2 Boomer Broads Podcast

Maggy Simon Sings – Businesswoman to Cabaret Singer Midlife

Our guest in this episode is Maggy Simon. She started a career late in life as a cabaret singer and has been doing it for the last 5 years. Since then, she’s held 7 live shows at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. It’s a beautiful place that seats 240 people with great food and has plenty of space for a singer and full band.

Before Maggy Simon started her midlife singing career, she had her own business management practice.  Her former career gave her the advantage of having both an artistic side and good business sense. She says they both fight with each other from time to time. “The artist wants everything now and the business person says, just a moment, stick to the plan.” 

Once the Pandora’s box had been opened she had to contain herself because she’s always ready for new ideas.  It all came about because of the way her life panned out.  After college, she had a choice to go the artistic route or get a real job and area where she could earn real money.  She ended up in the entertainment business as a story analyzer, which satisfied her artistic impulses. 

She later spent time raising kids. Then, her life changed.  Her husband, at the time, died unexpectedly causing her life to take another turn when she met her present husband. He heard her sing at a few parties (because she always loved to sing) and encouraged her to turn it into a new career. 

The next thing she knew, he started producing her shows at the Catalina Jazz Club and helped her record an album.  As an optimist, she believes you attract who you are to yourself. If you’re optimistic, and look at the bright side of things, no matter how dark your life becomes, good things will come to you. 

She’s always loved the American songbook, standards, Broadway, and modern songs and her album is filled with them.  The title of her album is “Yesterday Once More.” It’s a compilation of old songs with fabulous new arrangements.  Her lead song is “Nice and Easy” which speaks to her new romance with her husband Jack, and how it all rolled out so easily and naturally.

Her album was only out a couple of months and had 5-star reviews on Amazon.  She recorded it in two back-to-back 8-hour days at Capitol Records Studio A, where Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Dean Martin and all the greats recorded their albums.  Her husband made all the arrangements to make that happen.  The band was made up of top-notch studio musicians.  It was magical and was like a live performance.  (no post production cutting and pasting) 

Her performances at The Catalina Jazz Club have all been filmed with 3 cameras, and you can find them on her YouTube channel.  There are 65 video clips, showreels, interviews and more. 

She has a huge Facebook and Twitter following as well.  Many of her fans got to know her through social media.  Altogether, she has 74.000+ engaged followers.  Her album was designed scientifically by ranking her fan’s likes with her songs. It’s currently being streamed all over the world on Spotify, Itunes, Google Play, Target, YouTube and other.  Maggy says her fan base is made up of all ages from all around the world. 

If you visit her website, www.maggysimonsings.com, you’ll find her sizzle reel as well as all the places you can get her album and what’s on it. 

Listen in to the podcast to hear Maggy’s recording of “Le Jazz Hot.” 

Many of her costumes were designed by Giovanni. We love them because they’re beautiful and sparkly. 

Her plans for the future 

She has another idea for a new album in the works and wants to do a CD celebration (since her album’s already been released) or maybe call it a CD Released.  She’ll be performing songs from her album in upcoming shows and would love to do a Christmas album. 

She’ll keep it up as long as she’s physically able. 

Because she’s over 50, it takes more stamina to perform. In order to stay strong, she does a lot of cardiovascular exercises (running and power walks) and weight training. The weight training is for strength and endurance, which gives her the strength to prance around on stage.  Aerobics enable her to hold notes longer when she’s singing because It strengthens her respiratory system. She says that putting on a show and cutting an album is an athletic performance. 

“You have to be in shape to deliver the goods.” 

Listen to the podcast episode: https://www.2boomerbroads.com/maggy-simon-sings/