They Always Leave Them With a Song and a Smile : Entertainment: A volunteer group gets rave reviews from audiences as it brings music and cheer to senior centers and convalescent homes.

More than 20 pairs of eyes follow 69-year-old Gloria Stafford as she dances around the front of the Maywood Acres Healthcare lunchroom to the tunes of golden oldies.

Flanked by Russell Stewart in a gold top hat and Jack Holste in a gold derby, Stafford--wearing a glittery blouse with a puffy gold heart pinned to it--works feverishly to keep members of her audience from falling asleep in their wheelchairs.

Dripping perspiration and occasionally grabbing for a glass of water, Stafford is the heart, soul and founder of the RSVP Senior Showcase, a volunteer entertainment group that brings music to convalescent homes and senior centers throughout the county.

“I founded this group in 1989 to bring a little joy and happiness to the residents of these homes, who often don’t have anyone else,” the Oxnard resident said. “People just put them in these homes and forget them.”

So Stafford and her merry crew--which varies in size from three to six seniors, depending on vacations, health and family obligations--bring their shows to just under a dozen locales each month.

A former factory worker who helped build Patriot missiles, Stafford has led a musical life since retiring. She leads a band called Gloria and the New Boys that plays at weddings or celebrations, and she arranges and choreographs all the performances for RSVP Senior Showcase.

Stafford has 11 different 45-minute shows, which she changes slightly each year. The group takes February off to recover from the heavy load on their vocal chords.

They practice in the Port Hueneme Senior Center on Monday afternoons and are always looking for a few seniors with good pipes to add to their harmony.

“I don’t think you’ll find a 70-year-old woman with a better voice,” said Holste, an Oxnard resident whom Stafford nicknamed “Swinging Jack: The Keyboard Man” in honor of his contributions.

“I’m just having a ball. I can’t think of a better way to spend my retirement than to bring a little music to those who can’t get out,” he said.

At 72, Holste calls himself the old man of the group. The “baby” is 64-year-old Stewart, whom Stafford recruited just weeks after his recent move to Oxnard from Pennsylvania.

Stewart was visiting a someone in a convalescent home when he heard Stafford and Holste performing. He began to sing along to the songs he recognized, and became an instant part of the group.

“I just like being around people,” he said. “I’m no entertainer, but I like to see people smile.”

At Oxnard’s Maywood Acres on a recent Thursday, the show wasn’t perfect.

At one point, Holste jumped an octave lower than the singers. Later, Stewart lost his place and the group redid an entire song. And Stafford frequently mixed up which tune was next in the lineup.

But the residents couldn’t get enough of the trio. Many clapped or sang along to the songs; others rolled their wheelchairs back and forth; some shouted out encouragement.

“We know the people love it,” said Oxnard resident Florence Sullivan, a longtime group member who is taking a rest on doctor’s orders. “When we go around and shake hands at the end of the show, they’re so appreciative. They say, ‘Can’t you stay for the afternoon . . . or come back tomorrow?’ ”