Gladys Sands
Gladys Sands (nee Smith) (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 1930s and 1940s. Amelia Jackson was also on the road with the group during this period.
Early Career
Gladys sang in the Great Lakes Girls' Orchestra out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, under the direction of Maurice Jackson and his wife Amelia Jackson.
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
She later married a Mr. Sands and had two children:
- Patricia Dawkins, living in Calgary, and
- Jim Sands, 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
[3] "Fort William Girls Military Band" website, by William "Bill" Drew [1]