The Press Is Positive!

"THE VALES ENTERTAIN WITH BOTH TALENT AND KINDNESS" (abridged from THE TIMES CHRONICLE article by TED TAYLOR):  Gayle and Vale frequently work what some people call "The Retirement Home Circuit".  It's not the Borscht Belt, it isn't Atlantic City, it isn't even the local club scene.  But in a lot of ways, it's far more rewarding.  Gayle Shepherd is clearly the real deal.  She begins to sing and her many years of big-time show business experience radiate throughout the room.  She is very good.  And now here she was on this special evening singing for people in this nursing center and singing for them like they were the most important people on Earth.  And on this night, they were.  She truly cares for them and they know it.  Marty is someone you've surely seen or heard before.  He began in show business at age 19 and never looked back.  His credits range from children's plays to comedy to drama to musicals.  His easy vocal style and role as emcee is a wonderful complement to the woman he calls "my partner, friend and wife."  Gayle and Marty worked the room that night like the pros that they are.  They encouraged their audience to sing along and one 100-year-old lady joined in with such gusto that smiles lit up the place.

"NEW NAME AND NEW ACT OF OLD FAVORITES" (abridged from THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER article by CYNTHIA J. McGROARTY):  A few years ago on New Year's Eve, Marty Vale's aunt called him in a panic.  The entertainer scheduled to perform at her retirement home had cancelled at the last minute, and she wondered whether Marty could step in.  Vale and his wife, Gayle Shepherd, both had show business backgrounds, so they put together an impromptu performance and high-tailed it down to the home.  Vale said "Someone got his violin and another person played the piano by ear.  It was totally unexpected to us."  Unexpected, and just the shove the couple needed to set off a new post-retirement career.  Since most of the duo's audiences are well over 60, the staples of their shows are the songs and comedy skits made popular in the years from World War I to post World War II.  "We've been very lucky," Shepherd said of their new found vocation.  Tracy Vida of the Willow Ridge Center said the music of Gayle and Vale was therapeutic for the residents.  "They love to sing along, and it brings back a lot of memories."

"SINGING SONGS OF YESTERYEAR" (abridged from THE BUCKS & MONTGOMERY MIDWEEK article by SHERI ELFMAN):  Some people were born to perform.  Gayle Shepherd and her husband, Marty Vale, are two examples.  Now in their 60's and going by the stage name Gayle & Vale, they take their act into retirement communities, banquets and luncheons in Bucks and Montgomery counties and Philadelphia.  They've appeared at the region's annual Senior Citizens' Expo, City Of Hope's New Millenium Of Discovery, and at numerous recognition events.  Entertaining seniors is their specialty.  Audience participation is a key part of the Gayle & Vale formula.  "We always interact with our audience," Shepherd said.  "It's fun to see if they sing and have a sense of humor."  The songs performed by Shepherd and Vale touch the hearts of the seniors and cause a reaction - sometimes laughter, sometimes a tear.  "We're very fortunate to do what we do," Vale said.  Shepherd and Vale love their job.

"SINGING THE SONGS SENIORS CAN'T FORGET" (abridged from THE RECORD / INTELLIGENCER article by BETH LONG):  Some of their audience members may suffer from memory lapses, but they always seem to remember the nostalgic songs word for word when the husband and wife team of Gayle and Marty Vale combined popular standards and comedy bits to entertain residents at Sunrise Assisted and Independent Living in Abington.  Gayle Shepherd began at age 16.  With siblings Martha, Judy and Mary Lou, Gayle headed up The Shepherd Sisters and was a regular on Dick Clark's Bandstand.  A native Philadelphian, Marty was the original "Cottman Man" in the 1970's commercial for Cottman Transmission.  These days their show biz lives consist of performing their show for appreciative older audiences.  "You see the rewards in their faces," said Marty.  "We have asked audiences if they had any favorite songs and the people have said 'You're playing them'.  That means a lot to us."  One resident said "I never forget the old songs."  "It's good because it brings them back to times that were good," said program coordinator Angela Mele.  "They remember the happy times."

“MATURE MELODIES” (abridged from THE TREND article by MELISSA YERKOV):   The Gayle and Vale Show is a duet in which the two lively entertainers sing and dance in a fun-filled presentation of amusement the way it was in the “good ol’ days.”  Singing timeless tunes from any period between the late 1800’s and the 1960’s, they offer a knowledge and love of music that are apparent through their charisma and enjoyment of every performance.  With an impressive history of hundreds of shows, there is no doubt this duo represent pure entertainment.  After building a successful reputation based on years of experience, the happily married couple have embarked on their next venture – SeniorGrams.  SeniorGrams are specially made songs, custom-designed for different individuals.  More details can be found on the web at www.SeniorGrams.com.  The elaborate website also includes information on price and availability, as well as samples, ordering information and a list of popular songs that can be used as a guideline.  “SeniorGrams are the perfect way to solve that old story of ‘ I don’t know what to give my grandparents for Christmas’,” said Shepherd.  Gayle and Vale have been married for more than 30 years, and even though their busy schedule of performances and making SeniorGrams keeps them on the go, they still take the time to appreciate each other and all they have been blessed with.  “I plan to keep doing this as long as possible,” said Vale.  “It is so much fun for both us and the audience.  I think if you can make a living doing what you love, with the person you love, that is success.”