Saturday, September 24, 2011

When Mr. Piano Player Meets Mr. Twinkle Toes

From left: Jimmy Chan, Sandie, Ronnie, Andy [standing] Larry, Sunny, Simin.

UP TO 1,400 VIEWS - 10 COMMENTS

At 70 plus years you'd think that the dancer would stop his prancing on the ballroom floor and that the pianist would stop his tinkling on the grand piano. Not so for Singapore 60s champion, celebrity dancer Sunny Low and former Quests keyboardist Jimmy Chan.

When present singer/guitarist and company CEO Ronnie See from The Burns (with tie) organised a lunch with former broadcaster Larry Lai and myself to meet these two gentlemen at the Grand Shanghai Restaurant at the Grand Corpthorne Waterfront Hotel for a Tiong Bahru gang get-together, untold stories poured from them, like wine from a rare vintage label.

While Sunny is still tutoring students in his Sunny Low Dance Studios at Riverwalk Galleria, Jimmy is still at his keyboard in the Marina Mandarin Hotel. And boy oh boy, do they have stories to tell. 

Together, their contribution to the 1960s pop music entertainment scene in Singapore add up to about 140 years of dancing and piano playing. They were hot in the early years and still are today. Twinkling toes and fancy fingers. Wow!

There will be postings on Sunny Low and Jimmy Chan soon.
(Ladies present: Mrs Jimmy Chan and Media Consultant, Simin).

Original article/image: Andy Lim Collection.
Check out postings on Ronnie & Burns, Larry Lai by clicking 'Labels' below:

10 comments:

Lam Chun See said...

Hey, I was a big fan of Jimmy Chan. Had some of his cassettes and cds. Back in the 80's, we used to go to the lobby/lounge of Mandarin Hotel to listen to him.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Chun See for your many visits. I was thinking of you when I posted this one. You must love Jimmy and his Chinese songs?

Did you do some dancing too? An impromptu one when you heard Jimmy playing?

Anonymous said...

From private email:

Andy,

Words upon honour, yours were no mincing but it comes direct from the heart.

I like your coining of "Twinkling Toes and Fancy Fingers" they'll soon became iconic phrases.

What a great writer, no one dares to find fault, I vouch.

You're always a considerate and thought-through buddy.

Keep in touch and have a great day ahead.

Warmest Regards,
Ron.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hey Ronnie,
Thank you for the kind words. Your enthusiasm and support astound me.

We share what we can with others who were not with us in the 60s.

Those were vibrant times and Jimmy Chan and Sunny Low were two who contributed to those years.

Anonymous said...

From private email of Juliana Lim:

Certainly! I use to hang out at Mandarin to hear Jimmy n took 6 months of lessons from Sunny but couldn't catch up.

Thanks for the memories!

Best - Juliana

Anonymous said...

From private email:

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the heads up. Email is fine, I'm not liking the new Facebook layout myself.

Please don't put me as media consultant, I'm not! Just say that I"m a random person with a new found interest in 60s music or something.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Ah, so you used to hang out at Mandarin. That's a mighty expensive place to be in.

You can catch up with your dancing now. I am sure you have some time in your hands.

Thanks Juliana for your comment.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Simin,

It was great to have met up with these people who are still celebrities today.

60s music is still being played by both of them. Sunny plays his over the speakers in his dance studios and Jimmy in the hallways of the hotel.

You help to bring us all together. And you were acting professionally in your capacity as a media consultant.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

From private email:

Of course I'm still active. I have an old soul! :)

Erwin

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Old Soul Erwin is not yet 30, or is he.

Living is Paris will certainly make you younger.

Thanks for the reply.