Thermometer be damned. You can never get enough Sunshine!
Naomi Sunshine, that is.
The 87-year-old singer knocked ’em dead last fall at The Minstrel in Morris Township. After resting all winter in Florida, she’s back for encores tonight, July 6, at 8 pm, with her popular sideman, jazz guitarist Grover Kemble.
“Singing and doing this with Grover is very beneficial to my health,” said Naomi, a former backup singer for Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé and Billie Holiday.
Comeback trail: Naomi Sunshine and Grover Kemble in 2011
The widow declined to extinguish persistent rumors about pending nuptials with Grover, who made his mark with Sha Na Na and Za Zu Zaz.
“If Kim Kardashian can get away with what she gets away with, why should I be any different?” Naomi said.
She and Grover are opening for Jack Williams. The duo has worked up two short sets of jazz, blues and ballads.
To keep her pipes in shape, Naomi spent the winter cycling.
“I didn’t get very far,” she said. “It was a stationary bike.”
Naomi lived in East Brunswick until relocating to a cooler clime, near West Palm Beach.
“After 65, you have to move to Florida. It’s the law.”
Her daughter Amy lives in Denville, and her son, Norman, has flown in from Texas for Friday’s show.
What’s the secret to making beautiful music–or making anything–into your ninth decade?
“Keep breathing,” Naomi advised. “When you stop, everything goes downhill.”