Dale and Gayle Eisenhauer, mostly known as just Dale and Gayle, have been coming to the Valley for 15 years. And that’s also how long they have been entertaining with a guitar, keyboard, and their voices – and a little comedy thrown in from time to time. As retired schoolteachers, they are now living their dream, traveling and playing music, having a ball year-round.
The duo says, their greatest reward is playing in the parks and at Ace’s BBQ, where they have been playing for 13 years. They love being able to interact with their audience, take requests, and also let the audience participate.
You can quickly tell they love to entertain; they love what they do, and they love their audience – But more than that, they love each other and are always giving each other that special look, smile, or wink during their shows.
Gayle says that a lot of Winter Texans are of German descent and/or have a farming background. “Those are Dale’s people, since he is both of those,” she said. “We love to visit with them and have a good rapport with them.
Gayle also has an alter ego character named Mrs. Crabapple. She has become a big part of their show. Dressed as an old lady, she usually calls the manager of the park to complain about assorted things. She plays the part so well, that at one park she was waiting outside the door to come in for the skit and a lady with a walker said, “Here dear, let me get that door for you.
Gayle, walking kind of shaky with her cane, played the part and let the lady help her
One summer, playing in Arkansas, Dale, dressed up as Mr. Crabapple, played the part of mayor of Pickles Gap, AR and handed out stickers to people declaring them a “big dill.
“That was a fun gig,” said Gayle as she related the story
Dale and Gayle have an over 1,000 song repertoire consisting of everything from classic to current country, folk, cowboy, gospel, rock & pop, and comedy songs. They even have CD’s of each genre. They play shows, dances, and happy hours
Besides their shows, Dale has been a pastor and Gayle the music leader in two different winter parks they have lived in. They are always open to doing gospel shows or entire church services. This year they are also performing with Ambassadors of Grace for a Children’s Haven International benefit concert
If you can’t catch them at a park, or at the Valley Star Awards, try catching them at the Mission or Edinburg Ace’s. Otherwise, you can find their schedule at DaleAndGayle.com or find them on Facebook.