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We've got talent

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Her motto: “A laugh for any occasion.”

“I don’t curse, and I try not to say anything that will embarrass my family or members of the audience,” she said.

“God has really blessed me with this talent, and performing gives me a sense of satisfaction and a real inner peace.”

Her sense of humor is helping her deal with breast cancer diagnosed just before her 50th birthday.

So how did she tell her friends about it?

“Wow, guess what I got for my 50th birthday?” she told them.

Kick out the jams
Some like to belt out tunes.

Stephen White, Aviation, began playing piano at 12 and started singing lessons in high school. He wanted to pursue piano playing as a career, but an instructor at the University of Houston told him he was a better singer than piano player.

Stephen White, Aviation, began playing piano at 12 and started singing lessions in high school. Photo courtesy Stephen White.

So White focused on his singing. Now, he performs at banquets, weddings and Aviation functions. He’s classically trained, but he’s flexible enough to sing almost anything.

“Singing touches the soul of who I am, and I’m able to touch the souls of others,” he said.

For 10 years, Roland Taub sang barbershop. Now, he’s a member of the Houston Choral Showcase, an adult show choir that features costumes, dancing and different genres of songs, including jazz, show tunes and pop.

Taub takes on the roles that require dialect or a comical touch.

A senior microcomputer analyst for the E.B. Cape, Taub said he likes to be part of a bigger sound.

Johnny Lee, F&A, also likes being part of a group. He plays bass and sings in the Jacinto City Opry and is a member of the country and old-time rock band OSAGE.

Lee and his father bonded through music, and he began drum lessons when he was 8, Lee said.

“Music is like a part of me,” he said. “I don’t feel full without it.”

Lee moved on to the guitar and bass at 14 because, “Drums sit in the back and don’t get attention from the girls.”

The first time Randy Zamora saw a drummer live, he was hooked. The municipal courts' chief prosecutor is also a Trivial Pursuit whiz. Photo courtesy Randy Zamora.

In the third or fourth grade, Randy Zamora saw a drummer live.

“That was it. I wanted to be a drummer,” said Zamora, municipal courts’ chief prosecutor.

Zamora is also a Trivial Pursuit buff who once took the test to get on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” He missed one of 40 questions. He moved a few weeks later and never heard from the producers.

“I have a lot of non-income-generating knowledge floating around in my head,” he said. “I can’t think of any instance when it’s helped me in my job.

“But, hey, it’s a great conversation starter.”

As far as the drumming, Zamora is between musical mates, but he soon expects to join a group that plays 40s big band and another that plays rock.

He plans to rock well into old age. After all, he enjoys it, and he’s got a talent for it. Just like other city employees who have found gifts in their hobbies.

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