1950s singer Archives - Retro Singer

1950s Vintage Singer at 60th Birthday Party Airdrie

June 10, 2018 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I love when I’m asked to be the singer for a birthday party or anniversary, because it feels like such a privilege to be invited into such a special occasion.

And my recent booking at Harty’s Function Suite in Airdree was no exception. I was contacted by the birthday girl herself, who was organising her 60th birthday celebration and wanted a vintage 1950s singer for her party.

She had decided on 1950s and 1960s music, because that was the era during which she grew up. And also of course because the music and fashion from those decades are so cool!

I was sent some song suggestions and I put together the set list to include the recommendations. I’m always happy to include song requests when I’m given enough time to organise them beforehand – it makes it so much easier when I have the opportunity to prepare the music and rehearse etc.

And in this case it was a real pleasure as the songs were all excellent choices I have to say! The requests included At the hop, Runaround Sue, That’ll be the day, Da doo ron ron, and lots of other great numbers that always keep the dancefloor filled.

The chosen venue was Harty’s Function Suite in Airdrie (formerly known as the Caritas Club).

When I arrived to set up I was very impressed by the lovely vintage 1950s style decorations that had been arranged. Balloons and 1950s memorabilia gave a great atmosphere to the room, and it was topped off with a fun 60th birthday cake in the shape of a record player!

All the party guests had gone to town with 1950s and 1960s fancy dress and they looked fantastic. This era lends itself so well to parties as it’s so easy to source vintage 1950s and 1960s clothes so everyone can have fun and really get into the mood.

The birthday girl was such a gracious host and had a wonderful time. She gave me some lovely feedback too:

“Thank you for making my special bday extra special you are a fantastic singer and everyone thought you were excellent so thank you so much Lisa xx”

What a lovely lady! Wishing her all the very best for the future.

70th Birthday Party in Glasgow

September 15, 2016 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

I recently sang at a 70th birthday party at the Condorrat Social Club in Glasgow, performing some great hits from the 1950s and 1960s for a lovely audience of young and old.

I had some special requests for lots of Connie Francis and Brenda Lee numbers, plus a smashing old song called ‘If you love me’ which I really enjoyed learning and adding into my set.

The ‘birthday boy’ Bill had a great night – he didn’t know he was getting live entertainment as it was organised by his daughter as a surprise. I got this lovely feedback from him and his daughter:

“Just enjoyed a surprise 70th party arranged by my family. Entertainment was from Lisa Martin and she was fabulous. A 50’s/60’s night, loved her Connie Francis numbers in particular. The night ended too soon. I would recommend to anyone looking for a similar night. Thanks Lisa” ~ Bill Brackenridge

“Thank you so much! You were exactly what we were looking for, and my dad just thought you were great (we had told him we were getting a dj so you were a nice surprise for him!). I have to tell you, absolutely everyone I spoke to at the party commented on how good you were, that you were perfect for my dads party, and how they much preferred your sets to a dj – a few even said they were definitely booking you for their upcoming parties!

Thanks again, you were really wonderful!” Caragh

It was fantastic to meet everyone. Happy Birthday Bill, may you enjoy many more!

1940s style 80th Birthday Party

December 18, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

This month I performed at my most important VIP gig of the year – my mum’s 80th birthday party! We decided to have a 1940s / 1950s theme to give her a little reminder of what life was like when she was a young slip of a thing 😉

Nobody needed much of an excuse to get into the mood and dress up accordingly. It helps that 1940s fashion is so easy to access nowadays with many online shops providing cool vintage looks.

My gorgeous cousins suit the 1940s look!

I did a little snippet of my 1940s and 1950s show to get the party started, then two of my cousins (Shirley and Becca) took to the mic and kept the singing going (what a talented family we are!). My partner Stephen is also a singer and musician, so he finished the night off with some music to keep everyone dancing.

