Gladys Sands: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:GladysSands.jpg|thumb|Gladys Sands, circa 2020]] | [[File:GladysSands.jpg|thumb|Gladys Sands, circa 2020]] | ||
'''Gladys Sands''' was a member of [[Maurice Jackson]] | '''Gladys Sands''' (born c. 1924) is a Canadian singer and dancer who was a member of the [[Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra]], directed by [[Maurice Jackson]], in the 1940s. [[Amelia Jackson]] was also on the road with the group during this period. | ||
==Early Career== | |||
Sands sang in the Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra out of [[Thunder Bay]], Ontario, under the direction of Maurice Jackson. She recalls that during this time, the marriage between Maurice and Amelia Jackson was deteriorating, in part because Maurice was involved with one of the girls in the band. The couple eventually separated, and Amelia went to Europe to further her dance and teaching abilities before returning to spend the rest of her career teaching and running her school. | |||
Like others who knew Amelia, Gladys describes her as "strict and exacting," a quality she admired in Amelia and in all her instructors thereafter. | |||
==Dancing and Singing== | |||
Sands was a lifelong dancer and singer. She tap danced well into her 80s, only stopping when a bad knee became too problematic. She refused knee replacement surgery, saying she "didn't have time for that." She continued singing until age 96, when a broken hip required her to move into a care facility. | |||
==Personal Life== | |||
Sands' daughter is [[Patricia Dawkins]], and she has a son living in Vancouver. As of 2025, Sands is 101 years old and resides in a care facility. She has dementia affecting her short-term memory, though her long-term memory remains relatively intact. | |||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
| Line 8: | Line 17: | ||
[1] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164901709770393&set=a.10156236919275393 | [1] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164901709770393&set=a.10156236919275393 | ||
[2] Email correspondence | [2] Email correspondence with [[Patricia Dawkins]], 2020–2025 | ||
Revision as of 06:56, 15 February 2026
Gladys Sands (born c. 1924) is a Canadian singer and dancer who was a member of the Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra, directed by Maurice Jackson, in the 1940s. Amelia Jackson was also on the road with the group during this period.
Early Career
Sands sang in the Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, under the direction of Maurice Jackson. She recalls that during this time, the marriage between Maurice and Amelia Jackson was deteriorating, in part because Maurice was involved with one of the girls in the band. The couple eventually separated, and Amelia went to Europe to further her dance and teaching abilities before returning to spend the rest of her career teaching and running her school.
Like others who knew Amelia, Gladys describes her as "strict and exacting," a quality she admired in Amelia and in all her instructors thereafter.
Dancing and Singing
Sands was a lifelong dancer and singer. She tap danced well into her 80s, only stopping when a bad knee became too problematic. She refused knee replacement surgery, saying she "didn't have time for that." She continued singing until age 96, when a broken hip required her to move into a care facility.
Personal Life
Sands' daughter is Patricia Dawkins, and she has a son living in Vancouver. As of 2025, Sands is 101 years old and resides in a care facility. She has dementia affecting her short-term memory, though her long-term memory remains relatively intact.
Sources
[1] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164901709770393&set=a.10156236919275393
[2] Email correspondence with Patricia Dawkins, 2020–2025