“Age is just a number,” says 92-year-old Huntington Beach resident Sid Hallburn.
Hallburn has loved music and dancing since he was a youngster. He had a career in education, but never stopped dancing and playing instruments. Now, he’s in a local musical group called Forever Young.
We caught up with the Surf City senior to find out all about it:
Q. You’ve always had a love of music, right?
A. When I was four I wandered on stage when Eddie Peabody, America’s Banjo King, who was performing in Los Angeles, and I just started dancing. People cheered. Eddie wanted me to tour with him, but my mom said no to that one. She then took me to a former Ziegfield dancer named Ethel Meglin, and that’s how I really learned how to dance. Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and Shirley Temple also learned from her. Then, I danced for MGM and on “The Little Rascals.” I’ve been dancing ever since.
Q. Do you play instruments, too?
A. I play drums, castanets, the Jew’s harp, and the harmonica.
Q. Now, you’re in a group called Forever Young?
A. My friends, Chris and Craig McDonald, encouraged me to perform a tap dance routine at Surf City’s Got Talent. People came rushing up to me afterwards, saying how much I inspired them. They wanted pictures taken with me, and I was shocked. Then, the McDonalds got me together with a man named Father Christian Mondor of St. Simon and Jude, who once played banjo with the famous Eddie Peabody, and we formed Forever Young to inspire other people. The search was on to to find other professional entertainers in their 90s. Our purpose is to have fun, keep the old timers spry, and inspire others to keep active. We just started this year, and we play old time songs from the 30s, 40s, patriotic songs, and a variety of other songs. Father Christian Mondor is 90. Polly Sloan, a former singer and dancer with the USO, is 90. Jim Flaherty is also 90 and plays the saxophone. Then there is Al George. He’s 84. He plays the clarinet. And, we have Dr. Tom Penderghast, 90, who plays guitar and the banjo. We have some younger background artists, too.
Q. What are you doing to stay in shape?
A. I work out regularly by doing exercises, lifting weights, and tap dancing 30 minutes a day. I was very good friends with TV fitness guru Jack LaLanne for 53 years, and he was one of my early inspirations. I was on his TV show several times, and taught his young son how to swim. I’ve always been very active, and even have a black belt in Karate, and still work out doing it. When our group performs, I forget about back problems, and start doing the twist down to the ground, and all sorts of things. It’s marvelous medicine for me, and for all of us in the group.
Q. What is your advice for people who aren’t as active as you are?
A. Eat healthy, have a positive outlook, and keep active. Some days I feel like I’m 25. I’m full of energy. But like is like a roller coaster. It rolls up and down. When it’s going down, hang on and it will go back up! You can see how young we are and listen to some good music from Forever Young at Miracle on Main Street on Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