My mum had a brilliant time, she was grinning from ear to ear from the moment she walked in. She was up on the dancefloor all night – I don’t know where she gets her energy from – she’s living proof that age really is just a number!

The birthday girl looking fabulous

It took me two car journeys to get all the presents and cards back to my mum’s house – not to mention the all-important birthday cake.

It was so nice to get to see all my family, as I really don’t see enough of everyone now that I live up in Glasgow. Big thanks to everyone that helped organise the party, including my brother Danny and his girlfriend Barb who laid out a delicious buffet, my cousins Kate and Shirley for providing a stunning vintage-style birthday cake plus some lovely party decorations, and everyone else for joining in with all the fun!

Vintage 1940s & 1950s Show Newtonmore

April 29, 2015 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

This Saturday (2nd May) I will be heading up north to Newtonmore to perform my 1940s / 1950s show at the Village Hall for Friends of the Main House. We’ll be commemorating the 70th anniversary of VE Day by singing all the great songs from that fabulous era.

There are still some tickets left for this event, so if you fancy spending your May Day weekend celebrating vintage-style up in the beautiful village of Newtonmore, call 01540 662294. Tickets are £12.50 and include a light supper. The show starts at 7.30pm. Hope to see you there!

Silver Wedding Anniversary at Mar Hall Hotel Scotland

October 28, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

The Mar Hall Hotel provided the perfect venue for a Silver Wedding Anniversary party I performed at recently. Situated in Bishopton, near to Erskine, this Edwardian Scottish mansion is a luxury five star hotel with gorgeous views over the River Clyde.

It was a beautiful sunny Autumn day with clear blue skies as I drove into the hotel grounds. Set within a picture-perfect 240 acre woodland estate, I was struck by the tranquil peace and beauty of the area.

The interior of the Mar Hall Hotel is decorated in an elegant vintage style that exudes class and sophistication. The pianist playing softly in the lounge added to the relaxed ambience.

I had been asked to perform a mixture of Swing classics and 1950s & 1960s songs, with the anniversary couple picking the majority of the songs themselves from my set list. Their main objective was to keep all their guests up on the dancefloor, and this was no difficult task as everyone was really up for a party from the word go.

I started with a ‘1^st dance’ for the anniversary couple: the gorgeous Etta James classic ‘At Last’. I was glad they chose this song as I love it as a first dance; it’s so romantic and works beautifully, plus it’s familiar to all age groups because it was recently covered by Beyonce.

The rest of the guests needed no prompting to join in the dancing and looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I love singing at wedding anniversary parties because there’s a certain atmosphere to them that’s a little different to weddings – everybody is so relaxed and at home with each other, as the two families have had all those years to become well-acquainted.

As the night went on I sang a mixture of Swing standards and kept the emphasis on fun, dancing, and romance, with ‘Let there be love’, ‘Cheek to cheek’, ‘My baby just cares for me’ and many other classics. I even threw a bit of Jessie J into the mix in response to a request on behalf of the younger members of the audience 😉

The night was over too soon, but I’m glad to report some excellent feedback from the happy couple:

“We booked Lisa to perform at our Silver Wedding Anniversary event where we had guests across a wide age group. Without exception every single guest commented on the amazing performance that Lisa gave – her set of 50’s and 60’s classic’s fitted perfectly with the theme of our evening and we could have been in a New York supper club from that era.

Her delivery was effortless and the quality of her voice was exceptional – without doubt she put the gloss on what was a fantastic evening and the dance floor was never empty. We would have no hesitation in recommending Lisa to anyone wanting to add a touch of class to their event, we only wish we could do it all again!”

~ Jane and Simon Grey.

(From Free Index business directory)

To see more of my reviews, please visit my testimonials page.

So, all in all, a wonderful evening at the Mar Hall Hotel. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel as a top-class venue for a wedding or anniversary function. Many thanks to Jane and Simon for making me feel so welcome at their lovely party.

