Page 90 - Life_In_Naples_Magazine_January_2015
P. 90
SONG, DANCE
AND MAKING MEMORIES
TO THE MUSIC
OF CAHLUA & CREAM
jobs, we spend anywhere from six-eight hours per job, and of course much
more if we need to travel to the east coast for a performance.”
Despite the number of hours the couple spends on performance time,
Mrs. Hale says that’s ‘just the proverbial tip of the iceberg’. They spend
considerable time working on new material and administering the business
of their musical careers.
“Don and I started performing as “Cahlua & Cream” in 1985, based out
of Syracuse, New York and spent 52 weeks of the year performing in hotel
lounges and night clubs,” says Mrs. Hale. “We performed in venues in New
Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
by Kelly Merritt before becoming married in 1990.”
They became parents in 1992 and quickly realized how challenging
M usic lovers flock to places like Erin’s Isle and Café traveling with a child was, especially when their son aged into his school years.
“Fortunately for us, we began traveling to Florida to perform at a North
Alfredo for Cahlua & Cream. The musical duo of
Don and Lesly Hale has been dazzling audiences Naples nightclub, Kakis, late in 1992 and we came down for a month at a time
to perform there five nights a week from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m., the late shift so to
with familiar tunes for decades and they are still one of
Naples’ biggest hit acts, performing everything from jazz speak,” she says. “In 1993 we were offered a job at that nightclub performing
standards to current hits. Even though many of these hits from 5–9 p.m. five nights a week so we jumped at the opportunity.”
date back to the 50’s, the couple manages to keep them fresh That’s when the Hales packed up and relocated to Bonita Springs, and
and enjoyable. Their renditions of songs like “All of Me,” then Naples after the birth of their second child. When Kakis, then called
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “At Last” still get ‘Calvins’, closed they began performing in country clubs. Now they perform
people on their feet. regularly at Erin’s Isle, Café Alfredo in Naples and The Sandy Parrot and
The Hales keep their repertoire updated to include the Groove Street in Ft. Myers.
latest songs climbing the charts, from artists like Pharrell,
The Black Eyed Peas and Bruno Mars. Some of the most
popular songs they sing include dance hits like “Believe”
by Cher, Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5” and “Together Again” by
Janet Jackson. They bring the house down with the Pointer
Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” and songs like “Proud Mary” by
Ike and Tina Turner and Gloria Gaynor’s dance anthem
“I Will Survive.” People who boogied down to artists like
Alicia Bridges (“I Love the Nightlife”) and Donna Summer
won’t leave disappointed. The nostalgia continues when they
perform the love song touchstone “Could I Have This Dance”
by Anne Murray and “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers.
While the Hales understand that most of their fans want
to hear songs they know, they have included original songs
on their CDs. They’ve recorded four of them.
“Performing music is the only job we have, and during
the season here in Naples. It’s not uncommon to work seven
nights of the week,” says Lesly Hale. “As a matter of fact,
one year we performed 40 nights consecutively and including
setting up, tearing down, performing, and traveling to the
90 Life in Naples | January 2015
AND MAKING MEMORIES
TO THE MUSIC
OF CAHLUA & CREAM
jobs, we spend anywhere from six-eight hours per job, and of course much
more if we need to travel to the east coast for a performance.”
Despite the number of hours the couple spends on performance time,
Mrs. Hale says that’s ‘just the proverbial tip of the iceberg’. They spend
considerable time working on new material and administering the business
of their musical careers.
“Don and I started performing as “Cahlua & Cream” in 1985, based out
of Syracuse, New York and spent 52 weeks of the year performing in hotel
lounges and night clubs,” says Mrs. Hale. “We performed in venues in New
Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
by Kelly Merritt before becoming married in 1990.”
They became parents in 1992 and quickly realized how challenging
M usic lovers flock to places like Erin’s Isle and Café traveling with a child was, especially when their son aged into his school years.
“Fortunately for us, we began traveling to Florida to perform at a North
Alfredo for Cahlua & Cream. The musical duo of
Don and Lesly Hale has been dazzling audiences Naples nightclub, Kakis, late in 1992 and we came down for a month at a time
to perform there five nights a week from 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m., the late shift so to
with familiar tunes for decades and they are still one of
Naples’ biggest hit acts, performing everything from jazz speak,” she says. “In 1993 we were offered a job at that nightclub performing
standards to current hits. Even though many of these hits from 5–9 p.m. five nights a week so we jumped at the opportunity.”
date back to the 50’s, the couple manages to keep them fresh That’s when the Hales packed up and relocated to Bonita Springs, and
and enjoyable. Their renditions of songs like “All of Me,” then Naples after the birth of their second child. When Kakis, then called
“Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “At Last” still get ‘Calvins’, closed they began performing in country clubs. Now they perform
people on their feet. regularly at Erin’s Isle, Café Alfredo in Naples and The Sandy Parrot and
The Hales keep their repertoire updated to include the Groove Street in Ft. Myers.
latest songs climbing the charts, from artists like Pharrell,
The Black Eyed Peas and Bruno Mars. Some of the most
popular songs they sing include dance hits like “Believe”
by Cher, Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5” and “Together Again” by
Janet Jackson. They bring the house down with the Pointer
Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” and songs like “Proud Mary” by
Ike and Tina Turner and Gloria Gaynor’s dance anthem
“I Will Survive.” People who boogied down to artists like
Alicia Bridges (“I Love the Nightlife”) and Donna Summer
won’t leave disappointed. The nostalgia continues when they
perform the love song touchstone “Could I Have This Dance”
by Anne Murray and “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers.
While the Hales understand that most of their fans want
to hear songs they know, they have included original songs
on their CDs. They’ve recorded four of them.
“Performing music is the only job we have, and during
the season here in Naples. It’s not uncommon to work seven
nights of the week,” says Lesly Hale. “As a matter of fact,
one year we performed 40 nights consecutively and including
setting up, tearing down, performing, and traveling to the
90 Life in Naples | January 2015
