Whether she’s singing to herself in her room or performing in the dining room with her sons, the now 88-year-old still knows how to put on a show.
And with a recorded album of her own and an appearance on a popular television show, she has the credentials to back it up.
Nancy always knew she could entertain a crowd from a very young age - even over the airwaves.
“My first memory of singing was when I went on the radio at four years old,” she said.
“I remember my mother taking my three-year-old sister and me to the 3BO station near the [Alexandra] fountain.
I sang ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.’ I just loved it.”
Despite only having one lesson - and leaving because “she already knew how to do it”- Nancy continued to hone her skills through her high school years.
“I had a teacher at the Bendigo Girls’ School, Mrs. Styles, who would always play piano while we sang,” she said.
“She would put me at the front of the group with the sopranos. We would sing whenever we could.”
Nancy has fond memories of performing with the school group at the Bendigo Town Hall.
“I remember I would always get a beautiful feeling as I walked up to the stage,” she said.
“I knew that’s where I belonged.”
Even at church, Nancy shared her songs, continuing to perform into her adult years.
During that time, Nancy gained quite a following, but there was one person’s opinion she cared about the most.
“My husband Fredrick always encouraged me to sing,” she said.
“He said he never got sick of hearing me.”
It turned out her talent was passed on to her children. Two of her sons - Jonathon and Neil -learned musical instruments.
Jonathon even accompanied Nancy on her album, released in April 2000, titled Love Is Like a Song.
“It was such a lovely experience. I’m glad it’s something we can share,” Nancy said.
Nancy and Neil also appeared on Hey Hey It’s Saturday after auditioning in Ballarat.
“It was a lot of fun. Daryl Somers is a great man,” she said.
Even today, Nancy’s voice hasn’t faded. She continues to enjoy sing-alongs and concerts at Stella Anderson Nursing Home.