a family whose parents, though now deceased, were married in the 1920s. “For that I dressed as a Flapper named Trixie.”
When she performs, she brings props and things like streamers, maracas, and at Christmas time, jingle bells, and her son, who is also creative, records videos of the event and takes photos, to make the day one to remember. She appears throughout Beaver County, Butler, Allison Park, Moon Twp.
“When I go to the senior centers and I come in, the people look aged, but when I start singing and they start singing along and sharing their memories, by the time I leave, the seniors look 20 years younger,” said Debbie. “I love what I do.”
For more information on Vintage Debbie, visit her Instagram page at vintagedebbiewagner, or to book a show, email her at: vintageseniorcelebrations@gmail.com.
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