Views over the Clyde at Mar Hall

Golden Wedding Anniversary at Douglas Park Golf Club

October 6, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Last weekend I sang at a beautiful Golden Wedding Anniversary party at Douglas Park Golf Club. It was a nice local booking for me as Bearsden is less than an hour away.

It’s the first time I’ve performed at Douglas Park Golf Club, and I must say I was very impressed, not only by the stunning views of the golf course, but also by the lovely staff, who were genuinely friendly and very welcoming. A big thank you goes out to Moses and Lisa for all their help and hospitality on the night.

The clubhouse itself was very nice indeed: a perfect venue for an intimate gathering. The room was a nice comfortable size for a small party, plus it also featured a good-sized dancefloor. Excellent use of lighting gave the room that extra-special touch too.

I always love to perform at Golden Wedding Anniversary functions, as it feels such a wonderful and important thing to celebrate a couple who have stayed happily together for such a long time. It’s so lovely to be part of that very special celebration.

When I look around at all the guests I wonder who was originally present at the wedding and imagine what life was like for them on that day 50 years ago; how they have changed, and how the world around them has changed too.

In this case it would have been 1964, and the world was indeed a very different place back then. The average weekly wage was £16, BBC2 made its first broadcast (which was Play School!), the Forth Road Bridge was opened, and Harold Wilson was poised to become Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister in 13 years.

Music was very different back then too. Whenever I sing at a Wedding Anniversary party I like to look back and see what was in the ‘Hit Parade’ back then, so I can include some of the songs that would have been around when the happy couple were in the first blush of romance.

In 1964 Beatlemania was in full flow, and they had pretty much taken over the charts. Their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, was released in July of that year. The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Cilla Black were also very popular.

James Bond featured in the cinema and in the charts too, as there were two ‘007’ movies out that year: ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘From Russia with Love’, with their respective theme tunes becoming huge hits for Shirley Bassey and Matt Monro.

On this occasion however, I had been asked to perform music from a slightly earlier era: Swing songs and other classic easy-listening standards. I was glad to do so as this is my personal favourite genre of music!

I chose a mixed program that included plenty of lovely old romantic songs such as ‘Fly me to the moon’ by Frank Sinatra, ‘I only have eyes for you’ by Ella Fitzgerald, and the 1950s Jo Stafford hit ‘You belong to me’.

I soon realised that the guests were really up for a party as they were up on the dance floor from the word go. So as the night went on I shifted from swing music to timeless pop classics such as ‘Baby Love’ by The Supremes and ‘Kissin’ in the back row’ by The Drifters, to keep everybody happy on the dancefloor. I also got a request for some country music, so I added a bit of Dolly Parton into the mix, plus a Boney M medley in response to numerous ‘Slosh’ requests!

I finished off a lovely evening with what is in my opinion the perfect Golden Wedding Anniversary song: ‘The Anniversary Waltz’ by Vera Lynn.

My warmest congratulations go out to Andrew and Brenda. May they enjoy many more happy years together.

World War One Centenary Event in Scotland

September 25, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Preston Pans Royal British Legion was filled with nostalgia this September when they paid tribute to the World War One Centenary on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The club was very busy with people who had come along to commemorate the centenary.

A fabulous brass band started off the proceedings with their beautiful renditions of World War One classics such as ‘The sunshine of your smile’ and the rousing ‘It’s a long way to Tipperary’.

I continued on with the trip throughout the decades with my 1940s World War Two show, followed by some 1950s Rock n Roll numbers to get the audience up dancing.

The fantastic duo ‘Just John and Paul’ took us to the 1960s and really got the crowd going with their superb versions of The Beatles classics.

It’s always a pleasure to work with Just John and Paul as they’re so talented and enthusiastic about what they do, plus they’re both such lovely friendly guys!

A great afternoon was had by all.

Big thanks to all at the club for organising and participating in such a fabulous day.

