Talk about golden oldies!
Silver-haired crooners showcased their talents at the 10th annual Senior Idol show at Xaverian High School on Oct. 1. Performers 50 years and older took to the stage and belted out their best renditions of classic and contemporary songs. It gave the seniors a chance to truly broadcast their personalities, said one contestant.
“It shows people who I really am,” said Greenwood Heights resident Ron Divito, who took second place at the showdown. “I see people on a daily basis, and they don’t really know who I am or what I like to do, so this gets to show another side of me.”
Work and family life waylaid Divito’s youthful dreams of singing on Broadway, but he continued to croon in choruses and bands, he said. His version of Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye,” brought tears to audience members’ eyes and earned him the competitions runner-up spot. Even the singer had trouble holding it together during the emotional song, he said.
“I cried every time I did rehearsal, so I thought if it moves me it’ll move others,” said Divito.
Divito was one of 12 vocalists selected from a batch of Brooklyn seniors who made the cut after an audition that put more than 40 singers’ pipes to the test.
State Sen. Martin Golden (R–Bay Ridge) sponsors the soulful sing-off, and all the proceeds will help the Xaverian High School music program pay for scholarships and new instruments.