Here are some videos of the day:

Hawick Town Hall 1940s & 1950s show

June 30, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Hawick Town Hall will be transported back in time to the 1940s & 1950s when I visit on Saturday July 26th to perform my 40s & 50s tribute shows.

I’m very glad to be working again with the lovely Emma from Time Events to present a wonderful nostalgic night full of all the fabulous music from a wonderful ‘time gone by’.

Songs from all-time great performers such as Connie Francis, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Vera Lynn, The Andrews Sisters, plus many more will ensure that it is a night full of singalongs, dancing, and great memories!

Tickets start at just £5 and can be purchased by clicking HERE. Book early to avoid disappointment, and feel free to come along dressed in your favourite vintage styles!

Looking forward to seeing you in July at Hawick Town Hall for a night of retro fun 🙂

Glenburn Hotel Cabaret Shows

March 16, 2014 By Lisa Martin 2 Comments

I will be visiting the lovely Scottish Isle of Bute quite a few times over the coming year to sing at the Glenburn Hotel in Rothesay to perform some of my shows, including 1950s Rock n Roll, Swing and James Bond show.

One of the best things about the Glenburn Hotel is the fantastic staff there – especially the wonderful entertainment team. Host Gary MacKean is a great favourite among all the guests, providing lots of laughs plus a very popular Elvis tribute act. John and Marianne form the talented duo ‘Limited Edition’, supplying a wide variety of music for all the guests to enjoy. They all made me feel very welcome when I appeared there last week performing my 1950s show, so I am very much looking forward to my future visits to the Glenburn this year.

Fancy a weekend away on a beautiful island off the western coast of Scotland? Then come along and join us at the Glenburn Hotel.

Phone the hotel on 01700 502500 to check what dates I’m appearing and which show I’ll be performing. Looking forward to seeing you there!

PS, check out the stunning views from the hotel.

(Thanks to John Martin for the beautiful picture)

The view from your room!

Vintage Weddings Scotland

February 14, 2014 By Lisa Martin Leave a Comment

Vintage weddings are becoming more and more popular around Scotland these days, as people look to the 1960s, 1950s, 1940s, 1930s and even back to the 1920s for inspiration for their special day. There are some fabulous vintage wedding suppliers in Scotland, so I thought it would be a nice idea to make a video to showcase their creations.

And what better day than Valentine’s Day to spread a bit of retro romance!

For a suitably vintage musical backdrop I chose the 1930s song ‘What a difference a day makes’. Dinah Washington won a grammy award in the 1950s for her bluesy take on this song, and so I chose to perform this version (as opposed to the more disco feel of the 1970s Esther Phillips version) as I thought it provided the perfect romantic sentiment.

The video features some wonderful suppliers of vintage weddings from all over Scotland, including the following:

Gavin Macqueen – an outstanding photographer from Glasgow whose unique, creative style is very much in demand at weddings all around Scotland.

La Belle Epoque – beautifully unique hair adornments reworked from antique pieces by the very talented Miriam Davies-Cole.

Make Believe Events – an extensive range of gorgeous chair covers, linens, and event hire items, together with free design consultation.

Fairy Dust Celebrations – deliciously pretty, these bespoke wedding cakes and favours are all homemade and freshly baked, using the finest of ingredients.

Miss Dixiebelle – Vanity Thrills is head stylist at Scotland’s award-winning vintage hair and beauty parlour. Hair, makeup and nails, together with stunning reproduction dresses, make Miss Dixiebelle your go-to place for that complete vintage look!

Ribbons & Lace – a bridal boutique with a friendly, cosy atmosphere that makes you feel right at home as you take your pick from a stunning array of gowns created by top designers.

A Vintage Tea Party – vintage crockery hire to give your wedding that charming finishing touch!

A big thank you goes out to all the fabulous vintage wedding suppliers for contributing their beautiful images to be featured in this video.

About Lisa Martin